Gutter Meaning in Bowling

The gutter is a deep trench that runs along both sides of the bowling lane from the foul line to the pit. Its purpose is to catch balls that move off the playing surface and prevent them from hitting other lanes. Any ball that enters the gutter scores zero points for that roll because it cannot return to hit the pins. Beginners often use “bumpers” to cover the gutters so they can practice without losing their ball. For example the ball wobbled near the edge before finally dropping into the gutter. A gutter is the side channel that captures off-target throws and results in a zero score. The ball wobbled near the edge before finally dropping into the gutter.