bowling

Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). Most references to bowling are to pin bowling, specifically tenpin bowling, played in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries. Bowling can also refer to target bowling, such as lawn bowls. Bowling is played by 120 million people in more than 90 countries, including 70 million people in the United States alone.

In pin bowling, players knock over pins on a long smooth surface called a lane. Lanes have a wood or synthetic surface with protective lubricating oil applied in different oil patterns that affect ball motion. A strike is achieved when all the pins are knocked down on the first roll, and a spare is achieved if all remaining pins are knocked over on a second roll. The most common variation of pin bowling is tenpin; other variations include candlepin, duckpin, nine-pin (kegel), and five-pin. The historical game skittles is the forerunner of modern pin bowling.