You aimed the ball right between pins one and three, and your right arm was perfectly positioned, but after you released your fingers and let the ball roll down the track, you failed to hit the strike! If this ever happened to you, you probably need to learn what a rerack is in bowling.
You’re probably wondering, “What does my failure to hit a strike have anything to do with the rerack?” and, “What is a rerack anyway?”
Don’t worry, we won’t leave you in the dark. Below, we will explain to you the many essential details about a rerack, including why and when to use one!
What is a Rerack in Bowling?
A rerack isn’t a new term at all, and it’s been used a lot of times by bowling pros and semi-pros. Interestingly, you may discover the word is also used in other sports, such as billiards and pool games. However, in this article, we will focus more on what a rerack is in bowling!
In a bowling game, we use the term rack to refer to how the pinsetter places the pins. As you may have already known, there are ten pins involved in this game, and they must be placed accurately to ensure fairness between players.
Unfortunately, the pinsetter does make mistakes sometimes, which leads to misplaced pin(s). While the inaccuracy is not always that big (it’s usually just a matter of ⅛ of an inch), it might still cause an issue. Therefore, the pins will need repositioning, which we refer to as a ‘rerack.’
How to Perform a Rerack in Bowling
There are actually several different ways to perform rerack. To start, if it’s in a practice situation, you can simply ask the bowling arena staff to do it for you. Make sure that you ask one of them nicely, and they should be happy to do it for you.
However, when it comes to a competitive situation, you should ask the referee to do it. You can tell them that there’s a problem with the lane or the pins.
After that, if they agree with you, they will ask somebody else to do the rerack. Although, there is still a chance that they’ll disagree with you.
What are the Benefits of a Rerack in Bowling?
As you may have already guessed, the main benefit of a rerack is to provide you with properly positioned pins. This will greatly improve your chance of hitting a strike because the pins are already in their default positions, you can just do what you are used to doing.
The tricky thing about a rerack is that not every player does it to address lane or pin-related issues. Most of the time, they do it so that they can have additional time to calm down their nerves or distract the opponent’s concentration, depending on the situation.
When to ask for a Rerack in Bowling?
Most leagues will allow you to have two reracks per game. According to the NCAA’s rulebook, a rerack can be done on both the first and second ball. However, to be able to do it on the second ball, a player must be able to show proof of pin misplacement or lane-related issues.
What you need to remember is that the rule above only applies to professional bowling games. Different competition levels will have different rules regarding a rerack.
Obviously, it would not be fair, and most likely not go well if you kept asking for a rerack in a casual Saturday game with friends.
How Does The Rerack Affect The Gameplay?
While waiting a few seconds until the pinsetter completes its job doesn’t sound like a big deal for most casual players, it can actually disrupt the flow of the whole game at a pro-competition level. Thus, pro leagues limit the number of allowed reracks for every game.
Consequences of Not Using a Rerack in Bowling
Not every player chooses to do a rerack since the placement error is usually not that serious to affect their gameplay. However, when the error is too significant, whether it be the pins are too wide or too tight, it’s usually best to ask for a rerack.
Remember, your performance in a bowling game is greatly dictated by your muscle memory. While it’s true that it is impossible for you to 100% replicate the same movements every time you throw the ball, having misplaced pins could greatly reduce your chances of hitting a strike.
Guidelines for Requesting a Rerack in Bowling
Before you hit the arena and apply what you’ve learned about what a rerack is in bowling, you should also learn about this one important thing: the guideline for requesting a rerack. Yes, since a rerack will always require you to get help from someone else, you should remember these things below!
- Every arena will have a different rerack policy.
- Only request a rerack when necessary, and be mindful of other fellow bowlers.
- Make sure that the misplacement of the pins is not caused by your use of an illegal ball.
- Be sure to inform the other bowler that you’re going to request a rerack.
Conclusion
Now, after reading the explanations above, what’s your opinion about “what is a rerack in bowling”? While the topic has its own share of pros and cons, it’s important for you to learn about it, whether it’s for your own good, or to keep others from manipulating your game.