View source for Tenpin bowling

{{Short description|Type of bowling}}
{{Redirect|Tenpin|the brand of bowling centres in the United Kingdom|Tenpin Ltd}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox sport
| name = Tenpin bowling
| image = 10-pin-bowling-strike.gif
| imagesize = 225px
| caption = Ball contacts the 1, 3, 5, and 9 pins (sequentially tinted red) to achieve a strike.
| nickname = 
| first = c. 1810 England (outdoors)<ref name=Pluckhahn_19881200/><br>c. 1820,<ref name=IndianaCentinel_18200610/> United States
| registered = 
| clubs =
| union = [[International Bowling Federation]]
| contact = [[Contact sport#Non-contact|No]]
| team = 
| mgender = Yes
| category = Ball sport, Target sport 
| equipment = Bowling ball, pins, lanes, bowling shoes
| venue = Bowling lanes
| glossary = [[Glossary of bowling]]
| olympic = Demonstration sport in 1988
| IWGA = Since 1981
}}
'''Tenpin bowling''' is a type of [[bowling]] in which a bowler [[bowling form|rolls]] a [[bowling ball]] down a wood or synthetic lane toward ten pins positioned [[Tetractys|evenly in four rows in an equilateral triangle]]. The goal is to knock down all ten [[Bowling pin|pins]] on the first roll of the ball (a strike), or failing that, on the second roll (a spare). While most people approach modern tenpin bowling as a simple recreational pastime, those who bowl competitively, especially at the highest levels, consider it a demanding sport requiring precision and skill.<ref name=BBcom_SportOrGame>{{cite web |last1=Carrubba |first1=Rich |title=Is Bowling A Sport Or A Game? |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/is-bowling-a-sport-or-a-game |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112022014/https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/is-bowling-a-sport-or-a-game |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |date=April 5, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

An approximately {{convert|15|ft|m|0|adj=on}} long ''approach'' area used by the bowler to impart speed and apply rotation to the ball ends in a ''foul line''. The {{convert|41.5|in|cm|adj=mid|-wide}}, {{convert|60|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} lane is bordered along its length by ''gutters'' (''channels'') that collect errant balls. The lane's long and narrow shape limits straight-line ball paths to angles that are smaller than optimum angles for achieving strikes; accordingly, bowlers impart side rotation to ''[[hook (bowling)|hook]]'' (curve) the ball into the pins to increase the likelihood of striking.

Oil is applied to approximately the first two-thirds of the lane's length to allow a "skid" area for the ball before it encounters friction and hooks. The oil is applied in different lengths and layout patterns, especially in professional and tournament play, to add complexity and regulate challenge in the sport. Especially when coupled with technological developments in ball design since the early 1990s, easier oil patterns common for league bowling enable many league bowlers to achieve scores rivaling those of professional bowlers who must bowl on more difficult patterns—a development that has caused substantial controversy.

Tenpin bowling arose in the early 1800s as an alternative to [[nine-pin bowling]], with truly standardized regulations not being agreed on until nearly the end of that century. After the development of automated mechanical pinsetters, the sport enjoyed a "golden age" in the mid twentieth century. Following substantial declines since the 1980s in both professional tournament television ratings and amateur league participation, bowling centers have increasingly expanded to become diverse entertainment centers.

Tenpin bowling is often simply referred to as ''bowling''. ''Tenpin'', or less commonly ''big-ball'', is prepended in the [[English-speaking world]] to distinguish it from other bowling types such as [[bowls]], [[candlepin]], [[duckpin]] and [[five-pin bowling|five-pin]].

==Facilities and equipment==
===Lanes===
{{See also | Bowling ball#Effect of lane characteristics on ball motion }}
[[File:20181228 Bowling lane WITH measurements.png|thumb | right | 350px | True scale diagram: In tenpin bowling lanes, the nearest pin is 60 feet from the foul line—more than 17 times the lane's 41.5-inch width.<ref name=USBCspecs/> The optical illusion of [[Perspective (graphical)#Foreshortening|foreshortening]] that a bowler experiences when standing on the approach causes pins to appear closer together and bowling ball angles of entry to appear more dramatic than they are in fact.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }}{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 11 ("I was robbed!") }}]]
Tenpin bowling lanes are {{convert|60|ft|m|2}} from the foul line to the center of the head pin (1-pin), with guide arrows (aiming targets) about {{convert|15|ft|m|2}} from the foul line.<ref name=USBCspecs/> The lane is {{convert|41.5|in|m|2}} wide and has 39 wooden boards, or is made of a synthetic material with the 39 "boards" simulated using marking lines.<ref name=USBCspecs/> The approach has two sets of dots, respectively {{convert|12|ft|m|2}} and {{convert|15|ft|m|2}} behind the foul line, to help with foot placement.<ref name=USBCspecs/>

{{multiple image
| align=right | direction=horizontal | total_width = 350 | header={{gray|Oil patterns, with greater oil concentrations represented by darker blues<br><small>(Horizontal scale is compressed.)</small>}}
| image1   = 20190112 Typical house shot oil pattern on bowling lane.png
| width1   = 
| caption1 = Simplified THS (typical house shot): relatively dry areas on the sides, and more heavily lubricated areas surrounding the centerline, help to guide the ball toward the pocket.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 15 ("Lane play")}}
| image2   = 20190112 Sport pattern - oil pattern on bowling lane.png
| width2   = 
| caption2 = Simplified sport pattern: a "flatter" (more even) distribution of oil across the lane presents a greater challenge to hit the pocket.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 15 ("Lane play")}}
}}
Modern bowling lanes have oil patterns designed not only to shield the lanes from damage from bowling ball impacts, but to provide bowlers with different levels of challenge in achieving strikes. As illustrated, a typical house pattern (or THS, typical house shot) has drier outside portions that give bowling balls more friction to hook (curve) into the pocket, but heavier oil concentrations surrounding the centerline so that balls slide directly toward the pocket with less hooking.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 15 ("Lane play") }} In the more challenging sport patterns used in tournaments and professional-level matches, a "flat" oil pattern—one with oil distributed more evenly from side to side—provides little assistance in guiding the ball toward the pocket, and is less forgiving with regard to off-target shots.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 15 ("Lane play") }} The ratio of centerline oil concentration to side oil concentration (the ''oil ratio'') can exceed 10-to-1 for THSs but is restricted to 3-to-1 or less for sport shots.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 15 ("Lane play") }}

Lane oils, also called lane conditioners, are composed of about 98% mineral oil that, with numerous additives, are designed to minimize [[Glossary of bowling#Breakdown|breakdown]] and [[Glossary of bowling#Carry-down|carry-down]] that would change ball reaction after repeated ball rolls.<ref name=BowlingBallComLaneOil2012/> Lane oils are characterized by different levels of [[viscosity]], with oils of higher viscosity (thicker consistency) being more durable but causing balls to slow and hook earlier than lower-viscosity oils.<ref name=BowlingBallComLaneOil2012>{{cite web |last1=Carrubba |first1=Rich |title=Bowling Lane Oil Facts |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/bowling-lane-oil-facts |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115185453/http://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/bowling-lane-oil-facts |archive-date=November 15, 2015 |date=2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Balls===
{{See also | Bowling ball#Effect of coverstock, core and layout on ball motion }}
[[File:20181229 2 4 6 degree angle of entry for bowling ball.png|thumb | right | 350px | True scale diagram: A straight path, even one starting from the extreme outside corner of the lane, results in an angle of entry of at most 1.45°. Larger entry angles (shown in diagram) are achievable when [[hook (bowling)|hooking]] (curving) the ball. Larger entry angles have been shown to be generally more favorable for achieving strikes.{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}}{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 8 ("Why Does My Ball Hook?") }}]]
Rubber balls (introduced in 1905) were eventually supplanted by polyester ("plastic") balls (1959) and polyurethane ("urethane") balls (1980s).<ref name=BBevolution2012>{{cite web |last1=Carrubba |first1=Rich |title=Bowling Ball Evolution |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/bowling-ball-evolution |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917215354/https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/bowling-ball-evolution |archive-date=September 17, 2018 |date=June 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Coverstocks (surfaces) of bowling balls then evolved to increase the hook-enhancing friction between ball and lane: reactive resin balls arrived in the early 1990s, and particle-enhanced resin balls in the late 1990s.<ref name=BBevolution2012/> Meanwhile, the increasingly sophisticated technology of internal cores (also called ''weight blocks'') has increased balls' dynamic imbalance, which, in conjunction with the coverstocks' increased friction, enhances hook (curving) potential to achieve the higher entry angles that have enabled dramatic increases in strike percentage and game scores.{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour |Stervenz |2008 }}

Hook potential has increased so much that dry lane conditions or spare shooting scenarios sometimes compel use of plastic or urethane balls, to purposely avoid the larger hook provided by reactive technology.<ref name=BBevolution2012/><ref name=Siefers20070423>{{cite web |last1=Siefers |first1=Nick (USBC research engineer) |title=Understanding the relationship between core and cover stock |url=https://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/2324 |website=BowlingDigital.com (Courtesy of USBC Equipment Specification and Certification) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920011257/https://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/2324 |archive-date=September 20, 2018 |date=April 23, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[United States Bowling Congress]] (USBC) regulates ball parameters including diameter (between {{convert|8.500|and|8.595|in|cm|disp=or}}), circumference (between {{convert|26.704|and|27.002|in|cm|disp=or}}), and weight (maximum of {{convert|16|lb|kg|2|disp=or}}, no minimum).<ref name=USBCspecs/>

====Ball motion====
{{See also | Bowling ball#Ball motion }}
[[File:20190113 bowling ball path - skid hook roll.png|thumb|350px | Simplified representation of the skid, hook, and roll phases of bowling ball motion.<ref name=BBcom3PhasesMotion20160728>{{cite web |title=Bowling Ball Reaction Keys |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/bowling-ball-reaction-keys |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110035756/http://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/bowling-ball-reaction-keys |archive-date=November 10, 2016 |date=July 28, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Technological advances since the early 1990s in ball design have allowed dramatically increased hook potential and strike frequency, without requiring additional skill on the part of bowlers.{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour |Stervenz |2008 }} <small>(Horizontal scale is compressed.)</small>]]
Because pin spacing is much larger than ball size, it is impossible for the ball to contact all pins. Therefore, a tactical shot is required, which would result in a chain reaction of pins hitting other pins (called ''[[Glossary of bowling#Pin scatter|pin scatter]]''). In what is considered an ideal strike shot, the ball contacts only the 1, 3, 5 and 9 pins (right-handed deliveries).{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}}

Most new players roll the ball straight, while more experienced bowlers may roll a [[hook (bowling)|hook]] that involves making the ball start out straight but then curve toward a target, to increase the likelihood of striking: [[United States Bowling Congress|USBC]] research{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} has shown that shots most likely to strike enter the [[Glossary of bowling#Pocket|pocket]] at an [[Glossary of bowling#Angle of entry|angle of entry]] that is achievable only with a hook.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 8 ("Why Does My Ball Hook?") }}

A complex interaction of a variety of factors influences ball motion and its effect on scoring results.<ref name=BBcom_Motion_20130205>{{cite web |last1=Carrubba |first1=Rich |title=The Simple Keys Of Bowling Ball Motion |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/the-simple-keys-of-bowling-ball-motion?bowlversityarticleid=13127 |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723194311/https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/the-simple-keys-of-bowling-ball-motion?bowlversityarticleid=13127 |archive-date=July 23, 2021 |date=February 5, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=BowlingBallComBallMotion_20161229>{{cite web |title=Your Bowling Ball Motion |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/your-bowling-ball-motion |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209030127/https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/your-bowling-ball-motion |archive-date=February 9, 2017 |date=December 29, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=BowlingBallCom_Variables_20160418>{{cite web |title=Variables You Encounter When Bowling |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/variables-you-encounter-when-bowling |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012204113/http://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/variables-you-encounter-when-bowling |archive-date=October 12, 2016 |date=April 18, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Such factors may be categorized as:
* '''The bowler's delivery''' (see [[Bowling ball#Effect of delivery characteristics on ball motion|Effect of delivery characteristics on ball motion]]) Characteristics of the ball's delivery that affect ball motion include the ball's speed going down the lane, its rotational speed (''[[Glossary of bowling#Rev rate|rev rate]]''), the angle of the ball's axis of rotation in horizontal and vertical planes (''[[Glossary of bowling#Axis rotation|axis rotation]]'' and ''[[Glossary of bowling#Axis tilt|axis tilt]]'', respectively), and how far beyond the foul line that the ball first contacts the lane (''[[Glossary of bowling#Loft|loft]]'').{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 13 ("Create a Bowler's Tool Kit") }}
* '''Bowling ball design''' (see [[Bowling ball#Effect of coverstock, core and layout on ball motion|Effect of coverstock, core and layout on ball motion]]). A 2005-2008 USBC Ball Motion Study found that the ball design factors that most contributed to ball motion were the microscopic spikes and pores on the ball's surface (present in balls with ''[[Glossary of bowling#Reactive resin|reactive resin]]'' [[Glossary of bowling#Coverstock|coverstock]]), the respective coefficients of friction between ball and lane in the oiled and dry parts of the lane, and the ball's oil absorption rate, followed in dominance by certain characteristics of the ball's [[Glossary of bowling#Core|core]] (mainly ''[[Glossary of bowling#Radius of gyration|radius of gyration]]'' and ''[[Glossary of bowling#Differential|total differential]]'').{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour |Stervenz |2008 }} Friction-related factors may be categorized as ''chemical friction'' (degree of "stickiness" designed by manufacturers into the resin coverstock) and ''physical friction'' (which can be modified by sanding or polishing, or by including additives that physically increase lubrication).{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 8 ("Why Does My Ball Hook?") }}{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 9 ("Track Flare, or Much Ado About Nothing?") }}{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour | Stervenz |2008 }} "Weak" (''pin down'') versus "strong" (''pin up'') [[Glossary of bowling#Layout|layouts]] of the finger and thumb holes with respect to core orientation affect [[Glossary of bowling#Skid|skid lengths]] and hook angularity.<ref name=BBdrill201501>{{cite web |title=How Should My Bowling Ball Be Drilled? |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/how-should-my-bowling-ball-be-drilled |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711104913/https://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/how-should-my-bowling-ball-be-drilled |archive-date=July 11, 2015 |date=January 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=CTDpinUpDown20170411>{{cite web |last1=Hickland |first1=Ronald |title=What is the difference between Pin up and Pin down Drilling on a Bowling Ball? |url=https://ctdbowling.com/blogs/news/what-is-the-difference-between-pin-up-and-pin-down-drilling-on-a-bowling-ball |website=CTDbowling.com (news section) |date=April 11, 2017}}</ref>
* '''Lane conditions''' (see [[Bowling ball#Effect of lane characteristics on ball motion|Effect of lane characteristics on ball motion]]). Lane conditions that affect ball motion include ''[[Glossary of bowling#Lane transition|lane transition]]'' (including ''[[Glossary of bowling#Breakdown|breakdown]]'' and ''[[Glossary of bowling#Carry-down|carry-down]]''),{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }} the oil absorption characteristics of previously thrown balls and the paths they followed,{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }}{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 16 ("Advanced Considerations") }} wood versus synthetic composition of the lane (more generally: soft vs. hard lanes),{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }} imperfections in lane surface (''[[Glossary of bowling#Topography|topography]]''),{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }} and oil ''[[viscosity]]'' (thick or thin consistency; innate viscosity being affected by temperature and humidity).{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }}

===Pins and pin carry===
{{ multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | total_width =650

| image1   = 20200127 Bowling ball and pins for strike - front view.png
| caption1 = '''Front view:'''{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 10 ("The Pocket Isn't the Pocket... and It's Nowhere Near Where You Think It Is") }} the ball impacts center pocket at "board 17.5"—found by a USBC pin-carry study{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} to maximize strike probability. The ideal impact point is closer to the center of the head pin than many believe.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 10 ("The Pocket Isn't the Pocket... and It's Nowhere Near Where You Think It Is")}}

| image2  = 20181230 Bowling ball at board 17.5 with pins.png
| caption2 = '''Top view:''' Ideal impact for strike{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 8 ("Why Does My Ball Hook?") }}

| image3 = 2009 USBC tenpin bowling pin carry study - probability of strike.svg 
| caption3= USBC study results indicating "board 17.5" to be the ideal ball location to achieve strikes, with higher entry angles (shown) and heavier balls (not shown) generally improving chances of striking{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}}
}}
Bowling pins (with a maximum thickness of {{convert|4.766|in|cm|0}} at the waist) are "spotted" (placed) in four rows, forming an equilateral triangle with four pins on a side to form a [[tetractys]].<ref name=USBCspecs/> Neighboring pins are centered {{convert|12|in|cm|0}} apart, leaving a space of {{convert|7.234|in|cm|0}} between pins that can be bridged by a bowling ball of regulation diameter ({{convert|8.5|in|cm|0|disp=or}}).<ref name=USBCspecs>{{cite web |author1=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |title=USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications Manual |url=https://bowl.com/uploadedFiles/Equipment_Specs/Information/2012FebESManualWEBINTERACTIVE.pdf |website=bowl.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619074452/http://bowl.com/uploadedFiles/Equipment_Specs/Information/2012FebESManualWEBINTERACTIVE.pdf |archive-date=June 19, 2013 |date=February 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Pin ''carry''—essentially determining the probability of achieving a strike if the ball impacts in or near the pocket—varies with several factors.{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} Even before a 2008 USBC pin carry study, it was known that entry angle and ball weight affect strike percentages.{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} The 2008 study concluded that an impact with the ball centered at "board 17.5" causes pin scatter that maximizes likelihood of striking.{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}}{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 8 ("Why Does My Ball Hook?") }} The material of the pin deck and "kickback" (side) plates was also found to materially affect pin carry.{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}}

