Bowling Glossary Continued
Foul line: The mark that determines the beginning of the lane, 60' this side of the head pin, where the gutters start. Usually red. Has detector lights ("foul lights") and a buzzer to alert your team and opponents to your clumsiness. Crossing it gets you a count of zero for that ball and, if on the first ball, a shot at a new rack of pins.
Foul Light – An electronic indicator/light, often combined with a buzzer noise, that is triggered when a beam of light that transverses the foul line is broken.
Fingertip: Type of bowling ball grip where the fingers are far enough from the thumb that they can only be inserted into the ball as deep as the first joint. Allows a great amount of spin to be imparted to the ball because of the large span between thumb and fingers, but requires a strong wrist and much practice to master.
Heads – That part of the first portion of the lane that is usually hard maple (wood lanes) to absorb the impact of the thrown bowling ball. This surface has to be refinished about every two years.
House Ball - A ball provided by the center to its customers that don’t have a bowling ball.
Kickbacks – The dividers between lanes; so called because pins often kick back off a divider to knock other pins down. These can either be hung loose or tight.
Kegler: A bowler (German word).
Lane – The actual playing area, which is 42 inches wide and 62 feet, 10-3/4 inches long. The gutters and the approach are not part of the lane. “Lanes” can also be used to describe the entire center.
Lane Markers –Range finders (alley sights) and foot guide lines.
Pit –The area of the lane behind the pin deck. The area at the end of the lane.
Pinsetters – Mechanical equipment that sets the pins in place.
Pin Deck – The surface of the lane ends upon which the pins are spotted. It is made of hard wood or synthetic surface to absorb the pounding it takes.
PBA: Professional Bowlers Association.
Perfect game: A game of all strikes--twelve strikes in a row--resulting in bowling's maximum score of 300.
Runway – Normally the approach area behind the foul line; also the name given to the areas to the side of the house end lanes where the staff can walk (run) to the machines for service.
Sanctioned: Competition in accordance with American Bowling Congress or Women¹s International Bowling Congress rules.
Sweepstakes: Bowling tournament
Split: Various combination of pins standing after a first throw where one or more pins has been knocked down creating a space between standing pins and thus a harder spare. Examples: 4-5, 5-6, 4-7, 6-10, 7-10, 4-6-7-10.
Settee – The area behind the approach and between the concourse.
WIBC: Women's International Bowling Congress.
Young American Bowling Alliance (YABA): The YABA is the governing body providing recognition, sanctioning, playing rules and supervision to help preserve the amateur status of its members. The YABA is a non-profit volunteer-based organization for young bowlers.
300 game: A perfect game consisting of 12 strikes in a row.
