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Bowling Terminology: Strike, Spare, Gutter Ball, Foul And Open
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Published: October 9, 2007
Bowling is a game that has been around for 5200 years, according to Tenpinbowling.org. A British anthropologist found primitive bowling balls in the grave of an Egyptian boy from 3200 B.C. Bowling also found its way to Germany in 2000 B.C. in the form of throwing stones at nine wooden sticks.
The English started bowling around 1100; it was a popular sport during King Henry VII's reign. European settlers introduced nine-pin bowling to the U.S. in New York City. Bowling became a popular sport that attracted illegal gambling rings during the 1840s. In order to bypass a law that prohibited owning ninepin bowling lanes, people put an extra pin in the game, creating the game as it is currently played—tenpin.
Tenpin began crudely with no general rules, and the weight and size of balls and pins were dependent on the state in which the game was played. By 1895, a restaurateur named Joe Thumb founded an organization called the American Bowling Congress that established general rules for the game, which also enabled the beginning of competitions and tournaments.
As bowling found an audience, manufacturing advances transformed the bowling balls from wooden to rubber and then into the lighter Mineralite balls. Another advancement that broadened the popularity of bowling was the automatic pinsetter that added speed to the game by replacing human pinsetters. The 1950s successfully introduced bowling to the television audiences, and gave viewers the opportunity to learn the basics of bowling without stepping foot into an alley.
The basics of bowling begin with learning the terminology. Common knowledge of the sport is that it is played by rolling a ball down a bowling lane, in order to knock down pins for points by getting either a spare or strike. Bowling lanes are typically 15 feet long. A bowler's approach is when the player delivers the ball onto the lane. A player can only go as far as the foul line when delivering the ball down the lane. The foul line is a dark strip dividing the playing space and the non-playing surface. When a player steps over this line during his approach, then the ball is considered dead and therefore receives a zero score.
Other common bowling terminology is gutter ball, strike, frames and spare. There are 10 frames in a game. Bowlers have two chances to knock down the 10 pins in each frame. The gutters are located on either side of the lane, and if a ball enters the gutter after being delivered down the lane, it is considered a gutter ball and scores no points. All bowlers aim for a strike, as it is when the player knocks down all 10 pins on the first delivery and try to avoid the dreaded gutter ball. A spare is when all pins have been knocked down on the second delivery of the ball. The failure to knock down any of the 10 pins is called an open frame. The perfect game for any bowler is to achieve strike frames, as opposed to open frames, to attain the perfect score of 300.
Bowling continues to be a popular sport with professional leagues that include children's, women's and men's leagues. Tenpinbowling.org estimates that bowling is played by over 100 million people in over 90 countries. It has become such a skilled sport that there is an active lobby for bowling to become an Olympic sport. The mechanics of the game can be learned through practice, where the bowling terminology is understood. This is a game that will continue to have a place in sports all over the world.
Higa, Clyde. "Some Basic Terminology." Bella Online. 2007. 8 Oct. 2007. http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art6449.asp.
"Tenpin Bowling." Top End Sports. 2007. 8 Oct. 2007. http://www.topendsports.com/sport/tenpin/glossary. htm.
"The Game History." Tenpin Bowling. 8 Oct. 2007. 8 Oct. 2007. http://tenpinbowling.org/view.php?page=the_game.hi story&PHPSESSID=6dce16bd0b54e03b2ecc25daebf660
Tenpin began crudely with no general rules, and the weight and size of balls and pins were dependent on the state in which the game was played. By 1895, a restaurateur named Joe Thumb founded an organization called the American Bowling Congress that established general rules for the game, which also enabled the beginning of competitions and tournaments.
As bowling found an audience, manufacturing advances transformed the bowling balls from wooden to rubber and then into the lighter Mineralite balls. Another advancement that broadened the popularity of bowling was the automatic pinsetter that added speed to the game by replacing human pinsetters. The 1950s successfully introduced bowling to the television audiences, and gave viewers the opportunity to learn the basics of bowling without stepping foot into an alley.
The basics of bowling begin with learning the terminology. Common knowledge of the sport is that it is played by rolling a ball down a bowling lane, in order to knock down pins for points by getting either a spare or strike. Bowling lanes are typically 15 feet long. A bowler's approach is when the player delivers the ball onto the lane. A player can only go as far as the foul line when delivering the ball down the lane. The foul line is a dark strip dividing the playing space and the non-playing surface. When a player steps over this line during his approach, then the ball is considered dead and therefore receives a zero score.
Other common bowling terminology is gutter ball, strike, frames and spare. There are 10 frames in a game. Bowlers have two chances to knock down the 10 pins in each frame. The gutters are located on either side of the lane, and if a ball enters the gutter after being delivered down the lane, it is considered a gutter ball and scores no points. All bowlers aim for a strike, as it is when the player knocks down all 10 pins on the first delivery and try to avoid the dreaded gutter ball. A spare is when all pins have been knocked down on the second delivery of the ball. The failure to knock down any of the 10 pins is called an open frame. The perfect game for any bowler is to achieve strike frames, as opposed to open frames, to attain the perfect score of 300.
Bowling continues to be a popular sport with professional leagues that include children's, women's and men's leagues. Tenpinbowling.org estimates that bowling is played by over 100 million people in over 90 countries. It has become such a skilled sport that there is an active lobby for bowling to become an Olympic sport. The mechanics of the game can be learned through practice, where the bowling terminology is understood. This is a game that will continue to have a place in sports all over the world.
Higa, Clyde. "Some Basic Terminology." Bella Online. 2007. 8 Oct. 2007. http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art6449.asp.
"Tenpin Bowling." Top End Sports. 2007. 8 Oct. 2007. http://www.topendsports.com/sport/tenpin/glossary. htm.
"The Game History." Tenpin Bowling. 8 Oct. 2007. 8 Oct. 2007. http://tenpinbowling.org/view.php?page=the_game.hi story&PHPSESSID=6dce16bd0b54e03b2ecc25daebf660
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