==Ball delivery==
===Delivery style categories===
{{See also|Bowling form | Bowling ball#Effect of delivery characteristics on ball motion }}
Three widely recognized categories are ''stroker, cranker'' and ''tweener''.<ref name=Styles2011>{{cite web |author=Wallace, Rich |url=http://www.kingpin-bowling.com/understanding-bowling-styles/ |title=Understanding Bowling Styles |website=kingpin-bowling.com |date=January 6, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521155110/http://www.kingpin-bowling.com/understanding-bowling-styles/ |archive-date=May 21, 2013 }}</ref><ref name=Styles2004/>

* Strokers—using the most "classic" bowling form—tend to keep the shoulders square to the foul line and develop only a moderately high backswing, achieving modest ball rotation ("rev") rates and ball speeds, which thus limit hook potential and kinetic energy delivered to the pins.<ref name=Styles2011/> Strokers rely on accuracy and repeatability, and benefit from the high entry angles that reactive resin balls enable.<ref name=Styles2011/>
* Crankers tend to open (rotate) the shoulders and use strong wrist and arm action in concert with a high backswing, achieving higher rev rates and ball speeds, thus maximizing hook potential and kinetic energy.<ref name=Styles2011/> Crankers rely on speed and power, but may leave splits rarely left by strokers.<ref name=Styles2011/>
* Tweeners (derived from "in-between") have styles that fall between those of strokers and crankers; the term is considered by some to include ''power strokers'' who combine the high rev rates of crankers with the smooth delivery of strokers.<ref name=Styles2011/>

====Alternative deliveries====
{{multiple image | align=right | direction=horizontal | total_width =425
| image1   = 20240621 John Furey bowling ball release.jpg
| caption1 = PBA bowler John Furey uses a '''conventional (one-handed) delivery.''' Finger rotation can induce [[Glossary of bowling#Axis rotation|axis rotation]], causing the ball to hook (curve).
| image2    = 20190818 Zach Wilkins two-handed bowling - screenshot before release.png
| caption2  = '''Two-handed delivery:''' Both hands retain contact with the ball until just before the release.<br>Though it is often incorrectly called a two-handed ''release'', the actual release involves a single dominant hand for most bowlers.<br>For most two-handed deliveries, the thumb is never inserted into the ball in the first place, allowing a high [[Glossary of bowling#Rev rate|rev rate]] and resultant hook.<br>(shown: Zach Wilkins) 
}}
{{multiple image | align=right | direction=horizontal | total_width =425
| image3    = ClaraJulianaGuerrero.jpg
| caption3  = '''Delivery styles''' often involve a long follow-through and widely extended balance arm and leg. (shown: [[Clara Guerrero]])
| image4    = 20190818 Zach Wilkins two-handed bowling.webm
| caption4  = '''Video: The two-handed delivery''', widely popularized by [[Jason Belmonte]],<ref name=WSJ20090205/> increases potential [[Glossary of bowling#Rev rate|rev rate]] and hook. <br>(shown: Zach Wilkins)
}}

* So-called ''[[Two-handed bowling|two-handed]]'' bowling, first popularized late in the 2000s by Australian [[Jason Belmonte]], involves not inserting the thumb into any thumbhole, with the opposite hand supporting and guiding the ball throughout ''almost'' the entire forward swing.<ref name=WSJ20090205>{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Adam |title=Young Australian Puts a New Spin on Bowling: He Throws Two-Handed |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123379401410650043 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=February 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331011101/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123379401410650043 |archive-date=March 31, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> This delivery style, involving more athletic ability, is increasingly popular with younger bowlers and technically still involves a one-handed ''release.''<ref name=BBcom_20161216>{{cite web |title=One Handed Bowling Swing |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/one-handed-bowling-swing |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214212441/https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/one-handed-bowling-swing |archive-date=February 14, 2021 |date=December 7, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> It allows the inserted fingers to generate higher revolution rates and thus attain greater hook potential than with a thumb-in-hole approach.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 5 ("You Say You Want a Revolution") }} In contrast, in what is literally a two-handed delivery and release, children or physically challenged players use both hands to deliver the ball forward from between the legs or from the chest.<ref name=KegelGlossary20100320>{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Ted |title=Two-handed delivery |url=http://www.kegel.net/wpa/2016/3/14/xh6qmgxy6mqer0ckfsn547mkndhlh8 |website=Kegel.net |publisher=Kegel, LLC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121121743/http://www.kegel.net/wpa/2016/3/14/xh6qmgxy6mqer0ckfsn547mkndhlh8 |archive-date=January 21, 2019 |date=March 20, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''No-thumb'' bowling involves only a single hand during the forward swing, without the thumb inserted. The ball is often balanced on the wrist and forearm of the delivery hand for this technique.<ref name=BBcom2hand2011>{{cite web |last1=Seymour |first1=Dustin |title=2-Handed Bowling: Is It A Fad Or The Future? |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/2-handed-bowling-is-it-a-fad-or-the-future |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110731043941/http://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/2-handed-bowling-is-it-a-fad-or-the-future |archive-date=July 31, 2011 |date=2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> A successful professional who uses the one-handed no-thumb delivery is [[Tom Daugherty]].<ref name=TD-onehand>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wDwRLdcuo0 |title=Xtra Slow Motion - Tom Daugherty's Bowling Release|website=youtube.com |date=May 21, 2014 |accessdate=2022-08-04}}</ref>

[[File:Bowling-UFO-release.jpg|right|thumb|The "UFO" or "helicopter" release: the thumb faces the body, while the middle and ring fingers face the pins.]]

* The ''spinner'' style, which is mainly popular in parts of Asia, has a "helicopter" or "UFO" release that involves rotating the wrist to impart a high (vertical) axis of rotation that causes the bowling ball to spin like a [[Spinning top|top]] while traveling straight down the lane.<ref name=Styles2004/> Usually involving a lighter (10–12 pound) ball, the spinner style takes advantage of the ball deflection from the head pin to then "walk down" the other visible pins and cause [[domino effect]]s diagonally through the pins.<ref name=Styles2004>{{cite web |title=The Game » Styles |url=http://www.tenpinbowling.org/view.php?page=the_game.styles |website=TenPinBowling.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614205728/http://www.tenpinbowling.org/view.php?page=the_game.styles |archive-date=June 14, 2007 |date=2004 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* In the ''backup'' (or ''reverse hook'') release, the wrist rotates clockwise (for right hand releases) or counter-clockwise (for left hand releases), causing the ball to hook in a direction opposite to that of conventional releases.<ref name=BBcomBackup20180909>{{cite web |last1=Mullen |first1=Michelle |title=Determining Stance Distance & Position |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/Determining-Stance-Distance--Position |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity education section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201042139/https://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/Determining-Stance-Distance--Position |archive-date=February 1, 2019 |date=September 9, 2018 |url-status=live }} Excerpt from ''Bowling Fundamentals - Second Edition.''</ref>

===Grips===
A ''conventional grip'', used on non-customized house balls and some custom-drilled balls, involves insertion of fingers to the second knuckle.<ref name=GFtrib20171203/> A ''fingertip grip'', involving insertion of fingers only to the first knuckle, enables greater revolution rates and resultant hook potential.<ref name=GFtrib20171203/> A ''thumbless grip'', often used by so-called "two-handed" bowlers, maximizes ball rotational speed ("rev rate").<ref name=GFtrib20171203>{{cite news |last1=Vernoy |first1=Lee |title=Looking for a bowling ball? Here's the guy to see |url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/sports/2017/12/03/looking-bowling-ball-heres-guy-see/918228001/ |work=Great Falls Tribune |date=December 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131190442/https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/sports/2017/12/03/looking-bowling-ball-heres-guy-see/918228001/ |archive-date=January 31, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Pins and scoring==
===Pins===
The [[United States Bowling Congress|USBC]] indicated that, effective August 1, 2023, it is certifying string pinsetters and string pin bowling as an independent category of equipment and competition separate from conventional free-fall [[pinsetter]]s.<ref name=USBC_20230427/> USBC lab data indicated strike percentage on string pin bowling is 7.1% lower, causing the USBC to plan additional testing to determine whether a scoring conversion should be created between the categories.<ref name=USBC_20230427>{{cite web |last1=Schroeder |first1=Dave |title=USBC Certifies String Pin Bowling as Independent Competition Effective August 1, 2023 |url=https://bowl.com/news/usbc-certifies-string-pin-bowling-as-independent-competition-effective-august-1,-2023 |website=Bowl.com |publisher=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230501045616/https://bowl.com/news/usbc-certifies-string-pin-bowling-as-independent-competition-effective-august-1,-2023 |archive-date=May 1, 2023 |date=April 27, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> String pinsetters are less expensive and easier to maintain, motivating bowling centers to phase them in.<ref name=Newser_20230122>{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=John |title=New 'String Pin' Technology May Change Bowling |url=https://www.newser.com/story/330258/a-big-change-is-coming-to-bowling-on-strings.html |agency=Newser |date=January 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428060241/https://www.newser.com/story/330258/a-big-change-is-coming-to-bowling-on-strings.html |archive-date=April 28, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Traditional scoring===
{{multiple image
| align=right | direction=horizontal | total_width = 450
| image1   = Bowlstrike.PNG|thumb
| width1   = 
| caption1 = Traditional scoring of a [[Strike (bowling)|strike]]:
Frame one: 10 + (3 + 6) = <u>19</u>
Frame two: 3 + 6 = 9 → Total = <u>28</u>
| image2   = Bowlspare.png
| width2   = 
| caption2 = Traditional scoring of a [[Spare (bowling)|spare]]:
Frame one: (7 + 3) + 4 = <u>14</u>
Frame two: 4 + 2 = 6 → Total = <u>20</u>
}}
[[File:20191106 Bowling - scratch and handicap scoring.png|thumb|Though the second bowler's scratch score 183 is higher than the first bowler's scratch score 181, the first bowler's higher handicap (58 vs. 53) causes his total 239 to exceed the second bowler's total 236.]]

In traditional scoring,<ref name=USBCch2-Rules2018-2019>{{cite web |title=Chapter 2: General Playing Rules / Rule 2 – The Game |url=http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/rulebook/2018-2019Rulebook.pdf |publisher=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320155527/http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/rulebook/2018-2019Rulebook.pdf |archive-date=March 20, 2019 |date=2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=BBcom_20121208>{{cite web |last1=Carrubba |first1=Rich |title=Keep Your Bowling Score |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/keep-your-bowling-score |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501093806/https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/keep-your-bowling-score |archive-date=May 1, 2015 |date=December 8, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> one point is scored for each pin that is knocked over, and when fewer than all ten pins are knocked down in two rolls in a frame (an ''open frame''), the frame is scored with the total number of pins knocked down. However, when all ten pins are knocked down with either the first or second rolls of a frame (a ''mark''), ''bonus'' pins are awarded as follows:

* '''[[Strike (bowling)|Strike]]''': When all ten pins are knocked down on the first roll (marked "X" on the scorescreen), the frame receives ten pins ''plus'' a bonus of pinfall on the next two ''rolls'' (not necessarily the next two ''frames''). A strike in the tenth (final) frame receives two extra rolls for bonus pins.
* '''[[Spare (bowling)|Spare]]''': When a second roll of a frame is needed to knock down all ten pins (marked "/" on the scorescreen), the frame receives ten pins ''plus'' a bonus of pinfall in the next ''roll'' (not necessarily the next ''frame''). A spare in the first two rolls in the tenth (final) frame receives a third roll for bonus pins.
* [[Split (bowling)|'''Split''']]: When pins that have not yet been knocked down form a gap that's at least one pin apart, therefore making it very difficult to get a spare (marked by highlighting the number of the roll in red on the scorescreen).
* '''Gutter''': When no pins are hit on a roll (marked "-" on the scorescreen).

The maximum score is 300, achieved by getting twelve strikes in a row within the same game (known as a [[Perfect game (bowling)|perfect game]]).

===World Bowling scoring===
The [[World Bowling]] scoring system—described as "current frame scoring"<ref name=InsideTheGames20160220>{{cite web|last1=Mackay |first1=Duncan |title=New scoring system introduced for World Bowling Tour finals to try to help sport's Olympic ambitions |url=http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1034575/new-scoring-system-introduced-for-world-bowling-tour-finals-to-try-to-help-sports-olympic-ambitions |website=InsideTheGames.biz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118210621/http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1034575/new-scoring-system-introduced-for-world-bowling-tour-finals-to-try-to-help-sports-olympic-ambitions |archive-date=November 18, 2016 |date=February 20, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>—awards pins as follows:
:* A strike is 30 pins, regardless of ensuing rolls' results.
:* A spare is 10 pins, plus the pinfall on first roll of the ''current'' frame.
:* An open frame is the total pinfall of the current frame.
The maximum score is 300, achieved with ten consecutive strikes (as opposed to twelve in traditional scoring), but with no bonus pins received in the tenth frame.<ref name=WeberCup20160729>{{cite web |title=Weber to go to World Scoring |url=http://www.webercup.com/weber-to-go-to-world-scoring/ |publisher=Weber Cup |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913115813/http://www.webercup.com/weber-to-go-to-world-scoring/ |archive-date=September 13, 2016 |date=July 29, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=InsideTheGames20160221/>

World Bowling scoring is thought to make bowling easier to follow than with traditional scoring,<ref name=WeberCup20160729/> increase television viewership,<ref name=InsideTheGames20160220/> and help bowling to become an [[Olympic sports|Olympic sport]].<ref name=InsideTheGames20160220/><ref name=InsideTheGames20160221>{{cite web|last1=Mackay |first1=Duncan |title=World Bowling Tour final winner backs new scoring system if it helps Olympic campaign |url=http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1034662/world-bowling-tour-final-winner-backs-new-scoring-system-if-it-helps-olympic-campaign |website=InsideTheGames.biz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913120452/http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1034662/world-bowling-tour-final-winner-backs-new-scoring-system-if-it-helps-olympic-campaign |archive-date=September 13, 2016 |date=February 21, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Variant of World Bowling scoring====
Another variant of scoring, a 12-frame system introduced at the November 2014 [[World Bowling]] Tour (WBT) finals, resembles golf's [[match play]] scoring in counting the greater number of ''frames'' won rather than measuring accumulated pinfall score.<ref name=WB201410/> A frame may be won immediately by a higher pincount on the first roll of the frame, and a match may be won when one player is ahead by more frames than remain of the possible 12 frames.<ref name=WB201410/> This variant reduces match length and scoring complexity for two-player matches.<ref name=WB201410>{{cite web|title=New Scoring System for Competitive Bowling to be Unveiled During World Bowling Tour Finals at WSOB VI |url=http://www.worldbowling.org/media/2014/10/new-scoring-system-for-competitive-bowling-to-be-unveiled-during-world-bowling-tour-finals-at-wsob-vi/ |publisher=World Bowling |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107145509/http://www.worldbowling.org/media/2014/10/new-scoring-system-for-competitive-bowling-to-be-unveiled-during-world-bowling-tour-finals-at-wsob-vi/ |archive-date=November 7, 2014 |date=October 2014 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

==History==
{{For|a more comprehensive history of other forms of bowling that pre-date tenpin bowling|Bowling#History}}

