HomeBowlingBowling Lane Dimensions (All You Need To Know)

Bowling Lane Dimensions (All You Need To Know)

What are the Bowling Lane Dimensions?

What are the dimensions of a bowling lane?

What are the essential elements you should know!

Keep reading as we have gathered exactly the information that you need!

Let’s dig into our bowling knowledge!

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Bowling Lane Dimensions

What are the bowling lanes’ dimensions?

Here are the dimensions of bowling lane:

  • 60 feet long 
  • 2 feet 10-3/16 inches for the pin deck extending from the headpin
  • 9-¼ inch gutters on the right and left of the lane 
  • 42 inches wide (which includes 39 boards)

The entire bowling lane, from the foul line to the pinsetter machine is 65 feet 10 3/16 inches.

The length of a bowling alley is measured from the foul line to the headpin.

The approach dots are located 12 feet from the foul line and a second one 15 feet from the foul line.

The approach dots help you coordinate your footwork to ensure you do now commit a foul on your delivery.

On the bowling alley, you have arrow indicators that are placed 15 feet from the foul line.

Lane Dimensions

What are the bowling lane dimensions?

The bowling line, from the foul line to the center of the headpin is 60 feet.

The pin deck extends another 2 feet and 10-3/16 inches from the headpin.

The lane is 42 inches wide and includes 39 boards of approximately 1.06 inches in width.

The lane is divided in three parts:

  • Front-end representing the first 20 feet of the lane 
  • Mid-lane representing the next 20 feet of lane
  • Back-end representing the final 20 feet of lane 

Bowling Alley Boards

The bowling alley is made of up pieces of one-inch wide boards.

There are 39 boards of approximately 1.06 inches in width.

Most of the boards look the same and are similar.

Bowling Approach Area

Every bowling alley must have an approach area.

The approach area must also be compliant with regulatory standards.

The approach area must be at least the same width ad the bowling lane and extend 15 feet back from the foul line.

There are dots placed on the approach at 15 feet from the foul line and 12 feet.

The dots correspond to boards 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 of the bowling alley (also corresponding to the boards where the arrows are placed on the alley).

What changes from one bowling approach to another are:

  • The width of the ball return 
  • Step up from the settee area to the approach

There are bowling alleys that have a ball return set up closer to the foul line while others are placed closer to the bowler’s walking path.

Some bowling alleys have a step up of 4 to 5 inches while others do not.

Arrows on Bowling Lane

The bowling lane arrows must start after the 12-foot mark from the foul line.

They are generally one board-wide (1.06 inches) and must not exceed 1.25 inches.

There are no guidelines or requirements on the length of each arrow but typically they are not more than 6 inches long.

The arrows are placed on boards 5, 10, 15, 20, 20, 30, and 35.

They are typically shaped like the letter “v” and the middle arrow is the one that is the furthest away from the foul line.

Location Markers

There are no requirements for bowling alleys to have hash markers.

If breakpoint markings are placed, you’ll see four of them.

Typically, the first marking is located 34 feet to 37 feet from the foul line (on boards 15 and 25).

The second set of markers are placed at 40 feet and 43 feet down the lane (on boards 10 and 30).

Pin Deck

The pin deck will typically extend 2 feet at 10 3/16 inches from the headpin down the lane.

After the pin deck, you have a 3-inch tail plank.

Each pin is 4.75 inches wide and will be placed at 7.25 inches apart.

You have 4 rows of pins each row placed at 10-⅜ inches from the previous row starting from the headpin.

Regulation Size Bowling Lane

A regulation-size bowling lane must meet the standards and lane dimensions defined by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).

Bowling alleys that meet the USBC standards and who are certified can hold bowling league tournaments.

A regulation-sized bowling alley has the following dimensions:

  • 60 feet in length from the foul line to the center of the headpin
  • 41-⅞ inches wide

Two regulation bowling lanes have the following specifications:

  • 83 feet and 2 inches long
  • It includes a 3-foot service aisle
  • It includes the approach, lanes, and pinsetters 

Home Bowling Lane

What are bowling alley dimensions for home bowling?

How much room do you need in your house for a bowling alley?

The overall width of a standard pair of home bowling lanes is 11 feet and 6 inches wide.

If you want to have a regulation size bowling lane along with a service aisle behind the bowling machine, you’ll need 86 feet.

An 86 foot home bowling alley includes:

  • 16-foot approach
  • 60-foot lane
  • 7-foot pin dick and pit
  • 3-foot service aisle 

If you don’t have that much space, you can have a bowling lane as short as 55 feet giving it an “arcade” look and feel to it.

You can build a bowling alley in your house on any floor provided the floor can support 20 pounds per square foot for the lane area and 40 pounds per square foot where you have the machine area.

Bowling Lane Specification Summary

What are the dimensions of a bowling lane?

Here is a summary of the dimensions of a bowling lane:

  • The kickback is 24 inches
  • The tailplank is 2 inches thick 
  • The pit cushion is 9 ⅞ inches thick
  • The pin spots are 2 ¼ inches in diameter 
  • The gutter is 9 ¼ inches wide and 1 ⅞ beneath the lane surface 
  • The center of the headpin is 60 feet from the foul line
  • The lane width is 42 inches 

The overall length of a lane to the pin is 62 feet 10 3/16 inches.

Takeaways

What are home bowling alley dimensions?

What are regulation bowling lanes dimensions?

Let’s look at a summary of our findings.

Bowling Lane Dimensions

  • Residential bowling alley dimensions can go from 55 feet to 86 feet 
  • Regulation-sized bowling alleys are 60 feet long from the foul line to the headpin
  • From the headpin back, you have another 2 feet and 10 3/16 inch of pin deck extension
  • Gutters are 9 ¼ inches wide placed on each side of the lane and are 1 ⅞ inch below the lane surface 
Approach area 
Approach dots
Arrows 
Bowling machine 
Bowling wall
Foul line 
Gutters 
Headpin 
Lane boards 
Lane dots
Lane dowels 
Oiling the lane
Range markers
Author
Editorial Staffhttps://bowling.zone
Hello Nation! My name is Amir! I started this blog to provide all you bowling fans and enthusiasts with useful content, information, and resources on bowling. No matter if you are doing this as a hobby or professionally, I hope you could find what you're looking for. Enjoy!

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