Ten-pin bowling the body in step one; step two has the ball at the bottom of the backswing; in step three, the ball is at the top of the backswing; finally, the ball is swung forward and delivered in conjunction with the fourth and final slide-step. In a five-step approach, the bowler takes an initial timing step before pushing the ball away from the body. The regulations listed here are generally based around regulations set by the United States Bowling Congress — based on the original rules first codified by a USBC predecessor, the American Bowling Congress in 1895 — and the
Ten-pin bowling off center without falling. The pins must show the name and mark of the maker, either "USBC Approved" or "BTBA Approved" and appear uniform. The maximum diameter of the ball is and the circumference of the ball must not be more than , and the ball cannot weigh more than 16 pounds (7.26 kg). Generally, the lightest ball available for use is 6 pounds (2.72 kg). The ball must have a smooth surface over its entire circumference except for holes or indentations used for gripping the ball, holes or indentations made to bring the ball back into compliance with weight-distribution