===Early history===
{{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | total_width =450

| image1    = 18200610 Ball and Ten Pin Alley - Indiana Centinel (Vincennes).png
| caption1  = An early (1820) newspaper ad features a "Ball and Ten Pin Alley" to attract customers to a "Baking and Confectionary Business".<ref name=IndianaCentinel_18200610>{{cite news |title=H. G. Kirk ... Banking and Confectionary Business (advertisement) |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/vincennes-indiana-centinel-jun-10-1820-p-3/ |work=Indiana Centinel & Public Advertiser |date=June 10, 1820 |location=Vincennes, Indiana, U.S. |page=3 }} ([[:commons:File:18200610 Ball and Ten Pin Alley - Indiana Centinel (Vincennes).png|Click for image]]) The owner "has erected, for the amusement of those who favor him with their custom, a Ball and Ten Pin Alley".</ref>

| image2    = 18290622 Promoting Observance of the Sabbath - image of bowling alleys - Georgia Journal.png
| caption2  = An 1829 newspaper editorial describes those who frequent bowling alleys and taverns: "the young, the frivolous, the headstrong, ... men of coarser passions and appetites, and fond of more riotous pleasures"<ref name=GaJournal_18290622>{{cite news |title=Religious / From the ''Christian Examiner'' / Address of the National Society for Promoting the Observance of the Sabbath |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/milledgeville-georgia-journal-jun-22-1829-p-1/ |work=Georgia Journal |date=June 22, 1829 |location=Milledgeville, Georgia, U.S. |page=6 }}</ref>—reflecting the often negative image bowling had.<ref name=StJames2002/>
}}
{{multiple image | align     = right | direction = horizontal | total_width =450
| image3    = 18380310 Evasions of Law - Logansport Telegraph.png
| caption3  = An 1838 Indiana newspaper describes how tenpin bowling was devised to evade a [[Baltimore]] statute prohibiting nine-pin bowling.<ref name=Logansport_18380310>{{cite news |title=Evasions of Law |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/logansport-telegraph-mar-10-1828-p-1/ |work=Logansport Telegraph |date=March 10, 1838 |location=Logansport, Indiana, U.S. |page=1 }}</ref>

| image4     = 18390629 Nine or ten pin bowling alley - Logansport Telegraph.png
| caption4   = An 1839 liquor license ordinance prohibited gambling in "any ball, nine or ten pin alley"—associating bowling with gambling and  games having a "demoralizing tendency".<ref name=LogansportTelegraph_18390629>{{cite news |title=An Ordinance to License Taverns, Groceries, Coffee-Houses, Exchanges &c; |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/logansport-telegraph-jun-29-1829-p-3/ |work=Logansport Telegraph |date=June 29, 1839 |location=Logansport, Indiana, U.S. |page=3 }} Be aware: website URL as of June 11, 2019, incorrectly includes reference to "jun-29-1829" (incorrect year), but this error may be corrected after upload date, rendering link obsolete.</ref>
}}
Modern tenpin bowling derives mainly from the German [[Nine-pin bowling|Kegelspiel]], or kegeling, which used nine pins set in a diamond formation.<ref name=StJames2002>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Bowling |encyclopedia=St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture |year=2002 |author=Woloson, Wendy |publisher=Gale Group |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419100164/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041214112113/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419100164 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 14, 2004 |access-date=March 31, 2006 }}</ref> The enjoyment of kegeling by German peasants contrasted with (lawn) [[bowls]] that was reserved for the upper classes, consistent with tenpin bowling's enduring reputation as a common man's sport.<ref name=StJames2002/>

A [[:File:1810 Ransome & Son - painting - outdoor ten pin bowling.jpg|''circa'' 1810 painting]] of [[Ipswich]], England, shows a man bowling outdoors with a triangular formation of ten pins.<ref name=Pluckhahn_19881200>{{cite magazine |last=Pluckhahn |first=Bruce |date=December 1988 |title=Bowling Games People Play |url= |magazine=[[Bowlers Journal International|Bowlers Journal]] |page=121 |location=Chicago, Illinois |publisher=National Bowlers Journal Inc. }} ([[:File:1810 Ransome & Son - painting - outdoor ten pin bowling.jpg|link to image of painting]])</ref> An outdoor version of tenpin bowling was [[:File:18280426 Auction of Chequers Public House with Bowling Green, Tenpin and Skittle grounds - Ipswich Journal.jpg|advertised]], also in Ipswich, at least as early as 1828.<ref name=IpswichJournal_18280426>{{cite news |title=Bury Saint Edmunds / Free Public House |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/390258918/ |work=The Ipswich Journal |issue=4701 |date=April 26, 1828 |page=3 }} ([[:File:18280426 Auction of Chequers Public House with Bowling Green, Tenpin and Skittle grounds - Ipswich Journal.jpg|Click for image]]) (auction notice describing "a garden ... wherein is a small Bowling Green, Tenpin and Skettle Grounds")</ref>

An 1841 Connecticut law banned ninepin bowling because of its perceived association with gambling and crime, and people were said to circumvent the prohibition by adding a tenth pin.<ref name=NshoreNews20180330>{{cite news |last1=Shepherd |first1=Jeremy |title=Final frame looms for longstanding North Van bowling alley |url=https://www.nsnews.com/news/final-frame-looms-for-longstanding-north-van-bowling-alley-1.23245713 |work=North Shore News |date=March 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707052103/https://www.nsnews.com/news/final-frame-looms-for-longstanding-north-van-bowling-alley-1.23245713 |archive-date=July 7, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other locations (e.g., 1838, re [[Baltimore]]<ref name=Logansport_18380310/> and 1842, [[Charles Dickens]] re New York<ref name=NYDailyNews_20120207>{{cite news |last1=Nazaryan |first1=Alexander |title=Charles Dickens at 200: When the great chronicler of London visited New York |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/pageviews/charles-dickens-200-great-chronicler-london-visited-new-york-blog-entry-1.1637613 |work=New York Daily News |date=February 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617032604/https://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/pageviews/charles-dickens-200-great-chronicler-london-visited-new-york-blog-entry-1.1637613 |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |url-status=live }} Quoting Dickens' ''American Notes for General Circulation.'' See also, footnote re ''The new York Herald'' of November 8, 1842.</ref><ref name=NYHerald_18421108>{{cite news |last1=Dickens |first1=Charles |title=''American Notes for General Circulation'' / Additional Extracts / New York |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-herald-nov-08-1842-p-1/ |work=The New York Herald |date=November 8, 1842 |page=1 |quote=... ten pins being a game of mingled chance and skill, invented when the legislature passed an act forbidding nine pins.}} Dickens did not specify which legislature.</ref>) also recount that strategy. Even earlier, an 1834 Washington, D.C. ordinance had limited the time (before 8 p.m. and not on Sundays) and place (more than 100 yards from inhabited houses) of "nine pin and ten pins" or "any game in the likeness or imitation thereof ... played with any number of pins whatsoever".<ref name=NationalIntelligencer_18340807>{{cite news |title=AN ACT to restrict the playing at the game of Nine Pins. |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/washington-national-intelligencer-aug-07-1834-p-3/ |work=Daily National Intelligencer |date=August 7, 1834 |location=Washington, D.C., U.S. |page=3 }} ([[:commons:File:18340807 Ordinance restricting nine and ten pin bowling - Daily National Intelligencer (Washington).png|Click for image]])</ref> U.S. newspapers referred to "ten pin alleys" at least as early as 1820<ref name=IndianaCentinel_18200610/>
(also later in the 1820s<ref name=MdRepublican_18210526>{{cite news |title=Miscellaneous / From the Western Spy |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/annapolis-maryland-republican-and-political-agricultural-museum-may-26-1821-p-4/ |work=The Maryland Republican and Political and Agricultural Museum |date=May 26, 1821 |location=Annapolis, Maryland, U.S. |page=4 }} ([[:commons:File:18210526 Keeper of the tenpin alley - The Maryland Republican and Political Agricultural Museum.png|Click for image]]) Reference to "... keeper of the tenpin alley".</ref>
and in the 1830s<ref name=WashDailyNatnlIntelligencer_18300402>{{cite news |title=White House Retreat (advertisement) |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/washington-national-intelligencer-apr-02-1830-p-4/ |work=Daily National Intelligencer |date=April 2, 1830 |location=Washington, D.C., U.S. |page=4}} ([[:commons:File:18300402 White House Retreat ten pin alley - Daily National Intelligencer.png|Click for image]]) <br />● A slightly earlier, though less clearly legible, version of the same ad ran the previous month: {{cite news |title=White House Retreat (advertisement) |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/washington-national-intelligencer-mar-24-1830-p-3/ |work=Daily National Intelligencer |date=March 24, 1830 |location=Washington, D.C., U.S. |page=3 }} <br />● Advertises a property having "a first rate ten pin alley".</ref>
<ref name=DailyNationalIntelligencer_18310621>{{cite news |title=York Sulphur Springs |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/washington-national-intelligencer-jun-21-1831-p-3/ |work=Daily National Intelligencer |date=June 21, 1831 |location=Washington, D.C., U.S. |page=3 }} ([[:commons:File:18310621_York_Sulphur_Springs_ten-pin_alley_-_Daily_National_Intelligencer.png|Click for image]]) Advertises a property with a "commodious and well-adjusted ten-pin alley".</ref>
<ref name=WashGlobe_18320628>{{cite news |title=For Rent |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/washington-globe-jun-28-1832-p-3/ |work=The Globe |date=June 28, 1832 |location=Washington, D.C., U.S. |page=3 }} ([[:commons:File:18320628_For_rent_-_ten-pin_alley_attached_-_The_Globe_(Washington).png|Click for image]]) Offering for rent, a "Public House" with "a good Ten Pin Alley attached".</ref>
<ref name=BostonMorningPost_18330518>{{cite news |title=The ''Philadelphia Chronicle'' publishes the following pleasant notice |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-morning-post-may-18-1833-p-2/ |work=The Boston Morning Post |date=May 18, 1833 |location=Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |page=2 }} ([[:commons:File:18330518 PAGE Ten pin alley - Philadelphia - The Boston Morning Post.png|Click for image]]) Reference to a "ten pin alley" in an inn in the Philadelphia area.</ref>
<ref name=DailySavannahRepublican_18340503>{{cite news |title=Sheriff's Sale |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/savannah-daily-savannah-republican-may-03-1834-p-5/ |work=Daily Savannah Republican |date=May 3, 1834 |location=Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |page=5 }} ([[:commons:File:18340503 Sheriff's sale of Ten Pin Alley - Daily Savannah Republican.png|Click for image]]) Sheriff's sale of "Ten Pin Alley and Balls".</ref>
<ref name=Nationalintelligencer_18360924>{{cite news |title=Valuable Real Estate for Sale |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/washington-national-intelligencer-sep-24-1836-p-3/ |work=Daily National Intelligencer |date=September 24, 1836 |location=Washington, D.C., U.S. |page=3 }}([[:commons:File:18360924 Berkeley Springs Ten Pin Alley - National Intelligencer (Washington).png|Click for image]]) Sale of "Coffee House" having "Ten Pin Alley".</ref>
<ref name=GlobeWashDC_18370318>{{cite news |title=The Globe Hotel - By Geo. Kensett |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/washington-globe-mar-18-1837-p-3/ |work=The Globe |date=March 18, 1837 |location=Washington, D.C., U.S. |page=3 }} ([[:commons:File:18370318 Billiard Room and Ten Pin Alley attached to hotel - The Globe (Washington).png|Click for image]]) Ad for hotel four blocks from [[White House]] touts "Billiard Room and Ten Pin Alley attached to the premises".</ref>).

In the mid-1800s, various alternatives to free-standing pins received U.S. patents to solve perceived problems in pinsetting and ball return, aiming to avoid the need for human pinsetters to perform these functions. One scheme (1851) involved pins with spherical bases that when hit by a ball merely fell over, in place, to be rotated back to a vertical position.<ref>{{cite patent | country = U.S. | number = Patent 8,027 | title = Game Board (Apparatus For Setting Up Ten-Pins) | gdate= April 8, 1851 | inventor= Sloan, Thomas J. | url= https://patents.google.com/patent/US8027A/}}</ref> A second arrangement (1853) involved resetting the pins via cords descending from respective pin bottoms to weights beneath the pin deck.<ref>{{cite patent |country=U.S. |number=Patent 9,916 |status= |title=Game Board (Setting Up Ten-Pins And Returning Balls) |gdate=August 9, 1853 |inventor=Eichell, George W. |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US9916A/ }}</ref> Another design (1869) involved suspending the pins with overhead cords.<ref name=Patent>{{cite patent |country=U.S. |number=Patent 92,467 |title=Bowling Alley (Improvement in Bowling-Alleys) |gdate=July 13, 1869 |inventor=Pierce/Peirce, Amos T. |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US92467A/ }}</ref>

{{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | total_width =250
| image1    = 1895 Bowling lockers.jpg
| caption1  = An 1895 advertisement for bowling lockers (price: $6.00 each section) suggests the attire and facilities used by bowlers of the era.<ref name=BowlingLockers_1895>{{cite web |title=Bowling Catalog E |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/57337/57337-h/57337-h.htm |website=Gutenberg.org |publisher=Narragansett Machine Company |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701141541/http://www.gutenberg.org/files/57337/57337-h/57337-h.htm |archive-date=July 1, 2018 |date=1895 |url-status=live}} [[Project Gutenberg]] release date: June 16, 2018.</ref>
}}
{{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | total_width =450
| image2    = Bowling alley at the Pleasant Beach Hotel, Bainbridge Island, ca 1898 (HESTER 61).jpeg
| caption2  = Bowling alley at the Pleasant Beach Hotel, Bainbridge Island, Washington (c. 1898)

| image3    = Bowling alley 1908.jpg
| caption3  = Human pinsetters (Pittsburgh, c. 1908) preceded automated mechanical pinsetters.
}}
In 1884, the [[Brunswick Corporation]] became the first American bowling ball manufacturer, and by 1905<ref name=OregonJournal_19051107>{{cite news |title=Pollack Wins Tourney With a Mineralite |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/portland-oregon-daily-journal-nov-07-1905-p-12/ |work=Oregon Journal |date=November 7, 1905 |page=12}} ([[:File:19051107 Pollack Wins Tourney With a Mineralite - (Portland) Oregon Daily Journal.jpg|copy of article]]) Other sources are apparently wrong in citing 1914.</ref> introduced the Mineralite (hard rubber) ball that was considered so revolutionary over wooden balls that it was displayed at the Century of Progress Exposition in 1934.<ref name=StJames2002/> In 1886, [[Joe Thum]]—who would become known as the "father of bowling"—began opening bowling alleys and over decades strove to elevate the sport's image to compete with upper-class diversions such as theaters and opera houses.<ref name=StJames2002/>

In 1875, delegates from [[New York City]] and [[Brooklyn]] bowling clubs formed the National Bowling Association (NBA) to standardize rules, but disagreements prevailed.<ref name=USBChistoryOfBowling>{{cite web |title=History of bowling |url=https://www.bowl.com/About/About_Home/History_of_bowling/ |website=bowl.com (United States Bowling Congress) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030204318/https://www.bowl.com/About/About_Home/History_of_bowling/ |archive-date=October 30, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1887 [[Albert Spalding|Albert G. Spalding]] wrote ''Standard Rules for Bowling in the United States'', and in the mid-1890s the United Bowling Clubs (UBC) was organized with 120 members.<ref name=StJames2002/> The [[United States Bowling Congress|American Bowling Congress (ABC)]] was established in 1895, followed by the [[Women's International Bowling Congress]] (WIBC) in the 1910s, such organizations promoting standardized rules and striving to improve the sport's image.<ref name=StJames2002/>

From 1920 to 1929, the number of ABC-sanctioned alleys grew from 450 to about 2,000, with [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] leading to the growth of family-appropriate "dry" alleys.<ref name=StJames2002/> The 1933 repeal of Prohibition allowed breweries to sponsor teams and bowlers, adding to bowling's reputation as a working-class sport.<ref name=StJames2002/> Though at the turn of the twentieth century most bowling alleys were small establishments, post-Prohibition bowling lanes shifted from side entertainment at fancy Victorian venues or seedier saloons to independent establishments that embraced the [[Art Deco]] style and fit the era's perceived "need for speed".<ref name=StJames2002/>

===1940s to early 1960s===
[[File:2,208,605 Bowling pin setting apparatus - patent.png|thumb|Actual text from one of Gottfried Schmidt's patents, this one from an application filed in 1936 and describing how his "bowling pin setting apparatus" can pick up and replace pins even if they were off their proper spots<ref name=Patent2208605>{{cite web |last1=Schmidt |first1=Gottfried J. |title=Bowling Pin Setting Apparatus |url=https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/3c/bb/06/9bb96bff329e70/US2208605.pdf |website=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com |publisher=United States Patent and Trademark Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128034516/https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/3c/bb/06/9bb96bff329e70/US2208605.pdf |archive-date=January 28, 2019 |date=July 23, 1940 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
Gottfried Schmidt invented the first mechanical [[pinsetter]] in his garage in 1936, one implementation of which was publicly exhibited in 1946 before AMF placed a production model into service in 1952.<ref name=TenPinBowlingHistory2004/>

The 1940s through the 1970s became known as the "golden age of bowling",<ref name=Priceonomics20140321/> with ABC membership growing from 700,000 (1940), to 1.1 million (1947), to 2.3 million (1958), to 4.5 million (1963),<ref name=StJames2002/><ref name=DetroitFP20150509/> Women's International Bowling Congress membership growing from 82,000 (1940) to 866,000 (1958),<ref name=DetroitFP20150509/> American Junior Bowling Congress membership growing from 8,000 (1940) to 175,000 (1958),<ref name=DetroitFP20150509/> and sanctioned individual lanes growing from 44,500 (1947) to 159,000 (1963).<ref name=StJames2002/>

