FOUL RULES

FOUL LINE RULE: A player in delivering the ball must not let his action cause him to slide over, step on or over the foul line, nor permit any part of his body or clothing to come in contact with the lanes, gutters, ball returns, division boards, walls, uprights or floors which are beyond the foul line, at any time after the ball passes over and beyond the foul line, nor until he shall have picked up a ball and completed his succeeding delivery, under penalty of foul. (See foul line and lob line penalty).
     a. Any object which falls from the pocket or person of a bowler shall not constitute a foul.
     b. Bowlers are not allowed beyond the foul line under any circumstances.
     c. When a bowler, while in possession of a ball accidentally fouls while taking a practice slide, the bowler will lose that ball. The penalty is the same as the foot foul rule.

LOB LINE RULE: Bowling is a game of rolling, not throwing balls. Any ball that does not, in its forward motion, touch the playing area before the lob line, shall be considered a lobbed ball and shall suffer the foul penalty. See foul line and lob line penalties below. Note continuous infractions of this rule will result in disqualification.

FOUL LINE AND LOB LINE PENALTIES are the same as for gutter balls.

CLEARED GUTTERS: Both gutters must be cleared of any pins or balls before the first ball is delivered in any frame. The penalty is the same as if the first ball is a foul.

DELIBERATE FOULS:
    a. Any bowler who deliberately commits a foul shall score a zero for the frame in which the infraction occurs. If the bowler is working on a mark and deliberately fouls on bonus balls, the mark will remain but he or she receives a zero on the mark and a zero on the frame which he or she is working.
     b. Any bowler who deliberately rolls two balls simultaneously will score a zero for the frame. If a bowler is working on a mark and deliberately fouls on bonus balls, the mark will remain but he or she receives a zero on the mark and a zero on the frame on which he or she is working.

BOWLER ABUSING THE EQUIPMENT or premises shall be warned and if a second offense occurs, the bowler shall be penalized under the DELIBERATE FOUL.

IF DELIBERATE FOUL RULE infractions keep occurring, the bowler involved will be disqualified.

PINSETTER IN MOTION: No ball shall be delivered before the setting machine has completed its cycle. Penalty shall be the same as GUTTER BALLS.

FOOT FOULS: In any case where electric foul light units are not available or become inoperative during a match, a competent foul line judge, seated at the foul line (one for every eight lanes) must be employed for the remainder of the event. (rev. 6-7-2005)