Ten Pin Bowling

Ten-pin bowling is a sport in which a player (called a ‘bowler’) rolls a bowling ball toward ten pins positioned at the end of a narrow lane bordered by channels called ‘gutters’.

Ten pin bowling for men and women was included on the programme in Kuala Lumpur 1998, when 15 countries competed. Ten pin bowling remains recognised by the Commonwealth Games Federation as a sport with potential for inclusion in future Commonwealth Games.

Team England previous ten pin bowling medals

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Total

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Bowlers can score a ‘strike’ if they knock down all 10 pins in one throw or a ‘spare’ if they knock them down in two throws. A strike earns ten pins plus the pins for the next two balls thrown and a spare earns ten pins plus the pins for the next ball thrown.

The bowler is allowed 10 frames in which to knock down pins, with frames one to nine being composed of up to two rolls. If the bowler scores a strike or spare in the 10th frame, they win a bonus roll, often called frames 11 and 12.

The maximum score in ten-pin bowling is 300, which consists of getting 12 strikes in a row in one game and is also known as a perfect game.