Candlepin Bowling - Game Play

Game Play

A candlepin bowling lane, almost identical to a tenpin bowling lane, has an approach area of 4.3 to 4.9 meters (14 to 16 ft) for the player to bowl from, and then the lane proper, a maple surface approximately 1.05 meters (42 in) wide, bounded on either side by a gutter (or "channel", or trough.) The lane is separated from the approach by a foul line, which must not be crossed by players. At the far end of the lane are the pins, 18.3m from the foul line to the center of the headpin (or pin #1), placed by a machine called a pinsetter which occupies space both above and behind the pins. Unlike a tenpin lane, which has a level surface all the way from the near end of the lane's approach to the end of the lanebed, a metal pin plate forms the "pindeck" area of the candlepin lane, and is very slightly depressed below the lanebed forward of it. Behind the pindeck area of the lane is a well-depressed "pit" area for the felled pins and balls to fall into, and a curtain behind this to gently stop the pins and balls from going any further. Generally there is seating behind the approach area for teammates and spectators, and containing a small table to hold scorepads.

The candlepins themselves are 15.75 inches (400 mm) tall, have a cylindrical shape which tapers equally towards each end (and therefore having no distinct "top" or "bottom" end, unlike a tenpin), giving them an overall appearance somewhat like that of a candle, and have a maximum weight of 1.13 kilograms (2 lb 8 oz) apiece. Candlepin bowling uses the same numbering system and shape for the formation within the ten candlepins are set, as the tenpin sport does. Also, as in ten-pin bowling, due to the spacing of the pins (12", or 30.5 cm, center to center), it is impossible for the ball to strike every one. However, while in ten-pin a well-placed ball (usually between the head pin and the 2 or 3-pin) may knock down all ten pins (a strike if on the first ball in a frame) from the chain reaction of pin hitting pin, in candlepins the smaller thickness of the pins makes throwing a strike extremely difficult. In order to count, the pin must be knocked over entirely; in unlucky circumstances, a pin may wobble furiously, or, even more frustratingly, be "kicked" to the side by several inches, yet come to rest upright, thus not being scored (and not be reset to its original position for any throws that remain, though it may of course still be knocked over by subsequent balls). It is even possible for a toppled pin to bounce off a side "kickback", and return to a standing position on the lane's pin deck in the candlepin sport.

In addition to the foul line for the bowler themselves, there is a line 10 feet (3.0 m) down the lane from the foul line; this is the lob line, and the ball must first contact the lane at a point on the bowler's side of it. Violation of this rule constitutes a lob and any pins knocked down by such a ball do not count, and such pins are not reset if the lobbed ball was not the third and last shot for that player in that box.

Also, a third line, centered 61 cm (24 in) forward of the head pin (number-1-pin) spot is the dead wood line, which defines the maximum forward limit that any toppled pins ("wood") can occupy and still be legally playable ("live wood"). This lane specification essentially results in the presence of 'three' foul lines, more than in any other bowling sport.

One unique feature of the candlepin sport is that fallen pins, usually called wood, are not removed from the pin deck area between balls, unlike either the tenpin or duckpin bowling sports - depending on where the fallen pins are located and their angle at rest (as all fallen pins must be stationary before delivering the next ball), the dead wood can be a major help, or obstacle, in trying to knock down every single standing pin for either a spare or "ten-box" score in completing a round.

The ball used in candlepins has a maximum weight of 1.1 kilograms (2 lb 7 oz), and has a maximum diameter of 11.43 cm (4½ inches), making it the smallest bowling ball of any North American bowling sport. The nearly identical weight of the ball, when compared to that of just one candlepin, tends to cause rapidly-delivered balls to sometimes bounce at random when impacting a full rack of pins on the first delivery of a frame, and sometimes when hitting downed "dead wood" pins on subsequent deliveries.

A game of candlepin bowling, often called a string in New England, is divided into ten rounds, each of these rounds being most commonly referred to as a box, rather than a "frame" as in ten-pin bowling. In each normal box, a player is given up to three opportunities to knock down as many pins as possible. In the final box, three balls are rolled regardless of the pincount, meaning three strikes can be scored in the 10th frame.

In each of the first nine boxes, play proceeds as follows: The first player bowls their first ball at the pins. Whatever pins are knocked down are counted and scored. Then the player rolls a second and a third ball at any remaining targets. In the event that all ten pins were knocked down with the first ball (a 'strike'), the player receives ten points plus the count on the next two rolls, the pins are cleared, a new set placed, and play passes to the next competitor. If all ten pins were knocked down with two balls (a 'spare'), the player receives 10 points plus the count of the next ball, pins are cleared and reset, and play passes to the next competitor. If all three balls are needed to knock all the pins down, the score for that frame is simply 10, and known in New England as a ten-box.

In the tenth box, play is similar, except that a player scoring a strike is granted two additional balls, scoring a spare earns one additional ball. Three balls are rolled in the tenth frame regardless.