Bowling is a sport or leisure activity in which a player rolls or throws a bowling ball towards pins positioned at the end of an alley.

A pin, usually made of wood, is set up at the end of the lane. The bowler is trying to roll the ball down the lane and knock over as many pins as possible. A strike is achieved if all ten pins are knocked over with one throw (called a strike). A spare is achieved by knocking down all ten pins with two balls (called a spare).

The most common game played is ten-pin bowling. Other varieties include five-pin bowling, candlepin bowling and duckpin bowling. Outside North America, these are rarely played professionally and only by amateurs, but they have their own prominent amateur leagues and tournaments, particularly in Canada and Europe.

In North America and other western countries, professional bowling leagues are generally organized as franchises that pay players depending on their level of success and popularity. In many countries in Asia there are also professional bowls tournaments for women only which attract large crowds and media attention.

Last modified: October 30, 2022