Bowling's growth was fueled by the deployment of automatic mechanical pinsetters by AMF (1952) and Brunswick (1955), television broadcasts (said to be "ubiquitous" in the 1950s), modernization and stylization of establishments with amenities to attract broader clientele, and formation of bowling leagues.<ref name=StJames2002/> Though President Truman had installed a bowling alley in the White House in 1947,<ref name=StJames2002/> a report of the American Society of Planning Officials in 1958 characterized bowling alleys as the "poor man's country club".<ref name=DetroitFP20150509>{{cite news |url=http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2015/05/09/bowling-michigan-rebound-decline/26924689/ |title=Is bowling in its final frames — or on a roll? |last=Witsil |first=Frank |newspaper=Detroit Free Press |date=May 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126122512/https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2015/05/09/bowling-michigan-rebound-decline/26924689/ |archive-date=January 26, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

ABC bylaws had included a "[[White Americans|white]]-males-only" clause since its inception in the 1890s, but numerous lobbying efforts and legal actions after World War II by civil rights and labor organizations led to a reversal of this policy in 1950.<ref name=Integration>{{cite web |title=Afro-Americans in New York Life and History: The integration of the American Bowling Congress: the Buffalo experience |date=July 2005 |author=Rigali, James. H. |author2=Walter, John C. |publisher=Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0SAF/is_2_29/ai_n15763168 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615073400/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0SAF/is_2_29/ai_n15763168 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 15, 2006 |access-date=March 31, 2006 }}</ref>

Sports agent [[Eddie Elias]] founded the [[Professional Bowlers Association]] (PBA) in 1958 with 33 members, and the first PBA tournaments began in 1959.<ref name=TenPinBowlingHistory2004>{{cite web|title=The Game >> History |year=2004 |website=TenpinBowling.org |url=http://www.tenpinbowling.org/view.php?page=the_game.history |access-date=March 31, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060415013813/http://www.tenpinbowling.org/view.php?page=the_game.history |archive-date=April 15, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The ''[[Professional Bowlers Tour|Pro Bowlers Tour]]'' TV program aired from 1962<ref name=PBSthe1960s/><ref name=PBAhistory/> through 1997.<ref name=PBSthe1990s/><ref name=PBAhistory/>

In the 1930s and 1940s, professional bowling was dominated by "beer leagues" with many of the best bowlers sponsored by beer companies, but by 1965 the PBA tour was televised nationally on ABC Sports with sponsors such as [[The Coca-Cola Company|Coca-Cola]] and [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]].<ref name=Priceonomics20140321/>

In parallel with professional bowling was "action bowling" or "pot bowling"—bowling matches based on monetary bets—historically associated with the New York underworld from the 1940s to the 1970s.<ref name=Priceonomics20140321/>

===Late 1960s to 1980===
[[File:The Ronettes and Murray the K.jpg|thumb | right | [[The Ronettes]] and New York disc jockey [[Murray the K]] using bowling as a promotional device in 1962, during the "golden age of bowling"<ref name=Priceonomics20140321/>]]
The first ten-pin lanes in Europe had been installed in Sweden in 1909, but attempts to popularize the sport in Europe were unsuccessful over the next several decades, though hundreds of lanes were installed on U.S. military bases in the U.K. during World War II.<ref name=BritannicaBowling>{{cite web |last1=Pluckhahn |first1=J. Bruce |title=Bowling |url=https://www.britannica.com/sports/bowling#ref29799 |website=Encyclopaedia Britannica |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919163637/https://www.britannica.com/sports/bowling |archive-date=September 19, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Various countries developed the sport to some extent, and the Fédération Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ; now [[World Bowling]]) was formed in 1952 to coordinate international amateur competition.<ref name=BritannicaBowling/>

A firmer establishment of the sport began in the U.K. in 1960 in London ([[Stamford Hill]]) in January 1960,<ref name=TenPin2014>{{cite web |title=Bowling History 101: The First British Bowling Alley |url=https://www.tenpin.co.uk/blog/bowling-history-101-the-first-british-bowling-alley/ |website=Tenpin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108095625/https://www.tenpin.co.uk/blog/bowling-history-101-the-first-british-bowling-alley/ |archive-date=November 8, 2016 |date=2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the [[British Tenpin Bowling Association]] (BTBA) was formed the following year.<ref name=BritannicaBowling/> The first British made tenpin was by H Massil and sons who received the permit no.1 from the BTBA.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BTBA Bowling Pin – Who was William Ivor Massil? – Talk Tenpin|url=https://wp.talktenpin.net/2019/03/17/btba-bowling-pin-who-was-william-ivor-massil/|access-date=February 2, 2022|website=wp.talktenpin.net}}</ref> Various other countries, including Australia, Mexico and Japan, adopted the trend over the ensuing decade.<ref name=BritannicaBowling/> After initial [[fad]]dish growth in the U.K., however, the sport did not thrive as it did in the U.S., and by the 1970s many British bowling alleys were converted to serve competing pastimes, such as bingo.<ref name=Leicestershire20170801>{{cite news |last1=Ruddy |first1=Austin J |title=Bowled over by Leicester's Top Rank entertainment: The classic era of Leicester's nightlife, 1960-1980 |url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/history/bowled-over-leicesters-top-rank-260974 |work=Leicestershire Live |date=August 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117095937/https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/history/bowled-over-leicesters-top-rank-260974 |archive-date=January 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The "Lane Master" automatic lane cleaning and conditioning machine was first deployed in the 1960s.<ref name=PBSthe1960s/>

In the 1960s and early 1970s, top bowling professionals made twice as much money as [[National Football League|NFL football]] stars, received million-dollar endorsement contracts, and were treated as international celebrities.<ref name=Priceonomics20140321/> The $100,000 Firestone Tournament of Champions launched in 1965, in a decade that saw ABC membership peak at almost 4.6&nbsp;million male bowlers.<ref name=PBSthe1960s>{{cite web |title=Bowling through the Decades: The 1960s |url=https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades60s.html |website=PBS (Independent Lens) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020140231/https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades60s.html |archive-date=October 20, 2017 |date=2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The number of sanctioned bowling alleys peaked at about 12,000 in the mid-1960s,<ref name=DetroitFP20150509/> mostly in blue-collar urban areas,<ref name=Buzzle20170722>{{cite web |author1=Buzzle Staff |title=Bowling Was The Sport of Kings Back Then and Now of Working Men |url=https://sportsaspire.com/bowling-sport-of-kings-working-men |website=buzzle.com (link to SportsAspire.com) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129064313/https://sportsaspire.com/bowling-sport-of-kings-working-men |archive-date=January 29, 2019 |date=July 22, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Women's International Bowling Congress (WIBC) membership peaked at 4.2 million members in 1979.<ref name=PBSthe1970s>{{cite web |title=Bowling Through The Decades: The 1970s |url=https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades70s.html |website=PBS (Independent Lens) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309035047/https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades70s.html |archive-date=March 9, 2007 |date=2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the late 1960s, the participation sport of bowling found itself competing with spectator sports and outdoor recreational activities.<ref name=StJames2002/> The number of certified bowling centers was to eventually decline from its 1960s high of 12,000<ref name=DetroitFP20150509/> to 6,542 in 1998<ref name=Buzzle20170722/> and 3,976 in 2013.<ref name=DetroitFP20150509/> The decline was noted acutely in waning league participation over the intervening decades.<ref name=DetroitFP20150509/><ref name=BowlingAlone>{{cite book |last1=Putnam |first1=Robert D. |title=Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital |pages=223–234 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |date=2000 |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-62397-6_12 |isbn=978-1-349-62399-0 |s2cid=154350113 }} Expanded from an article in ''Journal of Democracy'', January 1995, pp. 65-78.</ref>

===1980 to 2000===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-Z0318-030, Berlin, Sport- und Erholungszentrum, Bowlingbahn.jpg|thumb|A bowling alley in Berlin (1981) with early electronic displays]]
Tournament prize funds in the 1980s included the PBA National Championship ($135,000, its largest) and the Firestone Tournament of Champions ($150,000), and PBA membership approached 2,500.<ref name=PBSthe1980s>{{cite web |title=Bowling Through The Decades: The 1980s |url=https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades80s.html |website=PBS (Independent Lens) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309035052/https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades80s.html |archive-date=March 9, 2007 |date=2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ten-pin bowling became an exhibition sport at the [[1988 Summer Olympics]] (Seoul),<ref name=BBcom_SportOrGame/><ref name=PBSthe1980s/> has been [[Bowling at the Pan American Games|a medal sport]] since its debut at the [[1991 Pan American Games]] (Havana),<ref name=PBSthe1990s>{{cite web |title=Bowling Through The Decades: The 1990s |url=https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades90s.html |website=PBS (Independent Lens) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309035109/https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades90s.html |archive-date=March 9, 2007 |date=2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was included in the [[1998 Commonwealth Games]] (Kuala Lumpur).<ref name=CommonwealthGames1998>{{cite web |title=1998 - Kuala Lumpur |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/5288/1998-kuala-lumpur- |website=InsideTheGames.biz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614031546/http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/5288/1998-kuala-lumpur- |archive-date=June 14, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Outside elite and professional bowling, participation in leagues—traditionally the more profitable end of the business—declined from a 1980 peak (8 million), compelling alleys to further diversify into entertainment amenities.<ref name=DetroitFP20150509/> As busier, two-earner households became more common in the 1980s to make league participation more difficult, the number of spectator sports and competing leisure time opportunities (jogging, tennis, skiing) grew.<ref name=DeptEducation_2011>{{cite web |last1=McIntosh |first1=Phyllis |title=Bowling / Entertainment for All Ages |url=https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ962392.pdf |website=eric.ed.gov |publisher=U.S. Department of Education |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504162820/https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ962392.pdf |archive-date=May 4, 2021 |date=2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> While league bowling decreased by 40 percent between 1980 and 1993, the total number of bowlers actually increased by 10 percent during that period, with nearly 80 million Americans going bowling at least once during 1993.<ref name=BowlingAlone/> In 1995, the National Bowling Stadium (Reno, Nevada) was constructed at a cost of $47.5 million, but the PBA Pro Bowlers Tour TV program was canceled in 1997 after a 35-year run.<ref name=WashPost19970621>{{cite news |last1=Ahrens |first1=Frank |title=It's the End of the Lane for ABC's Bowling Broadcast |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/06/21/its-the-end-of-the-lane-for-abcs-bowling-broadcast/9b8c84ca-4af0-4a37-ba66-5cc270ebdd68/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 21, 1997 }}</ref>

In 1991, equipment manufacturer DBA Products released "The Lane Walker"—the first computer-driven lane cleaning and oiling machine, programmable to clean up to 50 lanes.<ref name=PBSthe1990s/>

The early 1990s brought the development of reactive resin ("reactive") balls with chemically "tacky" surfaces that enhance traction to dramatically enhance hook and substantially increase the likelihood of striking, raising average scores even for less experienced bowlers.<ref name=BBevolution2012/>

In 1998, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) president attributed an increase in popularity to bowling alley remodeling, technological innovations in balls and lanes, computerized scoring, and promotion by bowling organizations.<ref name=Throw>{{cite web|title=American Demographics: Bowling throws a strike |date=July 1998 |author=Krakowka, Lisa |publisher=Media Central, Inc. |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_1998_July/ai_53179558 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040926050703/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_1998_July/ai_53179558 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 26, 2004 |access-date=April 2, 2006 }} The SGMA is now (2019) The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).</ref>

===2000 to present===
[[File:North Korea Bowling Alley.jpg|thumb|Example of a modern bowling alley (2010)]]
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From 1998 to 2013, the number of American bowling centers fell by one quarter.<ref name=DetroitFP20150509/> Similarly, in the two decades following 1997, the number of USBC-certified ''lanes''—also indicative of business viability—declined by one-third.<ref name=USBCdata1997-/> This business decline is often attributed to waning league participation: USBC membership—indicative of league participation that was the main source of revenue—declined by two-thirds in those two decades,<ref name=USBCdata1997-/> and the portion of alley revenue attributable to leagues is estimated to have dropped from 70% to 40%.<ref name=DetroitFP20150509/><ref name=WhiteHutchinson2007/> Political scientist [[Robert D. Putnam]]'s book ''[[Bowling Alone]]'' (2000) asserts, with some controversy, that the retreat from league bowling epitomizes a broader societal decline in social, civic and community engagement in the U.S.<ref name=DetroitFP20150509/>

As an indication of the decline, [[American Machine and Foundry|AMF Bowling]], the largest operator of bowling centers in the world at the time, filed for [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] in 2001, and again in 2012.<ref name=Reuters_20121113>{{cite news |title=AMF Bowling files for bankruptcy again |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amfbowling-bankruptcy/amf-bowling-files-for-bankruptcy-again-idUSBRE8AC0YV20121113 |work=Reuters |last=Stempel |first=Jonathan |date=November 13, 2012 |access-date=May 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529150130/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amfbowling-bankruptcy/amf-bowling-files-for-bankruptcy-again-idUSBRE8AC0YV20121113 |archive-date=May 29, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> By 2013, AMF Bowling had merged with New York–based Bowlmor (no relation to the defunct, 1940s-founded ''Bowl-Mor'' firm that invented the [[Pinsetter#Candlepin pinsetters|automatic pinsetter for candlepin bowling]]), the company becoming known as [[Bowlmor AMF]].<ref name=Pehub_20130701>{{cite web |title=AMF Bowling Worldwide and Bowlmor Complete Merger |url=https://www.pehub.com/2013/07/amf-bowling-worldwide-bowlmor-complete-merger/ |publisher=pehub.com |last=Dorbian |first=Iris |date=July 1, 2013 |access-date=May 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210103134/http://www.pehub.com/2013/07/amf-bowling-worldwide-bowlmor-complete-merger/ |archive-date=February 10, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2000, three former tech industry executives bought a debt-laden PBA—which saw its 36-year television contract with ABC Sports end in 1997—and turned it from a [[Nonprofit organization|non-profit]] league into a for-profit organization, and invested heavily in marketing.<ref name=CNN20000322>{{cite news |author1=CNNfn |title=High-tech execs spare PBA |url=https://money.cnn.com/2000/03/22/bizbuzz/bowling/ |publisher=CNN |date=March 22, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403173357/https://money.cnn.com/2000/03/22/bizbuzz/bowling/ |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> The January 2005 merger of four U.S. bowling organizations to form the USBC formed a "central [[brand]]" aiming to grow the sport.<ref name=USBCabout/> Beginning late in the decade of the 2000s, the [[Bowling form#Two-handed approach|two-handed approach]] became popularized, first by Australian [[Jason Belmonte]],<ref name=WSJ20090205/> with some hoping that the controversial delivery style would boost popularity of the sport.<ref name=WSJ20090205/> In January 2013, the eight-team PBA League began competition,<ref name=PBAleague201301>{{cite web |title=The League |url=http://www.pba.com/Tours/League/ |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123122355/http://www.pba.com/Tours/League/ |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |date=January 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the strategy being that basing teams in specific geographic localities would generate viewer enthusiasm and corporate sponsorship in the same manner as teams in other professional sports.<ref name=Bleacher20130123>{{cite news |last1=Cimino |first1=Peter |title=PBA League Is Must-See TV: PDW, Duke, Barnes, Belmonte and Others Tell You Why |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1497992-pba-league-must-see-tv-pdw-duke-barnes-belmonte-others-tell-you-why |work=Bleacher Report |date=January 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412211856/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1497992-pba-league-must-see-tv-pdw-duke-barnes-belmonte-others-tell-you-why |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Still, continuing the reversal of bowling's peak popularity in the 1960s, in the 2012–2013 season the average yearly winnings of the ten highest-earning PBA competitors was less than US$155,000, and the average for the remaining 250 competitors was $6,500—all much less than a rookie [[National Football League|NFL football]] player's minimum base salary of $375,000.<ref name=Priceonomics20140321/>

[[File:Cosmicbowling2.jpg|thumb|To attract a broader range of patrons, many bowling centers offer "cosmic bowling" (shown) and host other special events.]]
Estimates of the number of total (league and non-league) bowlers in the U.S. have varied, from 82 million (1997, International Bowling Museum)<ref name=WashPost19970621/> to 51.6 million (2007, research firm White Hutchinson)<ref name=WhiteHutchinson2007/> to 71 million (2009, USBC),<ref name="USBCpressroom2010">{{cite web |title=Press Room / Bowlers |url=http://www.bowl.com/pressroom/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104070752/http://www.bowl.com/pressroom/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 4, 2011 |publisher=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |date=2010}} Link is to a January 2011 archive of USBC website describing 2009 numbers.</ref> the USBC stating in 2019 that bowling is still the #1 participation sport in the U.S.<ref name=USBCpressRoom20190129>{{cite web |title=Bowlers |url=https://bowl.com/Press_Room/Press_Room_Home/Press_Room/ |website=bowl.com (United States Bowling Congress "Press Room") |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129175449/https://bowl.com/Press_Room/Press_Room_Home/Press_Room/ |archive-date=January 29, 2019 |date=January 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> More broadly, the [[International Bowling Museum]] stated in 2016 that bowling is played by 95 million people in more than 90 countries.<ref name=BowlingMuseumHistory2016>{{cite web |title=History of Bowling |url=https://www.bowlingmuseum.com/Visit/Education/History-of-Bowling |website=BowlingMuseum.com (International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608090410/http://www.bowlingmuseum.com/Visit/Education/History-of-Bowling |archive-date=June 8, 2016 |date=2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> In an era of continual decline in league participation,<ref name=USBCdata1997-/><ref name=WashPost19970621/> bowling centers promoted "party bowling"<ref name=Priceonomics20140321/> and black-light-and-disco-ball "cosmic bowling"<ref name=WashPost19970621/> and experienced a shift from blue-collar participants to open-play (non-league) family-oriented clientele in combined bowling and entertainment centers.<ref name=WhiteHutchinson2007>{{cite web |title=What's happening to bowling? |url=https://www.whitehutchinson.com/leisure/articles/whats-happening-to-bowling.shtml |publisher=White Hutchinson |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420150041/http://www.whitehutchinson.com/leisure/articles/whats-happening-to-bowling.shtml |archive-date=April 20, 2009 |date=2007 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=DenverPost_20240315/> Some offered laser tag, indoor playgrounds, go-karting, climbing walls, arcade games, skating rinks, gourmet restaurants, and nightclub-style bowling lounges.<ref name=DeptEducation_2011/> School sport programs expanded, the USBC stating that more than 5,000 high schools offered bowling as a competitive sport, with 50,000 student bowlers participating in 2009–2010.<ref name=DeptEducation_2011/> In 2011, the Bowling Proprietor's Association of America stated that more than 60% of U.S. bowlers were under age 34, that 46% were girls and women, and that children participated in bowling at a higher rate than any other population group.<ref name=DeptEducation_2011/>

Since 1997, Bowlero Corporation (later called [[Lucky Strike Entertainment Corporation]]) acquired competitors [[AMF Bowling]], [[Brunswick Bowling & Billiards|Brunswick]] and [[Lucky Strike Lanes]], and purchased the [[Professional Bowlers Association]] (PBA).<ref name=DenverPost_20240315/> In the early 2020s, U.S. bowlers experienced a surge in fees attributed by experts to consolidation of big chains, facilities upgrades, and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic when bowling alleys were deemed "non-essential businesses".<ref name=DenverPost_20240315>{{cite news |last1=Boyanton |first1=Megan Ulu-Lani |title=More than $200 to go bowling? Why some metro Denver alleys are so expensive now. |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/15/bowling-expensive-rising-costs-denver-bowlero-chain/ |newspaper=The Denver Post |date=March 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240327131641/https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/15/bowling-expensive-rising-costs-denver-bowlero-chain/ |archive-date=March 27, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In contrast to the U.S., the 2000s and 2010s brought a bowling renaissance in the U.K., achieved by accommodating sophisticated modern tastes by providing (for example) [[retro style|retro-style]] bowling alleys outfitted with 1950s [[Americana (culture)|Americana]], "boutique bowling", "VIP lanes", and cameras for instant replays, and by rejuvenating bowling "alleys" into diverse-entertainment bowling "centres".<ref name=Guardian20060319>{{cite news |last1=Maley |first1=Jacqueline |title=Tenpin bowling is reborn as the new cool |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/mar/20/britishidentity.uknews2 |work=The Guardian |date=March 19, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130031937/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/mar/20/britishidentity.uknews2 |archive-date=January 30, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Guardian20170722>{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Rob |title=Tenpin alleys boom as Britain is bowled over by retro vibes of 1950s America |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/22/tenpin-bowling-alleys-retro-vibes-1950s-america |work=The Guardian |date=July 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102224222/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/22/tenpin-bowling-alleys-retro-vibes-1950s-america |archive-date=January 2, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> The population of ten-pin bowling centres grew from a low of barely 50 (in the 1980s) to over 200 (2006),<ref name=Guardian20060319/> with almost a third of Britons going bowling in 2016 and league participation growing over 20% over two years (2015–2017).<ref name=Guardian20170722/>

Though ten-pin bowling was a demonstration sport in the [[1988 Summer Olympics]] (Seoul)<ref name=PBSthe1980s/> and has been included in the [[Pan American Games]] since 1991,<ref name=GlobalNews20150401>{{cite news |last1=Young |first1=Leslie |title=10 Pan Am Games sports you won't see at the Olympics |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/1914217/10-pan-am-games-sports-you-wont-see-at-the-olympics/ |work=Global News |location=Canada |date=April 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915064355/https://globalnews.ca/news/1914217/10-pan-am-games-sports-you-wont-see-at-the-olympics/ |archive-date=September 15, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> after making the shortlist for inclusion in the [[2020 Summer Olympics]] (Tokyo), it was cut.<ref name=TimesUnion20181207>{{cite news |last1=Dougherty |first1=Pete |title=To grow, bowling needs Olympics |url=https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/To-grow-bowling-needs-Olympics-13440627.php |work=Times Union (Albany, NY) |date=December 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204114536/https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/To-grow-bowling-needs-Olympics-13440627.php |archive-date=December 4, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> One commentator noted that the sport's limited geographic popularity (the U.S., Australia and a few European and South American countries), and aging demographic of those who follow the sport, make it difficult to convince an Olympic Committee that wants to appeal to youth.<ref name=TimesUnion20181207/>

{{anchor|Governing organizations}}

==Bowling organizations==
{{quote box
 |title =
 |quote = {{font|font=Times New Roman |size=16px |{{nbsp|5}}In bowling, we are trying to deliver a heavy 14 or 15 pound bowling ball over the foul line at about an average speed of 16 or 17 miles per hour, apply a rotational force to the ball in order to gain an effective hook motion, hit a one inch sighting target on the lane, and accurately impact the pocket 60 feet away while smashing down about 36 pounds of lumber. There are certainly easier things to do.}}
 |source = —Rich Carrubba, 2013<ref name="BBcom_">{{cite web |last1=Carrubba |first1=Rich |title=Squeezing Your Bowling Ball Gripping Holes |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/squeezing-your-bowling-ball-gripping-holes |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808040354/https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/squeezing-your-bowling-ball-gripping-holes |archive-date=August 8, 2016 |date=March 5, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 |align = right |width = 35% |border = 1px |fontsize = 100% |bgcolor = #fafafa |title_bg = #fafafa |title_fnt = #202060 |qalign = left |salign = right
}}

===International===
[[World Bowling]] (WB) was formed in 2014 from component organizations of the ''Fédération Internationale des Quilleurs'' (FIQ, International Federation of Bowlers), which in 1952 developed from the International Bowling Association (IBA) which began operations in 1926.<ref name=WBabout2019/> Since 1979 the [[International Olympic Committee]] has recognized the FIQ, and later, WB, as the sport's world governing body.<ref name=WBabout2019/> WB establishes rules for the uniform practice of bowling throughout the world, and promotes bowling as an Olympic sport.<ref name=WBabout2019>{{cite web |title=World Bowling / About |url=https://www.worldbowling.org/about/ |website=WorldBowling.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111055011/https://www.worldbowling.org/about/ |archive-date=January 11, 2019 |date=2019 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> The [[World Tenpin Bowling Association]] "membership discipline" (component organization) of WB serves the amateur sport of ten-pin bowling worldwide, adopting uniform playing rules and equipment specifications.<ref name=WTBArules20150601>{{cite web |title=WTBA Rules / 2015-06-01 / Introduction / Background |url=https://www.worldbowling.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/WTBA-Statues-and-Playing-Rules-2015-06-01.pdf |website=WorldBowling.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190318175203/https://www.worldbowling.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/WTBA-Statues-and-Playing-Rules-2015-06-01.pdf |archive-date=March 18, 2019 |page=7 |date=June 1, 2015 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

===United Kingdom===
The [[British Tenpin Bowling Association]] (BTBA, formed in 1961) is the official governing body recognized by [[World Bowling]] as the official sanctioning body in England, and as such "is responsible for the protection, integrity and development of the sport".<ref name=BTBAabout/> Its stated vision is "to ensure that all people, irrespective of their age, disability, ethnic origin, marital status, sexual orientation or social status have a genuine and equal opportunity to participate in the sport at all levels and in all roles".<ref name=BTBAabout>{{cite web |title=About |url=https://btba.org.uk/about/ |website=btba.org.uk |date=May 12, 2017 |publisher=British Tenpin Bowling Association |access-date=March 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190314031047/https://btba.org.uk/about/ |archive-date=March 14, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[National Association of Youth Bowling Clubs]] (NAYBC) is a BTBA subcommittee serving youth bowlers and youth bowling clubs.<ref name=NAYBC-faq>{{cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions / '''+''' What is the NAYBC? |url=https://naybc.btba.org.uk/faq/ |website=naybc.btba.org.uk |publisher=National Association of Youth Bowling Clubs |access-date=March 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190317203945/https://naybc.btba.org.uk/faq/ |archive-date=March 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The British Universities Tenpin Bowling Association (BUTBA, formed in 2008) organizes bowling events for present and former university and college students.<ref name=BUTBA>{{cite web |title=Home / Coming Events |url=http://butba.co.uk/ |website=butba.co.uk/ |publisher=British University Tenpin Bowling Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904032022/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/http://butba.co.uk/ |archive-date=September 4, 2014 |url-status=live}} The 2014 archive shows more explanatory detail.</ref>

The Tenpin Bowling Proprietors Association (TBPA, formed in 1961 as an [[umbrella organization]]) is a [[trade association]] for the British ten-pin bowling industry.<ref name=TBPAwhatis>{{cite web |title=What is the TBPA? |url=https://www.gotenpin.co.uk/about/what-is-tbpa |website=gotenpin.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919173511/http://gotenpin.co.uk/about/what-is-tbpa |archive-date=September 19, 2017 |date=2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===United States===
[[File:Poster of the first bowling competition, 1901.jpg|thumb|right|Poster for the first national bowling competition sanctioned by the American Bowling Congress. Highest per-game average scores: individual competition (216), doubles (200), five-man teams (181).<ref name=NYTimes_Scores_19010112>{{cite news |title=Bowlers' Tourney in Chicago / New York Teams First and Second in Two-Men Contest |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-times-jan-12-1901-p-9/ |work=The New York Times |date=January 12, 1901 |page=9}} — F. Brill (Chicago) scored highest in the individual competition (averaging 216/game); Voorhees and Starr (New York) scored highest in doubles (averaging 200/game), and the Standard Bowling Club of Chicago scored highest among five-man teams (averaging 181/game).</ref> A protest was filed against the highest-scoring doubles team, alleging use of a ball that was a quarter-inch larger in circumference than permitted.<ref name=NYTimes_Protest_19010112>{{cite news |title=Protest New York Bowlers / Chicagoan Objects to Awarding Championship to Starr and Voorhies |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-times-jan-12-1901-p-9/ |work=The New York Times |date=January 12, 1901 |page=9}}</ref>]]
The [[United States Bowling Congress]] (USBC) was formed as the governing body for the U.S. on January 1, 2005, by the merger of:<ref name=USBCmerger/>
* the American Bowling Congress (ABC, an originally male-only organization founded in 1895),
* the [[Women's International Bowling Congress]] (WIBC, 1916),
* the Young American Bowling Alliance (YABA, 1982), which itself was formed from combining the American Junior Bowling Congress (AJBC, 1946), Youth Bowling Association (YBA, 1963–64), and ABC/WIBC Collegiate division (mid-1970s),<ref name=USBCyouthHistory>{{cite web |title=Home / Youth / About Us / History |url=https://www.bowl.com/Youth/Youth_About_Us/History/ |publisher=United States Bowling Congress |access-date=June 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607160616/https://www.bowl.com/Youth/Youth_About_Us/History/ |archive-date=June 7, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> and
* (Team) USA Bowling (1989).<ref name=USBCmerger/>
As the national governing body for bowling, its stated mission is to provide services, resources and the standards for the sport,<ref name=USBCabout>{{cite web |title=About USBC |url=https://bowl.com/About/About_Home/About_USBC/ |website=Bowl.com (United States Bowling Congress) |access-date=March 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001165003/https://www.bowl.com/About/About_Home/About_USBC/ |archive-date=October 1, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> its stated goals including growing the sport and promoting values of "credibility, dedication, excellence, heritage, inclusiveness, integrity, philanthropy and sportsmanship".<ref name=USBCmerger>{{cite web |title=USBC, ABC, WIBC and Team USA Bowling |url=https://bowl.com/About/About_Home/USBC,_ABC,_WIBC_and_Team_USA_Bowling/ |website=Bowl.com (United States Bowling Congress) |access-date=March 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311002354/http://www.bowl.com/About/About_Home/USBC,_ABC,_WIBC_and_Team_USA_Bowling/ |archive-date=March 11, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Museums===
The [[International Bowling Museum|International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame]] is located on the International Bowling Campus in [[Arlington, Texas]], U.S.<ref name=BowlingMuseumOverview>{{cite web |title=About / Overview |url=https://www.bowlingmuseum.com/About |website=BowlingMuseum.com (International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame) |access-date=March 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621100843/http://www.bowlingmuseum.com/About |archive-date=June 21, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Tournaments==
[[File:20190407 Bowling tournament chart.png|thumb | right | Conceptual diagram of a large bowling tournament. Entrants not eliminated in qualifying rounds go on to compete in match play, which determines [[Seed (sports)|seeding]] (initial ranking) for the final matches.<ref name=BowlingSeriouslyTournaments2015>{{cite web |title=Level 4 § 3. How do these tournaments work? |url=http://www.bowlingseriously.com/new-level-4.html |website=BowlingSeriously.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715062618/http://www.bowlingseriously.com/new-level-4.html |archive-date=July 15, 2017 |date=2015 |url-status=live }} Publication date is estimated based on March 2015 date of earliest archive.</ref>]]
[[World Bowling]] oversees quadrennial World Championship tournaments, and international championships for various sectors, including for women, seniors, youth and junior bowlers.<ref name="WBworldChampionships">{{cite web |title=World Championships |url=https://www.worldbowling.org/events-results/world-championships/ |website=WorldBowling.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324222032/https://www.worldbowling.org/events-results/world-championships/ |archive-date=March 24, 2019 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

The [[QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup]] (begun in 1965) is recognized as bowling's largest event in terms of number of countries competing, according to the USBC in 2018.<ref name=USBC-qbicaAMF-20181105>{{cite web |last1=Cannizzaro |first1=Matt |title=Opening Ceremony Kicks Off 2018 QubicaAMF World Cup In Las Vegas |url=https://bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622332042 |website=bowl.com (United States Bowling Congress, USBC) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106074947/https://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622332042 |archive-date=November 6, 2018 |date=November 5, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Professional Bowlers Association]] (PBA) Tour has held anywhere from 15 to 25 events annually in recent years, mainly at U.S. locations.<ref name=PBAtourSchedule2019>{{cite web |title=2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour Schedule |url=https://www.pba.com/Tournaments/Season/132 |website=pba.com |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association |access-date=March 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322190525/https://www.pba.com/Tournaments/Season/132 |archive-date=March 22, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> The PBA Tour includes "major" championship events:
the [[U.S. Open (bowling)|U.S. Open]], the [[USBC Masters]], the [[PBA Tournament of Champions]], the [[PBA World Championship]], and the [[PBA Players Championship]].<ref name=PBAtvSchedule2019>{{cite web |title=Fox PBA 2019 TV Schedule |url=https://www.pba.com/Content/Files/Downloads/PBA_Fox_schedule_2019.pdf |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association |access-date=March 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326032622/https://www.pba.com/Content/Files/Downloads/PBA_Fox_schedule_2019.pdf |archive-date=March 26, 2019 |date=2019 |url-status=live }} Major events are in red text.</ref> Dozens more PBA tournaments are held in various U.S. geographical segments as part of the [[PBA Regional Tour]].

