The verb "to skittle" also means to remove all the batsman of a cricket team, usually quickly and without the loss of many runs, so that they are all out and in a precarious position (or even defeated). I doubt though that this is of any interest to you.

We have both skittles and bowling places here in Moravia. In bowling, the ball is quite heavy and has finger holes. The lane has gutters. There are ten pins set up in a triangle formation. In skittles, the ball is a little lighter and much smaller. No finger holes. No gutters on the lanes either. There are nine (or five) pins set up in a diamond formation. This is just off the top of my head; I'm a terrible bowler so I can't remember how the scoring system differs (bad memories, I suppose).

Not to be confused with Skittles (candy). Traditional lawn skittles, played in Twyning Green, England A traditional and, in this case, much battered pub game in Oundle, EnglandSkittles is an old European lawn game, a variety of bowling, from which ten-pin bowling, duckpin bowling, and candlepin bowling in the United States, and five-pin bowling in Canada are descended. In the United Kingdom, the game remains a popular indoor pub game in England and Wales, though it tends to be found in particular regions, not nationwide. A continental version is popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In Australia, other varieties of bowling are more popular, but the similar game of kegel, based on German nine-pin bowling, is popular in some areas. In Catalonia, bitlles, a local version of this game was formerly popular. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skittles_(sport)