Scoring Bowling
How to Keep Score
Score keeping in bowling is as simple as adding up the number of pins that you knock down. As each player takes a turn they try to knock down all ten of the pins. Each player is given up to two opportunities to do this. The player will roll their bowling ball (find a bowling ball) down the bowling alley towards the pins in an attempt to knock pins over. The pins that are knocked down on this first attempt are counted and recorded. The pinsetter at the bowling alley will remove the pins still standing, clear the leveled pins, then return the standing pins back in place.
The bowlers ball is returned and the bowler gets a second attempt at knocking the pins over. The bowler again rolls their ball down the alley to try and knock any remaining pins down. The number of pins knocked down on this second attempt is then recorded. The bowlers score is then the pins from the first roll, plus the pins from the second roll, then added to any previous score.
Basic Score Keeping
In score keeping a game of bowling each set of ten pins is called a frame and an entire game has ten frames. The object of each frame in bowling is to knock over all ten pins, and the object of the game is to have a high score.
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| In this first example (frame 1) when John rolled his first ball he knocked down 6 pins, on the second ball he knocked down 2 pins and his total score is 8 (6 plus 2). |
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| In this second example (frame 2) when John rolled his first ball he knocked down 7 pins, on the second ball he knocked down 1 pins and his total score is 16 (7 plus 1 plus 8 from frame 1). |
Bonus Scoring
When a bowler accomplishes the the goal of each frame by knocking over all ten pins they are awarded a bonus. This bonus that is awarded will depend on whether they knocked all ten pins down on their first ball roll or the second roll.
The Strike
When a bowler knocks all ten pins down on the first ball roll they are said to have rolled a strike. The score keeper will mark an X for that frame and the bowlers score is the ten pins that they just knocked down plus they get to add to that what they knock down on their next two ball rolls. Consequently, you may not know what a bowlers score is on that frame for up to two more frames!
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| In this third example (frame 3) when John rolled his first ball he knocked down all ten pins. His score is marked by placing an X in the first ball square. We still don’t know what John’s score for frame 3 is until he rolls his next two balls. |
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| In this fourth example (frame 4) when John rolled his first ball he knocked down 9 pins, on the second ball he knocked down 0 (note the dash). We can now go back and score frame three at 35 (16 from frame 2 plus ten from frame 3 plus 9 from the first ball and zero from the second ball). We can also score frame 4 at 44 (35 from frame 3 plus 9 on the first ball and 0 on the second ball) since no bonus scoring was earned in frame 4. |
The Spare
When a bowler knocks all ten pins down on the second ball roll they are said to have rolled a spare. The score keeper will mark a / for that frame and the bowlers score is the ten pins that they just knocked down plus they get to add to that what they knock down on their next ball roll. Consequently, you will not know what the bowers score is until the next frame!
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| In this fifth example (frame 5) when John rolled his first ball he knocked down 8 pins, on the second ball he knocked down the remaining 2 pins. His score is marked by placing an 8 (for the first ball) and a single slash (for the second ball) indicating the John scored a spare in frame 5. We still don’t know what John’s score for frame 5 is until he rolls his next ball. |
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| In this sixth example (frame 6) when John rolled his first ball he knocked down all ten pins (a strike). We can now go back and score frame five at 64 (44 from frame 4 plus ten from frame 5 plus 10 from the next ball thrown. We still don’t know what John’s score for frame 6 is until he rolls his next two balls. |
Scores continue to accumulate as each bowler takes turns (frames) until all ten frames have been played by each bowler. If a bowler should get a strike or a spare in the 10th frame, the bowlers scoring continues as the bowler throws their bonus shots. The bowler who throws a strike in the tenth frame must roll two additional balls to complete the score for the tenth frame. The bowler who throws a spare in the tenth frame frame must roll one additional ball to complete the score for the tenth frame.
In bowling a perfect game will score “300” pins, you roll ten strikes, one for each frame, and then two bonus shots at the end are also strikes.