The [[United States Bowling Congress]] (USBC) has various tournaments for the PBA tour, PWBA, youth and seniors, including the [[USBC Masters]] and [[U.S. Open (bowling)|U.S. Open]] (both major tournaments on the PBA tour), and [[USBC Queens]] and [[U.S. Women's Open (bowling)|U.S. Women's Open]] (both major tournaments on the PWBA tour), plus the USBC Team USA Trials/U.S. National Amateur Bowling Championships.<ref name=USBCtournamentInfo>{{cite web |title=Championship Tournaments / Tournament Information |url=https://www.bowl.com/tournaments/ |website=bowl.com |publisher=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |access-date=March 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216104210/https://bowl.com/Tournaments/ |archive-date=February 16, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, the USBC has regional tournaments<ref name=USBCregionals>{{cite web |title=2019 USA Bowling Regional Tournament Schedule |url=https://bowl.com/USABowlingRegionals/ |website=Bowl.com |publisher=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |access-date=March 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227081821/https://www.bowl.com/USABowlingRegionals/ |archive-date=December 27, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> and certifies local tournaments.<ref name=USBCtournaments-local>{{cite web |title=Tournaments |url=https://www.bowl.com/uploadedFiles/Associations/USBC_Access/Tournaments7-14-10.pdf |website=Bowl.com |publisher=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513205414/http://bowl.com/uploadedFiles/Associations/USBC_Access/Tournaments7-14-10.pdf |archive-date=May 13, 2012 |page=1 |date=August 1, 2010 |url-status=live }} ● {{cite web |title=Introduction to Tournament Bowling |url=https://bowl.com/Welcome/Welcome_Home/Introduction_to_Tournament_Bowling/ |website=Bowl.com |publisher=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |access-date=March 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203025251/http://bowl.com/Welcome/Welcome_Home/Introduction_to_Tournament_Bowling/ |archive-date=December 3, 2016}}</ref>

The [[European Tenpin Bowling Federation]] (ETBF) owns the [[European Bowling Tour]] (organized in 2000),<ref name=ETBFworldBowlingTour>{{cite web |title=European Bowling Tour: A Historical Review |url=http://etbf.eu/his-ran-ebt-history/ |website=etbf.eu |publisher=European Tenpin Bowling Federation |access-date=March 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325042826/http://etbf.eu/his-ran-ebt-history/ |archive-date=March 25, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> including its final tournament, the [[European Bowling Tour Masters]] (first edition: 2008).<ref name=ETBFmasters>{{cite web |title=European Bowling Tour Masters: A Historical Review |url=http://etbf.eu/his-ran-ebm-history/ |website=etbf.eu |publisher=European Tenpin Bowling Federation |access-date=March 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325174402/http://etbf.eu/wp-content/uploads/HIS-RAN-EBM-History.pdf |archive-date=March 25, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Federation (CTBF), made up of [[World Bowling]] member federations within the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], owns the Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championships, which has held tournaments at irregular intervals since 2002.<ref name=ETBFcommonwealth>{{cite web |title=Commonwealth Championships: A Historical Review |url=http://etbf.eu/wp-content/uploads/HIS-OTH-CCH-History.pdf |website=etbf.eu |publisher=European Tenpin Bowling Federation |access-date=March 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326150845/http://etbf.eu/wp-content/uploads/HIS-OTH-CCH-History.pdf |archive-date=March 26, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Weber Cup]] is an annual, three-day US vs. Europe tournament, named after [[Dick Weber]],<ref name=WeberCupAbout>{{cite web |title=Weber Cup / About |url=http://www.webercup.com/about/ |website=WeberCup.com |access-date=March 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221184533/http://www.webercup.com/about/ |archive-date=February 21, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> that began in 2000 and has been held almost exclusively in the U.K.<ref name=WeberCupHistory>{{cite web |title=Weber Cup / History |url=http://www.webercup.com/history/ |website=WeberCup.com |access-date=March 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221211921/http://www.webercup.com/history/ |archive-date=February 21, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the decade of the 2000s, the [[World Ranking Masters]], owned by [[World Bowling]], ranked standings in the Pan American Bowling Confederation (PABCON), Asian Bowling Federation (ABF), and [[European Tenpin Bowling Federation]] (ETBF).<ref name=ETBFreWorldMasters>{{cite web |title=World Ranking Masters: A Historical Review |url=http://etbf.eu/his-ran-wrm-history/ |website=etbf.eu |publisher=European Tenpin Bowling Federation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325035249/http://etbf.eu/wp-content/uploads/HIS-RAN-WRM-History.pdf |archive-date=March 25, 2019 |access-date=March 25, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Though ten-pin bowling has not progressed beyond a demonstration sport at the [[Olympic Games]],<ref name=BBcom_SportOrGame/><ref name=PBSthe1980s/><ref name=TimesUnion20181207/> international games modeled after the Olympics (awarding medals) do include the sport, including the [[World Games]] (governed by the International World Games Association), the [[Bowling at the Asian Games|Asian Games]] (governed by the Olympic Council of Asia, OCA)<ref name=OlympicCouncilOfAsia>{{cite web |title=Bowling / List of Events |url=http://www.ocasia.org/Sports/SportsCategoryDetails?q=oZd2Xn4SipBpkydo46NvhccmPE0qYhXhoKuiOfA/0baqu1rYa2CQe6+dS9SAPIUS |website=ocasia.org |publisher=Olympic Council of Asia |access-date=March 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327161211/http://www.ocasia.org/Sports/SportsCategoryDetails?q=oZd2Xn4SipBpkydo46NvhccmPE0qYhXhoKuiOfA%2F0baqu1rYa2CQe6+dS9SAPIUS |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the [[Bowling at the Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] (governed by the Pan American Sports Organization, PASO).<ref name=USBCrePanAmGames>{{cite web |title=Team USA Home / 2019 Pan American Games |url=https://www.bowl.com/2019PanAmericanGames/ |website=bowl.com |publisher=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |access-date=March 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919211548/https://www.bowl.com/2019PanAmericanGames/ |archive-date=September 19, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Maccabiah Games]] (governed by the Israeli Bowling Federation, IBF, with events played according to [[World Tenpin Bowling Association|WTBA]]-[[European Tenpin Bowling Federation|ETBF]] rules) host ten-pin tournaments as medal events.<ref name=Maccabiah20160728>{{cite web |title=Ten-Pin Bowling Regulations |url=https://www.maccabiah.com/2017/the-games/690-ten-pin-bowling |website=maccabiah.com |publisher=Maccabi World Union |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926063335/http://www.maccabiah.com/2017/the-games/690-ten-pin-bowling |archive-date=September 26, 2017 |date=July 28, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Leagues==
{{Further|Bowling league}}
{{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | total_width = 400
| image1            = 1997- Bowling centers, league members, and lanes - raw numbers.svg
| caption1          = USBC membership has declined, indicating waning league participation in the U.S.<ref name=USBCdata1997->Data: [[Wayback Machine]] archives of USBC's bowl.com website. Links provided on [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1997-_Bowling_centers,_league_members,_and_lanes_-_normalized.svg Wikimedia's image page] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20250129051758/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1997-_Bowling_centers,_league_members,_and_lanes_-_normalized.svg archive thereof])</ref> Figures do not include members of leagues that are not USBC-certified.
| image2            = 1997- Bowling centers, league members, and lanes - normalized.svg
| caption2          = Same data, normalized to 1997 values to show relative change in lanes, centers and membership<ref name=USBCdata1997-/>
}}
{{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | total_width = 400
| image3            = 1997- Lanes per bowling center.svg
| caption3          = The average number of lanes per bowling center has trended upward slightly during this time period.<ref name=USBCdata1997-/>
| image4            = 1985- Bowling center employees (U.S.).svg
| caption4          = In about 2015, U.S. bowling center employment reversed a long decline,<ref name=BLSbowlingEmployees_1985>{{cite web |title=BLS Data Viewer / Time series CES7071395001 |url=https://beta.bls.gov/dataViewer/view/timeseries/CES7071395001 |website=Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028205049/https://beta.bls.gov/dataViewer/view/timeseries/CES7071395001;jsessionid=F2A4DED20245392AFE4808B81D67C7BE |archive-date=October 28, 2019 |url-status=live}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20191028210249/https://twitter.com/foxjust/status/1180106302149844992 Related BLS graphs] presented by ''Bloomberg's'' Justin Fox.</ref> which some attribute to their diversification into more broad-based entertainment centers.<ref name=Bloomberg_20191027>{{cite news |last1=Fox |first1=Justin |title=How Bowling Alleys Made a Comeback |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/opinion/articles/2019-10-26/bowling-alone-not-anymore-how-bowling-alleys-made-a-comeback |publisher=Bloomberg |date=October 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027160727/https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/opinion/articles/2019-10-26/bowling-alone-not-anymore-how-bowling-alleys-made-a-comeback |archive-date=October 27, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

Bowling leagues vary in format, including demographic specialization (male, female, mixed, senior, youth),
number of bowlers per team (usually 3–5),
number of games per series (usually 3),
day and time of scheduled sessions,
starting dates and duration of league seasons,
scoring ([[Glossary of bowling#Scratch|scratch]] versus [[Glossary of bowling#Handicap|handicap]]), and
systems for bestowing awards and prizes.<ref name="BowlversityLeagues20120803">{{cite web |title=Bowling Leagues |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/bowling-leagues |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106213233/http://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/bowling-leagues |archive-date=January 6, 2016 |date=August 3, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Usually, each team is scheduled to oppose each of the other teams over the course of a season.<ref name="USBCsampleSchedules">{{cite web |title=Bowling League Schedule |url=http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/rules/pdfs/Allleagueschedules.pdf |publisher=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224092117/http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/rules/pdfs/Allleagueschedules.pdf |archive-date=December 24, 2015 |url-status=live }} Sample schedules provided.</ref> [[Glossary of bowling#Position round|Position rounds]]—in which the first place team opposes the second place team, third place opposes fourth place, and so on—are often inserted into the season schedule.<ref name="ThoughtCo20170306">{{cite web |last1=Goodger |first1=Jef |title=Position Round in Bowling |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/position-round-in-bowling-420579 |website=ThoughtCo.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414141200/https://www.thoughtco.com/position-round-in-bowling-420579 |archive-date=April 14, 2018 |date=March 6, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Customarily, team position [[standings]] are computed after each [[Glossary of bowling#Series|series]], awarding a first number of points for each game won and a second number of points for achieving the higher team score for that series, the particular numbers being specified in each league's rules.<ref name="USBCsampleLeagueRules">{{cite web |title=Sample Adult League Rules |url=http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/rules/pdfs/LeagueRules-AdultLOH7-20-11.pdf |publisher=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528014735/http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/rules/pdfs/LeagueRules-AdultLOH7-20-11.pdf |archive-date=May 28, 2016 |location=Rule 16 (sample rule) |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=BaltimoreSun19930815/> Further, in leagues having "match point" scoring, individual bowlers on one team are matched against respective members of the opposing team, the winners receiving points that supplement their team's game and series points.<ref name=BaltimoreSun19930815>{{cite news |last1=Small |first1=Glenn |title=Match point scoring can make league night more lively bowling |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-08-15-1993227145-story.html |work=The Baltimore Sun |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320043423/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-08-15-1993227145-story.html |archive-date=March 20, 2019 |date=August 15, 1993 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The number of league bowlers in the U.S. peaked at 8 million in 1980,<ref name=PBSthe1980s/> declining to approximately 1&nbsp;million by the early 2020s.<ref name=USBCdata1997-/>

==Notable professional achievements==
===Titles and scores===
* First [[Perfect game (bowling)|perfect game]] on live national television: [[Jack Biondolillo]] (1967, [[PBA Tournament of Champions|Firestone Tournament of Champions]])<ref name=PBAhistory/>
* First female to bowl a perfect game on national television: [[Ritsuko Nakayama]] (1970, [[Japan]])<ref>{{YouTube|CLSZWvaNV5E|Video of Nakayama rolling a perfect game}}</ref>
* Most titles in a single PBA Tour season: [[Mark Roth]] (8 titles in 1978)<ref name=PBAhistory/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pba.com/bowlers/HallOfFame/35 |title=Hall of Fame / 35 / Mark Roth |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411193012/https://www.pba.com/bowlers/HallOfFame/35 |archive-date= April 11, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Most titles in a single [[Professional Women's Bowling Association|PWBA Tour]] season: [[Carolyn Dorin-Ballard]] (7 titles in 2001)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.11thframe.com/pwba/tournaments|title=Women's Pro History|publisher=11thframe.com|accessdate=June 13, 2023}}</ref>
* First woman to win a PBA Tour event: [[Kelly Kulick]] (2010, PBA Tournament of Champions)<ref name=PBAhistory/><ref name=NYTimesKulick20100125>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Breaking More Barriers, Woman Takes P.B.A. Title |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/sports/25bowling.html |work=The New York Times |date=January 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128072311/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/sports/25bowling.html |archive-date=January 28, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* Most PBA Tour titles (career): [[Walter Ray Williams Jr.]] (47 titles, reached in 2010)<ref name=PBAtourTitlists>{{cite web |title=All-Time PBA Tour Titlists |url=https://www.pba.com/page/AllTimePBATourTitlists |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association |access-date=March 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327101123/https://www.pba.com/page/AllTimePBATourTitlists |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* Most PWBA Tour titles (career): [[Lisa Wagner]] (32 titles, reached in 1999)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bowl.com/usbc-hall-of-fame/hall-of-famers/lisa-wagner|title=Lisa Wagner – USBC profile|publisher=bowl.com |accessdate=June 13, 2023}}</ref>
* First to earn 100 combined titles in PBA Tour, PBA50 Tour and [[PBA Regional Tour|regional]] competition: [[Walter Ray Williams Jr.]] (2016)<ref name=PBAhistory/>
* Most PBA Tour major titles (career): [[Jason Belmonte]] (15, reached in 2023)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pba.com/2023/march/jason-belmonte-wins-record-setting-fourth-tournament-champions-title |title=JASON BELMONTE WINS RECORD-SETTING FOURTH TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS TITLE |last=Hughes |first=Nolan |website=pba.com |date=March 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320153038/https://www.pba.com/2023/march/jason-belmonte-wins-record-setting-fourth-tournament-champions-title |archive-date=March 20, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* Most PWBA Tour major titles (career): [[Liz Johnson (bowler)|Liz Johnson]] (10, reached in 2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwba.com/News/In-the-News/liz-johnson-wins-2017-us-womens-open-for-10th-major-title|title=Liz Johnson wins 2017 U.S. Women's Open for 10th major title|work=Professional Women's Bowling Association |publisher=pwba.com|date=August 6, 2017|accessdate=June 13, 2023}}</ref>
* Only winners of a career "Super Slam" (all five PBA majors): [[Mike Aulby]] (1996)<ref name=PBA_20031022>{{cite web |title=Aulby Announces Retirement Plans |url=http://content.pba.com/post/2003/10/22/Aulby-Announces-Retirement-Plans.aspx |website=PBA.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305183132/http://content.pba.com/post/2003/10/22/Aulby-Announces-Retirement-Plans.aspx |archive-date=March 5, 2020 |date=October 22, 2003 |url-status=live}}</ref> and Jason Belmonte (2020)<ref name=PBA_20200223>{{cite web |url=https://www.pba.com/articles/Australiae28099s-Jason-Belmonte-Wins-US-Open-Becomes-Second-Bowler-to-Complete-PBA-e2809cSuper-Slame2809d |title=Australia's Jason Belmonte Wins U.S. Open, Becomes Second Bowler to Complete PBA "Super Slam" |last=Vint |first=Bill |publisher=pba.com |date=February 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224135402/https://www.pba.com/articles/Australiae28099s-Jason-Belmonte-Wins-US-Open-Becomes-Second-Bowler-to-Complete-PBA-e2809cSuper-Slame2809d |archive-date=February 24, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Earnings and contracts===
* First (in ''any'' sport) to receive $1,000,000 endorsement contract: [[Don Carter (bowler)|Don Carter]] (1964, with [[Ebonite International]])<ref name=Priceonomics20140321>{{cite web |last1=Crockett |first1=Zachary |title=The Rise and Fall of Professional Bowling |url=https://priceonomics.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-professional-bowling/ |publisher=Priceonomics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316115254/https://priceonomics.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-professional-bowling/ |archive-date=March 16, 2018 |date=March 21, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* First to earn more than US$100,000 in a single season: [[Earl Anthony]] (1975)<ref name=PBAhistory/><ref name=PBA-EarlAnthony>{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame: Earl Anthony |url=https://www.pba.com/bowlers/HallOfFame/34 |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association |access-date=March 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205111655/http://pba.com/Bowlers/HallOfFame/34 |archive-date=February 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* First female to earn more than US$100,000 in a single season: [[Lisa Wagner]] (1988)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.infoplease.com/biographies/sports/lisa-wagner|title=Lisa Wagner|publisher=Infoplease |accessdate=June 13, 2023}}</ref>
* First to earn US$1&nbsp;million in career earnings: [[Earl Anthony]] (1982)<ref name=PBAhistory>{{cite web |title=PBA History |url=https://www.pba.com/Resources/PbaHistory |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328191840/http://www.pba.com/Resources/PbaHistory |archive-date=March 28, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* First female to earn US$1&nbsp;million in career earnings: [[Aleta Sill]] (1996)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polishsportshof.com/portfolio_page/aleta-rzepecki-sill/|title=Aleta Rzepecki-Sill – Bowling's First Lady Millionaire|publisher=National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame |last=Mullen |first=Michelle |date=June 12, 2008 |accessdate=June 13, 2023}}</ref>
* First to earn US$2&nbsp;million in career earnings: [[Walter Ray Williams Jr.]] (1997).<ref name=PBAhistory/>
* Most earnings in a single PBA season: [[Kyle Troup]] ($496,900 in [[2021 PBA Tour season|2021]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pba.com/2021/may/kyle-troup-wins-kia-pba-playoffs-eighth-career-title |title=Kyle Troup Wins KIA PBA Playoffs for Eighth Career Title |publisher=pba.com |date=May 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516213805/https://www.pba.com/2021/may/kyle-troup-wins-kia-pba-playoffs-eighth-career-title |archive-date=May 16, 2021| url-status=live }}</ref>
* First to earn US$3&nbsp;million in career earnings: [[Walter Ray Williams Jr.]] (2002–03)<ref name=PBAhistory/>
* Highest first-place prize awarded in a single professional bowling tournament: $250,000 in the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions (won by [[Mika Koivuniemi]])<ref>{{cite web |last=Vint |first=Bill |title='Major Mika' Wins PBA Tournament of Champions, Record $250,000 First Prize |publisher=PBA |date=January 22, 2011 |url=http://news.pba.com/post/2011/1/22/e2809cMajor-Mikae2809d-Koivuniemi-Wins-PBA-Tournament-of-Champions-Record-24250000-First-Prize.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125131932/http://news.pba.com/post/2011/1/22/e2809cMajor-Mikae2809d-Koivuniemi-Wins-PBA-Tournament-of-Champions-Record-24250000-First-Prize.aspx |archive-date=January 25, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and 2021 [[PBA Players Championship]] (won by [[Kyle Troup]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pba.com/2021/february/kyle-troup-wins-pba-players-championship-first-career-major-title |title=Kyle Troup Wins PBA Players CHampionship for First Career Major Title |last=Goodger |first=Jef |publisher=PBA.com |date=February 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310000700/https://www.pba.com/2021/february/kyle-troup-wins-pba-players-championship-first-career-major-title |archive-date=March 10, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Youngest===
* Youngest to win a standard PBA Tour title: [[Norm Duke]] (1983, at age 18 years, 345 days)<ref name=PBA-NormDuke>{{cite web |title=Norm Duke |date=August 31, 1982 |url=https://www.pba.com/bowlers/bowler/8678 |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association |access-date=March 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526094545/http://www.pba.com/Bowlers/Bowler/8678 |archive-date=May 26, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Youngest to earn cash in a PBA Tour event: [[Kamron Doyle]] (age 14, 2012 [[U.S. Open (bowling)|U.S. Open]])<ref name=PBAyoungestCasher20120223>{{cite web |last1=Thomas |first1=Jason |title=Shafer Leads U.S. Open, But 14-Year-Old Kamron Doyle Becomes Youngest Casher in PBA Tour History |url=http://content.pba.com/post/2012/02/23/Janawicz-Leads-US-Open-But-14-Year-Old-Doyle-Set-to-Become-Youngest-Casher-in-PBA-Tour-History.aspx |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326042712/http://content.pba.com/post/2012/02/23/Janawicz-Leads-US-Open-But-14-Year-Old-Doyle-Set-to-Become-Youngest-Casher-in-PBA-Tour-History.aspx |archive-date=March 26, 2019 |date=February 23, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Youngest to win a PBA Tour major tournament: [[Anthony Simonsen]] (2016 [[USBC Masters]] at age 19 years, 39 days)<ref name=PBAhistory/><ref name=PBA20160214simonsen>{{cite web |url=http://content.pba.com/post/2016/02/14/19-Year-Old-Simonsen-Wins-USBC-Masters-to-Become-Youngest-to-Win-a-Major-Title.aspx |title=19-Year-Old Simonsen Wins USBC Masters to Become Youngest to Win a Major Title |last=Cannizzaro |first=Matt |publisher=pba.com |date=February 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708071929/http://content.pba.com/post/2016/02/14/19-Year-Old-Simonsen-Wins-USBC-Masters-to-Become-Youngest-to-Win-a-Major-Title.aspx |archive-date=July 8, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Youngest to win a standard [[Professional Women's Bowling Association|PWBA]] Tour event: Jillian Martin (2021 PWBA BowlTV Classic at age 17 years, 16 days)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/08/11/jillian-martin-17-stow-becomes-youngest-woman-win-pwba-event/8096836002/ |title=Stow's Jillian Martin, 17, becomes youngest woman to win pro bowling event |work=Akron Beacon Journal |date=August 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903171220/https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/08/11/jillian-martin-17-stow-becomes-youngest-woman-win-pwba-event/8096836002/ |archive-date=September 3, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Youngest to win a [[Professional Women's Bowling Association|PWBA]] Tour major event: [[Wendy Macpherson]] (1986 [[U.S. Women's Open (bowling)|U.S. Women's Open]] at age 18 years, 69 days)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.snshf.com/hall-of-famers/wendy-macpherson |title=Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame - Wendy Macpherson |website=snshf.com |publisher=Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617073723/http://snshf.com/hall-of-famers/wendy-macpherson/ |archive-date=June 17, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Oldest===
* Oldest to win a standard PBA Tour title: [[John Handegard]] (1995, at age 57 years, 139 days)<ref name=PBA-JohnHandegard>{{cite web |title=John Handegard |url=https://www.pba.com/bowlers/HallOfFame/391 |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association |access-date=March 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807184208/http://www.pba.com/bowlers/HallOfFame/391 |archive-date=August 7, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Oldest to win a PBA Tour major tournament (that was classified as a major when it took place): [[Pete Weber (bowler)|Pete Weber]] (2013 Barbasol Tournament of Champions at age 50 years, 222 days)<ref name=PBAhistory/> (NOTE: Ernie Schlegel won the 1996 USBC Masters at age 53 before it was considered a PBA event; he was retroactively credited with a major due to a 2008 rule change.)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pba.com/2022/april/anthony-simonsen-wins-second-usbc-masters-title-2022-event |title=Anthony Simonsen Wins Second USBC Masters Title At 2022 Event |last=Smith |first=Aaron |publisher=PBA.com |date=April 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404133210/https://www.pba.com/2022/april/anthony-simonsen-wins-second-usbc-masters-title-2022-event |archive-date=April 4, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Perfect (300) game history==
{{Main|Perfect game (bowling)}}
[[File:Bowling trophy 300 game winner 20181106 064933 01.jpg|thumb|right | A USBC "300 game" gold ring]]
Ernest Fosberg (East Rockford, Illinois) bowled the first recognized 300 in 1902, before awards were given out.<ref name=BBcomTrivia1-2004/> In 1908, A.C. Jellison and Homer Sanders (both of St. Louis) each bowled 300 games in the same season, the ABC awarding the gold medal for the highest score of the year to Jellison after a three-game tie-breaker match, without regard to the chronological order of their accomplishments.<ref name=BBcomTrivia1-2004>{{cite web |title=Bowling Trivia 1 |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/info/trivia1.html |publisher=BowlingBall.com ("Info" section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050921063536/https://www.bowlingball.com/info/trivia1.html |archive-date=September 21, 2005 |date=2004 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On January 7, 2006, Elliot John Crosby became the youngest British bowler to bowl a BTBA-sanctioned 300 game at the age of 12 years, 2 months and 10 days, breaking the 1994 record of Rhys Parfitt (age 13 years, 4 months).<ref name=BowlingDigital20060115>{{cite web |title=Elliot Crosby becomes the youngest player in the UK to shoot 300 |url=https://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/418 |website=BowlingDigital.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230010636/https://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/418 |archive-date=December 30, 2010 |date=January 15, 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On November 17, 2013, Hannah Diem (Seminole, Florida) became the youngest American bowler to bowl a USBC-certified 300 game at the age of 9 years, 6 months and 19 days, breaking the 2006 record of Chaz Dennis (age 10) and the 2006 female record of Brandie Reamy (age 12).<ref name=USBC20131120>{{cite web |last1=Cannizzaro |first1=Matt |title=Florida Bowler Becomes Youngest to Bowl 300 Game |url=https://bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622320597 |website=bowl.com (United States Bowling Congress, USBC) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127094613/https://bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622320597 |archive-date=January 27, 2019 |date=November 20, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Jeremy Sonnenfeld (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) rolled the first certified [[900 series (bowling)|900 series]] in 1997.<ref name=BBcomTrivia2-2004>{{cite web |title=Bowling Trivia 2 |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/info/trivia2.html |publisher=BowlingBall.com ("Info" section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127035544/https://www.bowlingball.com/info/trivia2.html |archive-date=January 27, 2019 |date=2004 |url-status=live }}</ref> A well-publicized court-contested 900 series by [[Glenn Allison]] in 1982, considered by many to be the first-ever 900 series, was denied certification due to non-conforming lane conditions.<ref name=BowlComAllison20141122>{{cite web |last1=Bigham |first1=Terry |title=USBC Concludes Re-evaluation of Glenn Allison 900 Series |url=https://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622323089 |website=bowl.com (United States Bowling Congress, USBC) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210132031/https://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622323089 |archive-date=December 10, 2014 |date=November 22, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=="Score inflation" controversy==
[[File:1969- Number of sanctioned perfect games in ten-pin bowling, per sanctioned bowler.svg |thumb|The number of sanctioned perfect (300) games per league bowler has increased substantially since the 1990s. Freeman and Hatfield posit that the increase in perfect games is due to factors such as the introduction of reactive resin coverstocks, asymmetric ball cores, synthetic lane surfaces, and precision lane oiling machines.]]
The 905 perfect games that were rolled during the 1968–69 season increased 38-fold to 34,470 in the 1998–99 season.<ref name=Priceonomics20140321/> Likewise, the number of perfect-game league bowlers increased from about one of 3150 (1900–1980) to about one of 27 (2007), a greater-than-hundredfold increase that many thought threatened to jeopardize the integrity of the sport.{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour |Stervenz |2008 }} Though median averages for male league bowlers remained at about 168 from the 1980s through the mid-2010s, the number of top average scores over 190 soared, suggesting that more skilled bowlers are making use of technological advancements.<ref name=BBcom_201408>{{cite web |title=Get Off Of The Bowling Fence |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/get-off-of-the-bowling-fence |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429152258/https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/get-off-of-the-bowling-fence |archive-date=April 29, 2015 |date=August 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> The USBC Technical Director wrote that the "USBC is concerned that technology has overtaken player skill in determining success in the sport of bowling," announcing in 2007 the completion of a ball motion study undertaken "to strike a better balance between player skill and technology".<ref name=USBC20081217>{{cite web |author1=USBC Equipment Specifications and Certification section |title=Research complete on USBC Bowling Ball Motion Study |url=http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/articles/ResearchcompleteonUSBCBowlingBallMotionStudy.doc.pdf |website=bowl.com (United States Bowling Congress, USBC) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207110243/http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/articles/ResearchcompleteonUSBCBowlingBallMotionStudy.doc.pdf |archive-date=December 7, 2010 |date=December 17, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:20221008 Bowling lane oiling machine.webm |thumb | Automatic lane oiling machines can be programmed to lay down oil patterns of different levels of difficulty. "[[Glossary of bowling#Typical house shot|Typical house shots]]" enable higher scores than the more challenging "[[Glossary of bowling#Sport shot|sport shots]]".]]
Separately, a USBC pin carry study completed in about 2008 found that dramatically increased entry angles improve pin carry{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} to result in higher scores—regardless of whether the bowlers supplied additional effort or improved their skill.{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour |Stervenz |2008 }} Among the factors allowing higher scores were technological advances in coverstock and core design{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour |Stervenz |2008 }} combined with improved lane surfaces and accommodative oil patterns.<ref name=USBCbowlTechstudy2018>{{cite web |author1=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |title=Bowling Technology Study: An Examination and Discussion on Technology's Impact in the Sport of Bowling |url=https://bowlphilly.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/fullstudy.pdf |website=bowl.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231014131/https://bowlphilly.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/fullstudy.pdf |archive-date=December 31, 2018 |date=February 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Specifically, the reactive resin balls and particle balls that came out in the 1990s increased frictional engagement with the lane to provide greater hook potential that made high entry angles easier to achieve.<ref name=Siefers20070423/> Moreover, changes in lane surface technology, as well as the introduction of voids into pins to make them lighter and more top-heavy, helped to raise average scores as early as the 1970s.<ref name=BBcomScoresHigh2012/> Expanded choices in oil viscosity and electronically controlled lane oiling machines permitted alley owners to customize house oil patterns to optimize the advantages of the new ball technologies.<ref name=BBcomScoresHigh2012>{{cite web |last1=Carrubba |first1=Rich |title=Are Today's Bowling Scores Too High? |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/are-todays-bowling-scores-too-high-editorial |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610133401/http://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/are-todays-bowling-scores-too-high-editorial |archive-date=June 10, 2012 |date=2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Technological progress allowed some 1990s league scores to surpass those of professionals in the 1950s.<ref name=BBcomScoresHigh2012/>

Responding to such concerns, the USBC initiated "sport bowling" leagues and tournaments that provide "sport", "challenge" and "PBA Experience" oil patterns that are more challenging than the accommodative patterns of typical house shots.<ref name=BBcomScoresHigh2012/> Still, the USBC has encountered enduring issues concerning how to maintain "average integrity" (fair handicapping) across leagues using oil patterns of differing difficulty.<ref name="USBC20180115">{{cite web |last1=Bigham |first1=Terry |title=USBC to reclassify more than 700 leagues as Sport or Challenge leagues based on research |url=https://members.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622330612 |website=bowl.com (United States Bowling Congress, USBC) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131041243/https://members.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622330612 |archive-date=January 31, 2019 |date=January 15, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

As a result of various USBC studies, including a bowling technology study<ref name=USBCtechStudy2018>{{cite web |author1=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |title=Bowling Technology Study: An Examination and Discussion on Technology's Impact in the Sport of Bowling |url=https://bowlphilly.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/fullstudy.pdf |website=bowl.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231014131/https://bowlphilly.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/fullstudy.pdf |archive-date=December 31, 2018 |date=February 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> published in February 2018, the USBC Equipment and Specifications Committee established new specifications focusing mainly on balls.<ref name=USBCtechFAQ2018/> The overall result of the new specifications was said to slightly limit hook potential, more specifically eliminating balance holes (as of the 2020–21 season) and setting a new specification for oil absorption.<ref name=USBCtechFAQ2018/> The USBC stated that the new specifications will slow oil pattern transition, cause bowlers to move less, and keep the same scoring pace with lower oil volume.<ref name=USBCtechFAQ2018>{{cite web |title=Bowling Technology Updates -- Frequently Asked Questions |url=http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/TechnologyStudy/2018BTS-FAQ.pdf |website=bowl.com (United States Bowling Congress) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708072034/http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/TechnologyStudy/2018BTS-FAQ.pdf |archive-date=July 8, 2019 |date=2018 |url-status=live}} Archive link provides for download of PDF file rather than viewing.</ref>

==In media==
===Coverage of events===
{{see also|:Category:Bowling television series}}

Beginning in 1962, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Professional Bowlers Tour|Pro Bowlers Tour]]'' was broadcast on Saturday afternoons<ref name=PBSthe1990s/><ref name=Variety20190320/> to be viewed by millions, and—with various entertainment-oriented programs including ''[[Make That Spare]]'', ''[[Celebrity Bowling]]'' and ''[[Bowling for Dollars]]''—confirmed the sport's popularity.<ref name=TenPinBowlingHistory2004/> The ''Pro Bowlers Tour'' garnered excellent ratings in the 1960s and early 1970s, as a lead-in to ABC's ''[[Wide World of Sports (American TV program)|Wide World of Sports]]''. However, television ratings fell substantially,<ref name=WashPost19970621/> from 9.1 in the mid-1970s to 2.0 in 1997,<ref name=SI_19970630/> the year in which ''Pro Bowlers Tour'' was canceled.<ref name=PBSthe1990s/><ref name=SI_19970630/>

The decline in bowling event coverage has been attributed to a variety of factors, including time demands burdening the schedules of two-income households,<ref name=WashPost19970621/> small [[Prize money|purses]] (winnings) for professional tournaments, declining participation in league bowling, the perceived demographic of bowlers (old, or of low social class), waning popularity with the public, competing sports programming on cable television, lack of corporate sponsorship, lack of an inspiring bowling star (2004),<ref name=BowlersJournal20040602>{{cite magazine |title=Why the Media Hates Bowling |date=June 2, 2004 |author=Clark, Tom |magazine=Bowlers Journal |url=http://www.bowlersjournal.com/the_messenger/display_article?id=46 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050501154335/http://www.bowlersjournal.com/the_messenger/display_article?id=46 |archive-date=May 1, 2005 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and an aging audience for TV bowling.<ref name=SI_19970630>{{cite magazine |last1=Callahan |first1=Gerry |title=The Last Frame After 36 Years on ABC, Bowling and Announcer Chris Schenkel Got Tossed Into the Gutter |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1997/06/30/228924/the-last-frame-after-36-years-on-abc-bowling-and-announcer-chris-schenkel-got-tossed-into-the-gutter |magazine=Sports Illustrated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408202102/https://www.si.com/vault/1997/06/30/228924/the-last-frame-after-36-years-on-abc-bowling-and-announcer-chris-schenkel-got-tossed-into-the-gutter |archive-date=April 8, 2019 |date=June 30, 1997 |url-status=live }} ([https://www.si.com/vault/issue/715251/105 Page image viewed 2019-04-08]).</ref> A 2006 PBA article describing the PBA bowlers in the documentary ''[[A League of Ordinary Gentlemen]]'' called bowling athletes "the [[Rodney Dangerfield]]s of professional sports".<ref name=PBS20060419/>

