Five-Pin Bowling
Canada's home-grown bowling variant — five pins with different point values, smaller ball, no finger holes.
👥1 per team🌤indoor
What is Five-Pin Bowling?
Five-pin bowling is a Canadian variant of bowling invented in Toronto in 1909. Five pins stand in a V shape; each has a different point value (2-3-5-3-2 from left to right) totalling 15 per frame. The ball is small enough to fit in the palm — no finger holes — and each player rolls three balls per frame. It is played almost exclusively in Canada.
Quick facts
Category
Precision Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇨🇦 Canada
Estimated origin
1909, Toronto (Thomas F. Ryan)
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified