Bowling is a fun sport as long as you follow the rules of safety and courtesy. When bowlers do not follow these rules, they can become frustrated, which can lead to injury to themselves and their teammates or damage to bowling alley facilities and equipment. As in other sports, bowling has penalties for bowlers who break the rules.
Taking Turns
At the beginning of a match, players receive a number that designates the position they are in and the order in which they will bowl. So in each frame, the bowler designated as the second bowler bowls in that position.
Sometimes, a league bowler cannot attend a match because of illness or travel. According to Bowlers Paradise, in league play a score called a blind is given for an absent member. This score is usually the bowler's average minus 10 or a predetermined score---for example, 140 for men and 120 for women. A blind can be a costly penalty to a team, especially in a close match.
Alley Courtesy
Do not drop food or spill beverages on the alley, because these can cause a bowler to slip and fall, resulting in a serious injury.
The end of the alley, or approach, is 16 feet long. When a bowler is standing at the approach getting ready to bowl, do not disturb him by saying anything or moving to the side, which can cause a distraction and throw the bowler off his mark, which may be a line or a spot for aiming. Also, do not stand directly behind a bowler, because the arm with which he's holding the ball can swing and cause a serious injury with the ball.
Another courtesy that you should follow is to permit a bowler in an adjacent lane to complete her frame before you step onto your lane.
Bowling Ball Return
Do not kick the ball return if you miss a shot. Bowlers are not permitted to show frustration in this way, and you may injure yourself doing so. Additionally, you may injure your fingers if you attempt to pick up your ball while the previous bowler's ball is rolling rapidly from the pit into the ball return carousel. Use caution when picking up your ball during your turn.
Bowling Ball Handling
The bowler should not drop the ball in the approach area or roll it before reaching the alley. Do not loft the ball, or launch it into the air, so that it lands with a thud on the alley---lofting the ball can damage the alley. Do not under any circumstances roll the ball while the pinsetter is in motion; you can bend the pinsetter if you hit it with your ball.
If you're using a house ball, which is a ball provided by the bowling alley, be careful to select a ball that is not too heavy and has a large enough thumb hole. A ball that is too heavy or a thumb hole that is too small may cause injury.
Note also that it's discourteous to use another bowler's ball without asking her permission.
Bowling Shoes
Ideally, you will have your own bowling shoes. If you don't, you can rent them from the bowling alley. They should fit comfortably---not too tight or loose. The left foot for right-handed bowlers is the sliding foot. According to Great River Bowl, you should not wear street shoes in the settee area of bowling lanes. The settee area is the space where bowlers wait to take their turns. Street shoes can be wet and dirty owing to outside conditions. If you track dirt or water into the settee area, other bowlers may slip and fall.
Foul Line
A foul line marks the end of the approach and beginning of the alley. In league play, according to Bowlers Paradise, an automatic foul detector, which is a light beam across the foul line, sounds an alarm if your foot crosses it. This foul will cost you a penalty of lost pins for that ball. You'll shoot at a new rack of 10 pins, but you'll only score a spare if you knock them all down.
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