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TERMINOLOGY
STANDARD GAME Skittles usually takes place in a skittle alley, and usually uses a single set of nine pins. The pitch, like the pins and the rules, varies according to region, but is between 21 feet (6.4 m) and 36 feet (11 m) long to the front pin. The balls are traditionally made of Hardwood , often Lignum Vitae , though rubber balls may sometimes be found. They are between 4 inches (100 mm) and 6 inches (150 mm) in diameter, and have no finger holes. The player usually has a choice of sizes. A sloping wooden ramp along the side of the alley is often used to return them to the players. Pins are vertical lengths of wood - traditionally from the wood of a Cider Apple tree in the west country, or sometimes synthetic materials. They are between 6 inches (150 mm) and 16 inches (400 mm) high, Weigh up to 3 kg, with height, shape and weight all varying by region. The central pin (or sometimes the front pin) may be larger or differently shaped in some games. The pins are always arranged in a diamond pattern:
Usually three balls are thrown, and any pins that have been knocked down but that remain on the pitch are removed between throws. If all the pins are knocked down, they are put back by the ''sticker'' - so the maximum score is typically 27 (3 x 9), though this varies in different versions of the game. Generally the ball is thrown to roll along the floor, but in some regions it is bowled rather like in Cricket , either with or without a bounce - though with an under-arm swing action. Each player may have up to 12 'hands' (turns) during a match. VARIANTS Front Pin First In this variant of the game, pins are only counted if the front pin is knocked over first. If the front pin is missed, any pins that are knocked over are not reset. Nomination In this variant of the game, the player has to nominate the pin that will be hit first before the throw. Unless this pin is knocked over the player will not score. The names given to the pins may vary from region to region, in Wiltshire they are usually referred to as Front Pin, Front Right Quarter, Front Left Quarter, Outside Right (or Right Winger), Centre Pin, Outside Left (or Left Winger), Back Right Quarter, Back Left Quarter and Back Pin. Midlands In the Midlands, a 'cheese' is thrown through the air instead of using a ball. Gloucestershire Skittles In the Cheltenham area, skittles is played with either a team of 12 (winter skittles) or 6 (summer skittles). Each player plays 6 hands of 3 balls. However, in Gloucester, the players play 10 hands of 3 balls, and a team is made up of 10 skittlers. London skittles (Nine-pins) Also known as ninepins, this version uses nine pins (made of hornbeam) and a cheese. The cheese is thrown at the pins using a swinging motion whilst stepping forwards. After an initial throw, the remaining pins (the 'broken frame') may end up in a variety of formations - each of which has a distinctive (and usually London-based) name, such as a London Bridge or a Portsmouth Road. Knocking down all the pins at once is known as a 'floorer' and is highly respected. A player who manages to throw three floorers in succession is lauded. Whilst it was once a popular game played in pubs all over London (generally sited by the river), it is now only played at two venues: one in Hampstead and one in Norbury. The origins of this skittles game are vague, but it is thought by some to have been started by Dutch sailors, possibly playing on the decks of moored barges. Table skittles Table-top versions of the game also exist. These include:
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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