Skittle Games
Nine-Pin Skittles
This game that can trace its history to ancient Egypt is still
played today, although probably with different rules.
Borders need to be created to form a long narrow alley,
known as a Skittle Alley or pitch, and at its end stands a set
of nine pins in a diamond formation. In some locations a red
string is tied around the neck of the front pin, distinguishing
it from the others.
Each player rolls three balls. Any pins that have been knocked
down are removed between rolls. If all the pins are knocked
down, they are put back - by a person known as a stickerup. The
maximum score per roll is 27 (3 x 9), although in some regions
the distinguished center pin adds two points if knocked down on
the second roll, or minus 1 point if knocked down on the first roll.
Generally the ball is rolled along the floor, but in some regions it
is bowled rather like in cricket, either with or without a bounce -
Ten-Pin Bowling
First introduced to America by the Jamestown settlers, the game of Nine-Pin Skittles was quickly changed to Ten-Pin Bowling.
Similar to Skittles, the simple aim of the bowling game is to knock down as many pins as possible by rolling a ball down an alley.
The game can be made more difficult by adding gutters, which run along either side of the alley of the “lane.” You can create gutters
by adding sticks or cloth that form the alley and if any of the ball touch the gutter no pins will be hit, and therefore no score will be
acquired.
Ten-Pin Bowling is more organized that Skittles. The game is divided into ten rounds, called “frames.” In a frame, each player is
given two opportunities to knock down the pins that are arranged in a triangular design consisting of four rows. The first row has
one pin, the second row two pins, the third row three pins, and the forth row has four pins.
Each player has two rolls per turn. In the first roll whatever pins are knocked down are counted and scored. Then the player rolls
a second ball at any remaining targets. In the event that all ten pins were knocked down on the first roll it is called a “strike.” The
player receives their points and the play passes to the next player. Because of the triangular spacing of the pins, it is impossible for
the ball to strike every one, therefore a tactical shot is required, which would result in a chain reaction of pin hitting pin. In order to
count, the pin must be knocked over entirely; in unlucky circumstances, a pin may wobble furiously, yet come to rest upright, thus
not being scored.
Bowling has a very complex scoring pattern that can be researched for accurate gaming. In general, one point is scored for each
pin that is knocked over. So if a player bowls over three pins with the first shot, then six with the second, the player would receive
a total of nine points for that frame. If a player knocks down 9 pins with the first shot, but misses with the second, the player would
also score nine. In the event that all ten pins are knocked over by any one player in a single frame, bonuses are awarded. There are
traditionally 10 frames and the person with the most points at the end of the last frame wins. Again, this is the simple to way keep
score, both the pin count and the number of frames change when accurate rules are begin used.
Candlepin Bowling
The main differences between candlepin bowling and the ten-pin bowling style are the facts that each player uses three balls
per frame and the fallen pins ('deadwood' or simply 'wood') are not cleared away between rolls during a player's turn. The scoring
is very similar to that of Tin-Pin Bowling, however the use of jargon when playing Candlepin Bowling is more prominent. There are
other variations of Ten-Pin Bowling that are poplar in the United States including Duckpin Bowling and Five-Pin Bowling.
Although they play on the same general principles as Ten-Pin Bowling, the number of pins, the size of the lane and the manner in of
keeping score are all different.
Long Alley Skittles
In the East Midlands, people play Long Alley, a skillful game in which the pitch is 33 - 36 feet long and the projectiles are
flung almost the full length of the alley where they must bounce a single time before ploughing into the skittles. Most Long Alley
games feature a Kingpin which must be hit first or else no score is counted... Local variations aside, Long Alley itself appear to be
split into two main varieties. In Leicestershire, barrel shaped cheeses are thrown at the skittles. Experts use the eccentric shape to
produce clever angles upon the bounce and thus can topple skittles in arrangements that would not be possible with an ordinary ball.
In some areas, in fact, the single bounce rule is not employed and the pins are just attacked directly - which leads us straight on to a
close relative, London Skittles.
And Many More Games
There are still many more games, such as Front Pin First or "King Pin", Four Pin, London
Bridge, Killer, Ralleybash, Brooklyn Streets, 6-ball Westbury, 5-Ups, and the list continues. Search
the internet and you will find a plethora of games that will expand the use of your Skittles far into the
future.
Skittle Talk
Some believe that if you play Skittles you must also learn how to talk Skittles. Below are terms
that will help you start taking Skittles.
Ball - the wooden ball rolled at the skittles.
Beaver - when a player knocks down no pins in a hand.
Broken frame - a frame with some pins knocked over
Cheese - a round, flattened wooden discus which in some variants of the game is thrown instead of
rolling a ball
Copper - the pin on the extreme left or right of the frame.
Cush - the rails on either side of the alley, usually made from timber. Some alleys have ditches or
gutters like American Ten-Pin Bowling.
Down - the scores for all players in one set during a single hand, combined, e.g. "we just got a 24
down"
Duck - a player who doesn't knock down any pins on their turn
Flattener - a ball that knocks down all nine pins.
Flopper - when all nine pins are knocked down with one ball.
Frame - the full set of pins standing upright
Hand - a player's turn at the game
King Pin - The pin at the front of the frame.
Landlord - the pin in the center of the frame, immediately behind the front pin.
Leg - known as a set elsewhere comprising 6, 8, 9, 10 or 12 players.
Over/Foul - A ball delivered illegally over the foul line
Pin - a skittle
Strike - hitting over all the pins at once
Pitch - the long rectangular strip along which balls are thrown and at the end of which the pins stand
Quarter - two pins on either side and behind the front pin
Sidey/Cush - a ball that hits the side of the alley.
Spare - when a player knocks down all pins with 2 throws, or three depending on the game
Split - pins left after the first ball has been played.
Sticker/sticker-up - one who puts knocked-over pins back up