The decline in coverage has also been attributed to the perception that bowling is less an athletic sport (not being in the Olympic Games)<ref name=BBcom_SportOrGame/> and more of a recreational pastime (such as for children's birthday parties).<ref name=USAToday20011030/> This perception is reinforced by the easy lane conditions provided to bowling leagues that enable seasoned league bowlers to achieve scores rivaling those of professionals who must bowl under more challenging lane conditions.<ref name=USAToday20011030>{{cite news | title=Bowling's three hurdles to gain respect | date=October 30, 2001 | author=Clark, Tom | work=USA Today | url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/bowling/clark/2001-10-30-clark.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712052009/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/bowling/clark/2001-10-30-clark.htm |archive-date=July 12, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Former PBA Commissioner Mark Gerberich said that ABC paid the PBA $200,000 per broadcast in 1991, but by 1997 "we were [[brokered programming|paying $150,000 to stay on TV]]."<ref name=BowlersJournal_20170216>{{cite magazine |last1=Vint |first1=Bill |title=Mark Gerberich, Three Former PBA Stars Enter PBA Hall of Fame |magazine=Bowlers Journal |date=February 16, 2017 |url=https://www.bowlersjournal.com/mark-gerberich-three-former-pba-stars-enter-pba-hall-of-fame/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302074214/https://www.bowlersjournal.com/mark-gerberich-three-former-pba-stars-enter-pba-hall-of-fame/ |archive-date=March 2, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> Said to be "near bankruptcy" in 2000,<ref name=PBSordinaryGentlemen2006/> the PBA changed ownership<ref name=Variety20190320/> to one that emphasized marketing with the goal of running the organization as a for-profit business.<ref name=CNN20000322/> [[ESPN]] featured bowling from 2000 to 2018 on Sunday afternoons, with [[CBS Sports Network]] also airing a smaller number of bowling tournaments.<ref name=Variety20190320/>

In 2019, the PBA entered an agreement, expected to last four years, in which [[Fox Sports (United States)|Fox Sports]] would sell advertising and sponsorships for the sport to establish the sport's presence on broadcast television, also providing cable, streaming, and social media programming.<ref name=Variety20190320>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/professional-bowlers-fox-sports-espn-1202731225/ |title=Professional Bowling Rolls to Fox Sports |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=March 20, 2018 |work=Variety |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327091157/https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/professional-bowlers-fox-sports-espn-1202731225/ |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2019, [[Bowlero Corporation]] purchased the PBA.<ref name=BoxBusiness_2020>{{cite news |last1=Barrabi |first1=Thomas |title=Professional Bowlers Association sold as Bowlero aims for perfect game |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/professional-bowlers-association-sold-bowlero |work=Fox Business |date=September 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125161256/https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/professional-bowlers-association-sold-bowlero |archive-date=November 25, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Portrayal on television===
Particular television broadcasts include:
* '''1950s''': ''[[The Honeymooners]]'' (1952); ''Championship Bowling'' (1952).<ref name=PBSthe1950s>{{cite web |title=Bowling Through The Decades: The 1950s |url=https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades50s.html |website=PBS (Independent Lens) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410061542/http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades50s.html |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |date=2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* '''1960s''': ''[[Make That Spare]]''; premiere episode of ''[[List of The Flintstones episodes#Season 1 (1960–61)|The Flintstones]]'' (1960-1966); ''[[Jackpot Bowling]]'' (1959-1961).<ref name=PBSthe1960s/>
* '''1970s''': ''[[Celebrity Bowling]]'' (beginning in 1971); ''[[All In the Family]]''; ''[[Bowling for Dollars]]'' (through 1980); ''[[Laverne and Shirley]]'' (1976 debut); ESPN broadcasts five of six fall PBA Tour events in its debut year (1979).<ref name=PBSthe1970s/>
* '''1980s''': ''The New Celebrity Bowling'' (beginning in 1987);<ref name=PBSthe1970s/> ''[[Married With Children]];''<ref name=PBSthe1980s/> [[Grim Reaper (advertisement)|''Grim Reaper'' AIDS awareness campaign]] (1987)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6750787/how-australia-tackled-the-aids-crisis/ |title=This confronting advertising campaign ran for only three weeks in the 1980s, but it is seared on the nation's collective memory |accessdate=2023-06-05 |date=2020-05-25 |publisher=Canberra Times}}</ref>
* '''1990s''': ''[[The Simpsons]]''; ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]'' (annual contest);<ref name=PBSthe1990s/> ''[[Nubeluz]]'' ("Los Palitroques Gigantes", one of the Peruvian show's signature games)<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbSgGBGXm9g Bowling game featured on Nubeluz</ref>
* '''2000s''': ''[[According to Jim]]''; ''Let's Bowl!'' (on ''[[Comedy Central]]:'' bowling to settle court disputes);<ref name=PBSthe2000s>{{cite web |title=Bowling Through The Decades: The 2000s |url=https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades2000s.html |website=PBS (Independent Lens) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410050618/http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/decades2000s.html |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |date=2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[Bowling (Malcolm in the Middle)|Malcolm in the Middle]]''.<ref name=AVClub_20091112>{{cite web |last1=St. James |first1=Emily |title=The best TV episodes of the decade |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-best-tv-episodes-of-the-decade-from-shows-not-on-a-1798221277 |publisher=AV Club |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318013235/https://www.avclub.com/the-best-tv-episodes-of-the-decade-from-shows-not-on-a-1798221277 |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |date=November 12, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* '''2020s''': ''[[How We Roll (TV series)|How We Roll]]'' (2022)<ref name=Forbes_20220330>{{cite magazine |last1=Easton |first1=Anne |title='How We Roll' Hopes To Bowl Over Viewers With An Aspirational Story |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/anneeaston/2022/03/30/how-we-roll-hopes-to-bowl-over-viewers-with-an-aspirational-story |magazine=Forbes |date=March 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401164832/https://www.forbes.com/sites/anneeaston/2022/03/30/how-we-roll-hopes-to-bowl-over-viewers-with-an-aspirational-story/ |archive-date=April 1, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===In print===
* In J. K. Rowling's ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'', Professor [[Albus Dumbledore]] is a fan of ten-pin bowling.<ref>J.K. Rowling, ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (Vancouver: Raincoast Books, 2004 paperback edition), p. 114.</ref>

===Non-fiction films===
* ''[[Strikes and Spares]]'' (1934) was nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for Best Novelty [[Short film|Short]].<ref name=NYTimes_20110520>{{cite news |title=Strikes and Spares (1934) |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/300641/Strikes-and-Spares/details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520040733/https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/300641/Strikes-and-Spares/details |archive-date=May 20, 2011 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2011 |url-status=dead }} [https://web.archive.org/web/20190511022733/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1935 Archive] of full list at ''Oscars.org.''</ref>

* ''Pin Gods'' (1996) presents the early challenges of three young bowlers breaking into professional bowling.<ref name=PopMatters20100503>{{cite news |last1=Fuchs |first1=Cynthia |title=Reviews / Pin Gods |url=https://www.popmatters.com/125102-pin-gods-2496199040.html |work=[[PopMatters]] |date=May 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409143804/https://www.popmatters.com/125102-pin-gods-2496199040.html |archive-date=April 9, 2019 |url-status=live }} ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6U93CjAPJM Video])</ref>

* The PBS ''[[Independent Lens]]'' documentary ''[[A League of Ordinary Gentlemen]]'' (2006) chronicles the stories of four PBA Tour bowlers at different stages of their careers, following the purchase of the PBA and appointment of former [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] executive [[Steve Miller (sports executive)|Steve Miller]] as Director.<ref name=PBS20060419>{{cite web |title=PBS to Air ''A League of Ordinary Gentlemen'' Next Week |url=http://www.pba.com/news/features.asp?ID=4532 |publisher=Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060506090154/http://www.pba.com/news/features.asp?ID=4532 |archive-date=May 6, 2006 |date=April 19, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=PBSordinaryGentlemen2006>{{cite web |title=A League of Ordinary Gentlemen / The Film |url=http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/film.html |publisher=[[PBS]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060908055910/http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/leagueofordinarygentlemen/film.html |archive-date=September 8, 2006 |date=2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Fiction films===
{{further|:Category:Ten-pin bowling films}}
* In the animated [[Short film|short]] cartoon ''[[The Bowling Alley-Cat]]'' (1942), cat and mouse [[Tom Cat|Tom]] [[Tom and Jerry|and]] [[Jerry Mouse|Jerry]] do battle inside a bowling center.<ref name=DVDtalk20091013>{{cite news |last1=Mavis |first1=Paul |title=Review: ''Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases, Vol. 3'' |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/39062/tom-and-jerrys-greatest-chases-vol-3/ |work=DVD Talk |date=October 13, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206064223/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/39062/tom-and-jerrys-greatest-chases-vol-3/ |archive-date=December 6, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In ''[[Dreamer (1979 film)|Dreamer]]'' (1979), [[Tim Matheson]] plays a man aspiring to be a professional bowler who faces a challenger played by [[Dick Weber]].<ref name=AFIdreamer1979>{{cite web |title=AFI Catalog of Feature Films / Dreamer (1979) |url=http://catalog.afi.com/Film/56250-DREAMER |publisher=American Film Institute (AFI) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403155816/http://catalog.afi.com/Film/56250-DREAMER |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |date=1970 |url-status=live }}</ref>

* In ''[[Greedy (film)|Greedy]]'' (1994), [[Michael J. Fox]] plays an "honest but luckless pro bowler with a bad wrist and a good woman."<ref name=WashPost19940304>{{cite news |last1=Piantadosi |first1=Roger |title=''Greedy'' (review) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/greedypg13piantadosi_a09e16.htm |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 4, 1994 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215133739/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/greedypg13piantadosi_a09e16.htm |archive-date=December 15, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

* The [[Farrelly brothers]]' comedy ''[[Kingpin (1996 film)|Kingpin]]'' (1996) is a bowling comedy about which [[Randy Quaid]] said in an interview, "If we can't laugh at bowling, what can we laugh at?"<ref name=PBSthe1990s/>

* In the Coen Brothers' ''[[The Big Lebowski]]'' (1998), "the Dude" ([[Jeff Bridges]]), a "slacker's slacker", hangs out with his buddies at a bowling alley,<ref name=MovieLocationsLebowski>{{cite web |title=''The Big Lebowski'' / 1998 |url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/b/Big-Lebowski.php |website=movie-locations.com |access-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210105811/http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/b/Big-Lebowski.php |archive-date=February 10, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> in which [[John Goodman]]'s character pulls out a gun to threaten a competitor who stepped over the foul line and refused to accept the mandatory zero score for the shot.<ref name=PBSthe1990s/>

* In the Disney Channel's ''[[Alley Cats Strike]]'' (2000), high school students engage in a bowling rivalry.<ref name=Slate20140626>{{cite news |last1=Blatt |first1=Ben |title=The Longest Movie Plot Summary on Wikipedia |url=https://slate.com/culture/2014/06/what-is-the-most-detailed-wikipedia-movie-plot-summary-of-all-time.html |work=Slate |date=June 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328233342/https://slate.com/culture/2014/06/what-is-the-most-detailed-wikipedia-movie-plot-summary-of-all-time.html |archive-date=March 28, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Games===
:''See also [[:Category:Bowling video games|Bowling video games]].''
[[File:18700906 Game board (bowling) - U.S. patent 107,030.png|thumb|right| The inventor of this 1870 patent claims to have "invented a new and useful adaptation of the old and favorite Game of Ten-Pins ... rendered available for parlor or indoor use".<ref>[https://patents.google.com/patent/US107030 U.S. patent 107,030], "Game Board" or "Game-Box For Ten-Pins", issued September 6, 1870, to George Benedict Fowler of Brooklyn, New York. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20220720165241/https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/bf/1a/36/5ac1c079b7c8b4/US107030.pdf Archive (PDF)])</ref>]]
What is believed to be the first bowling video game was released in the 1977, a built-in provided with the [[RCA Studio II]] console.<ref name=Kotaku20190202/> A pseudo-3D game was released in 1982 for the Emerson [[Arcadia 2001]] console, and a multi-player game was released by [[SNK]] in 1991, almost a decade before convincing 3D graphics arrived.<ref name=Kotaku20190202/> ''[[Wii Sports]]'', which was released in 2006, includes a bowling game for the 3D-motion-controlled console, and mobile-device bowling games have since become increasingly popular.<ref name=Kotaku20190202/> Several organizations—including the PBA and entertainment franchises such as ''Animaniacs'', ''The Simpsons'', ''Monsters, Inc.'', and ''The Flintstones''—have granted licenses to use their names for video games.<ref name=Kotaku20190202>{{cite web |last1=Zwiezen |first1=Zack |title=A History Of Bowling In Video Games |url=https://kotaku.com/a-history-of-bowling-in-video-games-1832291078 |publisher=[[Kotaku]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204140213/https://kotaku.com/a-history-of-bowling-in-video-games-1832291078 |archive-date=February 4, 2019 |date=February 2, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Glossary of bowling]]
*[[List of ten-pin bowlers]]
*[[List of world bowling champions]]
*[[Bowls]]

==Publications==
*{{cite web |last1=Benner |first1=Donald |last2=Mours |first2=Nicole |last3=Ridenour |first3=Paul  |title=Pin Carry Study: Bowl Expo 2009 |url=http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/pinCarryStudy.pdf |website=bowl.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207110519/http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/pinCarryStudy.pdf |archive-date=December 7, 2010 |format=Slide show presentation |date=2009 |url-status=live }} USBC, Equipment Specifications and Certifications Division.
* {{cite book |last1=Freeman |first1=James |last2=Hatfield |first2=Ron |title=Bowling Beyond the Basics: What's Really Happening on the Lanes, and What You Can Do about It |date=July 15, 2018 |publisher=BowlSmart |isbn=978-1 73 241000 8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8thjDwAAQBAJ }}
* {{cite web |last1=Stremmel |first1=Neil |last2=Ridenour |first2=Paul |last3=Stervenz |first3=Scott |title=Identifying the Critical Factors That Contribute to Bowling Ball Motion on a Bowling Lane |url=http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/BallMotionASQ.pdf |publisher=United States Bowling Congress |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603180429/http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/BallMotionASQ.pdf |archive-date=June 3, 2012 |date=2008 |url-status=live  }} Study began in 2005. Publication date is estimated based on article content.
* {{cite web |author1=USBC Equipment Specifications and Certification Team |title=Ball Motion Study: Phase I and II Final Report |url=https://images.bowl.com/bowl/media/legacy/internap/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/08ballmotionstudy.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327230846/https://images.bowl.com/bowl/media/legacy/internap/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/08ballmotionstudy.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2023 |date=2008 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite web |author1=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |title=USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications Manual |url=https://bowl.com/uploadedFiles/Equipment_Specs/Information/2012FebESManualWEBINTERACTIVE.pdf |website=bowl.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619074452/http://bowl.com/uploadedFiles/Equipment_Specs/Information/2012FebESManualWEBINTERACTIVE.pdf |archive-date=June 19, 2013 |date=February 2012 |url-status=live  }}
* {{cite web |author1=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |title=Bowling Technology Study: An Examination and Discussion on Technology's Impact in the Sport of Bowling |url=https://bowlphilly.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/fullstudy.pdf |website=bowl.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231014131/https://bowlphilly.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/fullstudy.pdf |archive-date=December 31, 2018 |date=February 2018 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite web |author1=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |title=Playing Rules 2024-2025 |url=https://bowl.com/getmedia/cabf49db-8cc5-4ce4-abc0-dfca1a1d7706/071724_USBC-Playing-Rules.pdf |website=bowl.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250130092652/https://bowl.com/getmedia/cabf49db-8cc5-4ce4-abc0-dfca1a1d7706/071724_USBC-Playing-Rules.pdf |date=2024 |archive-date=January 30, 2025 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite magazine |last1=Vogel |first1=A. F. |title=Bowling |url=http://www.hucosystems.com/articles/First%20Job.htg/bowling2.pdf |magazine=Spalding's Athletic Library |volume=1 |issue= 3 |publisher=American Sports Publishing Company |date=December 1892 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327135438/http://www.hucosystems.com/articles/First%20Job.htg/bowling2.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2020 |location=New York |url-status=live}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Commons category|Bowling}}
{{Commons category|Bowling balls}}

{{Ten pin bowling}}
{{Bowling}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ten-pin bowling| ]]
[[Category:Bowling]]
[[Category:Sports originating in the United States]]