Archaeologists have discovered bowling balls, pins and other equipment in an Egyptian child's grave dating back to 5200 B.C. So we know that Egyptians were playing a form of bowling centuries ago. In Germany, back in A.D. 200, village dances and celebrations included a similar form of the game -- they rolled stones at nine wooden clubs called kegles. Bowlers in Germany are sometimes still referred to as "keglers." Bowling was recorded in England as early as the 1100s. In the Netherlands people took up a related game, and it was the Dutch who introduced the sport to America in the 1600s -- it was called Dutch pins. In what is now New York City, Dutch residents bowled in a section of the city still known as "Bowling Green."

In America the game became very popular. But people began to gamble on the sport, and for a while it was looked on as an evil event. The state of Connecticut outlawed "bowling at nine pins," as it was described. To get around that law, residents added an additional pin and this was the beginning of the 10-pin game played today! By the mid-1900s, the sport was once again an accepted form of family recreation.

The American Bowling Congress, which was organized in 1895, established standard playing rules and regulations.

The American Bowling Congress (ABC)
As bowling became more and more popular, it became apparent that a standard set of rules and regulations had to be established. Most bowling alleys did not have a standard for pin weight,size, ball weight/size and lane dimensions. This obviously caused several problems when people bowled in more than one house. The American Bowling Congress a for profit, non-governmental institution was established in 1895 to standardize the bowling industry.

To "enforce" these standards in all houses, the ABC sanctioned (inspected and approved) all houses that met the new rigid standards. This sanctioning allowed the bowling establishments to form ABC sanctioned leagues and hold ABC sanctioned tournaments. The importance of this was not trivial. The ABC provided varying levels of awards and recognition for excellence which, until the establishment of the ABC, was not widely available to the average bowler. These awards, especially the coveted 300 patch and ring because highly prized and sought after by bowlers. The percentage of unsanctioned leagues started to drop dramatically.

Additionally, the ABC provided strict yet flexible rules and regulations for league play and tournament play. This helped establish common ground rules in all sanctioned events. The ABC also established a governing board that was the final authority in any league rule disputes. Today, the ABC has over 2.9 million members bowling in literally thousands of leagues all over the United States and selected countries throughout the world. Membership to the ABC is usually provided through your local league and mandatory in ABC sanctioned events. Membership is good for one year and includes summer leagues in the year membership.

An interesting side note is that during the league season of 1990-1991 there were 14,192 sanctioned 300 games by ABC members, while during the 1961-62 season (the earliest statistics 300's were kept), there were only 790 sanctioned 300 games. Ironically in 1962 there were 11,476 bowling centers, and according to the ABC, in 1992, the number had dwindled to 7,904.

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)
The Professional Bowlers Association was established in 1958 by founder Eddie Elias. When the PBA was founded, there were only 33 members. Today, that number has grown to almost 3500. Additionally, there are 700 members on the PBAs senior tour.

The PBA was formed to promote the status of the qualified bowler to the rank of prefessional and to promote bowling to the status of a major sport. Additionally, it was formed to promote the sport of bowling and to allow the bowler to gain employment through bowling. Additionally the PBA provides its members a retirement plan, life insurance, a benevolent fund for the relief of deserving members to institute welfare and retirement and pension programs.

To gain membership into the PBA, a prospective applicant must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Be a male (females have similiar guidelines for the LPBA) who has received their high school diploma or are over the age of eighteen residing any place in the world who can qualify under the terms outlined by the PBA.
• Obtain a PBA membership application form which must be filled out by the applicant and endorsed by the Regional PBA Representative OR obtain the endorsements of three PBA members in good standing AND the Regional Director. In lieu of the Regional Representative or three members, the applicant may have the Regional Director sign the application. If it is geographically impossible to obtain any of the above, or in cases of extreme emergencies, the Commissioner has the right to endorse the application.
• All applications must be accompanied by letters of character reference from three reputable individuals in the community.
• A 8" x 10" black and white photo.
• Certified copy of a birth certificate or other proof of age deemed acceptable by the Commissioner.
• Must have 190 average or higher in a league of reasonable repute for the last two consecutive complete seasons (a minimum of 66 games per season), which must be verified by the local ABC secretary (NOT league secretary).
• All supporting documentation is mailed to the Regional Director, accompanied by the initiation fee of $150.
• If the application is accepted for membership, the new member MUST attend PBA members school within one year ($150 non refundable registration fee required).
  

Once the application is received, the Regional Director will review the application for completeness and accuracy and forward the applicaton and initiation fee to the Commissioner who in turn will mail a synopsis of the applicant to all Executive Board members and the Regional representatives.

The Executive Board members will vote "YES", "NO" or "Don't Know" on the applications and mail the response to the Commissioner. If the tabulated votes show three or more negative votes, the applicant will be rejected and the commissioner will notify the applicant.