Duckpin Bowling
Miniature bowling — three tiny 12 cm balls per frame at ten short, squat duckpins on a standard lane.
👥1 per team🌤indoor
What is Duckpin Bowling?
Duckpin bowling uses a full-length standard lane with ten short, squat pins (about 24 cm tall) and small handheld balls (12 cm diameter, no finger holes). Each player bowls three balls per frame instead of two. The sport survives regionally in New England and the mid-Atlantic USA, with the NDBC crowning national champions.
Quick facts
Category
Precision Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
Early 1900s Baltimore, Maryland (John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson)
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified