History of Bowling

Bowling has been been around for a long time, with evidence for it as a game going back as far as 3200 BCE. It was definitely popular through the medieval area, with Edward III, King of England, making a law against it in 1366 to prevent his troops from getting distracted from their training. This sport continued to be a favorite up through the Renaissance, and came in many different forms.

Many variations of pin games existed, as well as games where balls were thrown at non-pin objects. These games appear to have developed over a long period of time, further confirming the idea that bowling is one of the oldest sports we have. Related games include ninepins, bocce, lawn bowling and petanque, as well as many others.

Many different versions of bowling were imported to America during the colonial period. You may remember a reference to games of ninepins in Rip Van Winkle, for instance. A small plot in the Battery area of New York was probably the first permanent bowling spot in America, and people living in New York still call it Bowling Green.

However, this doesn't mean that bowling was universally welcomed in the New World. In 1841, ninepin lanes were outlawed, due to the gambling related to the sport. This popular sport continued in many areas, with even the "captains of industry" having lanes installed in their mansions. It's been suggested that ten pin bowling, such as we do now, was invented to get around the ninepin laws.

No matter how tenpin bowling developed, it was common by the late 1800s all along the east coast, and as far out as Illinois. Ball weights, pin types and rules varied by individual region and establishments, until the American Bowling Congress created standardization and national competitions.

Unfortunately for the women who'd been bowling up until then, this organization was only for men. Women would not get their own bowling organization until 1917, with the Women's International Bowling Congress.

Around that time, there was also a big improvement in bowling technology. The balls, formerly made from wood, changed to hard rubber. This allowed for better games. Bowling was now organized and had more advanced components, leading it to grow in popularity.

However, it wasn't until the 1950s that lanes could be automated. Prior to that, "pinboys" were hired to reset pins each time they were knocked down. With the advent of the automatic pinspotter, this was no longer necessary.

During this period, bowling also began to be televised, with NBC's Championship Bowling acting as the first network coverage. Plenty of other shows cropped up, and bowling competitions were soon broadcast.

Millions of Americans took up watching the sport, and later became interested in doing it on their own. Now, bowling is popular around the world, and remains fun and exciting. If you're interested in this great sport, it might be time to take a trip down to your local bowling alley.