Bowling ball Bowling ball A bowling ball is a piece of sporting equipment used to hit bowling pins in the sport of bowling. Balls used in ten-pin bowling are typically hard spheres with three holes drilled in them, one each for the ring and middle fingers, and one for the thumb. Regulating bodies such as the USBC maintain requirements for the properties of bowling balls, including size, hardness, and number of holes, as well as maintaining a list of bowling balls approved for competitive play. Other bowling balls, such as those used in five-pin bowling, candlepin bowling, and duckpin bowling are smaller,
Ten-pin bowling British Tenpin Bowling Association. These rules are followed by all certified leagues and events, such as tournaments. This information is clarified by the World Tenpin Bowling Association in its "Statutes and Playing Rules". The sport of ten-pin bowling is performed on a straight, narrow surface known as a lane. This bowling lane is from the foul line to the head pin (1-pin). About from the foul line are a set of guide arrows. The lane is wide and normally consists of 39 wooden boards (commonly rock maple in the "heads", which is the first 15 feet of lane, and in