Home / Technique / Oil Pattern Library
Reference
PBA oil pattern library
These are the named patterns that PBA Experience leagues bowl on. For each one you get its length from USBC and the board where the Rule of 31 says your ball should leave the oil.
| Pattern | Set | Length | Length group | Exit board | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf | Animal | 32 ft | Short | 1 | Open |
| Cheetah | Animal | 33 ft | Short | 2 | Open |
| Del Ballard Jr. | Hall of Fame | 34 ft | Short | 3 | Open |
| Viper | Animal | 36 ft | Short | 5 | Open |
| Johnny Petraglia | Hall of Fame | 37 ft | Medium | 6 | Open |
| Mike Aulby | Hall of Fame | 38 ft | Medium | 7 | Open |
| Chameleon | Animal | 39 ft | Medium | 8 | Open |
| Don Carter | Hall of Fame | 39 ft | Medium | 8 | Open |
| Don Johnson | Hall of Fame | 40 ft | Medium | 9 | Open |
| Bear | Animal | 41 ft | Medium | 10 | Open |
| Marshall Holman | Hall of Fame | 41 ft | Medium | 10 | Open |
| Chris Paul | Other | 42 ft | Medium to long | 11 | Open |
| Mark Roth | Hall of Fame | 42 ft | Medium to long | 11 | Open |
| Scorpion | Animal | 42 ft | Medium to long | 11 | Open |
| Earl Anthony | Hall of Fame | 43 ft | Long | 12 | Open |
| Billy Hardwick | Hall of Fame | 44 ft | Long | 13 | Open |
| Carmen Salvino | Hall of Fame | 44 ft | Long | 13 | Open |
| Dick Weber | Hall of Fame | 45 ft | Long | 14 | Open |
| Dragon | Animal | 45 ft | Long | 14 | Open |
| Shark | Animal | 48 ft | Long | 17 | Open |
Exit board = length in feet minus 31, counted from the gutter on your throwing-hand side. Lengths are from USBC's PBA Experience page. Length groups follow USBC's "Reading The Lane" guide.
How to read the table
A pattern's length is how far down the 60-foot lane the oil reaches, measured from the foul line. Past that point the lane is dry, and that is where the ball grips and turns toward the pins. Length is the number the Rule of 31 runs on.
The exit board column applies the Rule of 31 from USBC's Reading The Lane guide. You subtract 31 from the length, and the answer is the board where your ball should leave the oil. USBC's own example is a 40-foot pattern: 40 minus 31 gives board 9. Boards count from the gutter on your throwing-hand side, so board 9 for a right-hander is board 9 for a left-hander too, just on the other side of the lane. To work out any length, use the breakpoint calculator.
Short, medium and long patterns
USBC's guide sorts patterns into three groups by length:
- 36 feet and shorter: breakpoints tend to sit closer to the gutter. Wolf, Cheetah, Viper and Del Ballard Jr. fall here.
- 37 to 42 feet: breakpoints usually fall between boards 8 and 12. Most of the Hall of Fame set is in this range.
- 42 feet and longer: breakpoints move toward the pocket, around boards 13 to 16. Dragon, Shark, Dick Weber and Carmen Salvino are the long end.
The two guides don't always agree. For a 38-foot pattern the Rule of 31 gives board 7, while the medium range starts at board 8. Both are starting points. USBC says it plainly: "Nothing is definite." Throw a shot, watch where the ball turns, and move from there. Our lane play guide covers the moves.
Why other sites list different lengths
If you search for these patterns you will find some of them listed at other lengths. Some sites give Cheetah as 35 feet, Viper as 37 and Shark as 44. This table uses the lengths on USBC's PBA Experience page. If your league or tournament publishes a pattern sheet, go by that sheet.
Where to see the full pattern sheet
A pattern is more than its length. The full sheets for these patterns, from Kegel, Brunswick and AMF, are linked from USBC's PBA Experience page. The sheets carry the full detail. This table covers length, because length is what the Rule of 31 runs on.
Sport patterns and your house shot
USBC says PBA Experience leagues "use the same oil patterns on which the PBA Tour bowlers compete." That makes them sport patterns, not the house shot most centers put out for open play. A house shot keeps more oil in the middle and leaves the outside drier, which steers a missed shot back toward the pocket. USBC's Sport Bowling program sets a 3:1 ratio requirement, and the pattern is checked against it before competition. Our oil patterns guide explains house and sport patterns in depth.
Which pattern is on my lanes?
Ask the front desk or your league secretary which pattern is out. A PBA Experience league will name it. If nobody can give you a length, read your ball: where it starts to hook tells you roughly where the oil ends.
Common questions
How long is the PBA Shark pattern?
USBC's PBA Experience page lists Shark at 48 feet, the longest of the eight animal patterns. The Rule of 31 puts the exit point around board 17.
What is the shortest PBA animal pattern?
Wolf, at 32 feet on USBC's list, followed by Cheetah at 33 feet. On patterns this short the Rule of 31 points to boards 1 and 2, right at the edge of the lane.
How do I use a pattern's length to pick a target?
Subtract 31 from the length in feet. The answer is the board where your ball should leave the oil. A 40-foot pattern gives board 9. USBC calls it a starting guideline, so adjust from what your ball does.
Which oil pattern is on my lanes tonight?
Ask the center's front desk or your league secretary. PBA Experience leagues use these named patterns, and the full pattern sheets are linked from USBC's PBA Experience page.
Sources: USBC, PBA Experience information, patterns (pattern names and lengths); USBC, Reading The Lane (Rule of 31, length groups, breakpoint ranges); USBC, Sport Bowling pattern calculations (3:1 ratio compliance). All checked 21 October 2026.