Duckpin, candlepin and five-pin bowling all use small hand-held balls without finger holes and give you three balls per frame. Duckpin is played mainly in the Mid-Atlantic United States with short, squat pins. Candlepin is a New England game with tall, thin pins, and fallen pins stay on the lane. Five-pin is Canadian, uses five pins worth different points and has a maximum score of 450.
Ten-pin is the most common form of bowling, but three small-ball games are still played across North America.
At a glance
| Duckpin | Candlepin | Five-pin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Mid-Atlantic US | New England and the Maritimes | Canada |
| Ball | Small, no holes | Smallest, no holes | Small, no holes |
| Balls per frame | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Pins | 10 short, squat | 10 tall, thin | 5, scored 2-3-5-3-2 |
| Fallen pins | Cleared | Stay on the lane | Cleared |
| Perfect game | 300 | 300 (never bowled) | 450 |
Duckpin
Duckpin pins are shorter and lighter than ten-pin pins, and the ball fits in your palm. Three balls per frame make spares possible, but strikes are rarer than in ten-pin.
Candlepin
Candlepin uses tall, narrow pins and the smallest ball of all. Fallen pins (called wood) are not cleared between balls, so they can help or block your next shot. Scores well under 150 are typical even for good bowlers.
Five-pin
Five-pin uses five pins in a V, each worth points: the center pin 5, the two beside it 3 each and the corner pins 2 each, for 15 per frame. It is played mainly in Canada and is popular with youth leagues.
Equipment
You do not need a drilled ball for any of these games; centers provide them, and some bowlers buy their own. Shoes work the same way as in ten-pin; see slide and braking soles. For ten-pin, start with what to buy first.
Browse other formats and home bowling.
Common questions
Which small-ball bowling game is hardest?
Candlepin has a reputation as the hardest. The ball is small, the pins are thin and a perfect game has never been bowled.
Do duckpin balls have holes?
No. Duckpin, candlepin and five-pin balls are palmed and have no finger holes.
What is a perfect score in five-pin bowling?
450, from twelve strikes in a game where a strike is worth 15 points.
Can I bowl these games at a ten-pin center?
Usually not. They need different pins, pinsetters and sometimes lanes, so look for a dedicated center.