Bowling Essentials (Page 2 of 5)

1- History & Object
2- The Essentials (Scoring, Etc.)
3- Formats (Open, League, Etc.)
4- Alley diagram
5- Glossary of Bowling Terms

Game length
A bowling game consists of ten frames, or turns. During each frame, a bowler gets two chances to knock over the pins. If a bowler knocks over all of the pins on the first throw, or if the bowler has completed the second attempt, the turn is over and the next bowler is up.

Scoring
There are 3 possible outcomes for a frame: an open frame, spare, or strike.

Open frame: If any pins are left standing after the second throw, the player receives 1 point for every pin that is knocked down. For example, if Bowler #1 knocks over 6 pins on the first throw and 3 pins on the second throw, he receives a 9 for the frame. If no pins are hit down, a – is marked on the scoreboard.

Spare: A bowler that knocks over all the pins on the second throw of a frame has bowled a “spare” (marked as / on scoreboard). He receives 10 points for the spare, and, as a bonus, adds the score of the next throw to the frame. For example, if Bowler # 2 gets a spare in the 1st frame and then bowls a 6 and a 2 in the second frame, he receives 16 points in the first frame (10 points for the spare and a bonus of 6).

Strike: A bowler that knocks over all the pins on the first throw of a frame has bowled a “strike” (marked as X on scoreboard). He receives 10 points for the strike, and, as a bonus, adds the score of the next two throws to the frame. For example, if Bowler #3 gets a strike in the 1st frame and then bowls a 6 and a 2 in the 2nd frame, he receives 18 points in the 1st frame (10 points for the strike and a bonus of 6 and 2).

Below is a sample of what a scoring sheet might look like for 4 bowlers.

Knocking over many pins following a strike or spare dramatically increases a bowler’s score. The maximum score for any frame is 30 points. This occurs when 3 consecutive strikes are thrown (10 points for the first strike, and a bonus of 10 points for the second and third strikes). A perfect game is one in which 12 strikes are thrown, and is 300 points. If a bowler throws a strike or a spare in the 10th frame, he still receives his bonus throw(s).
(Note: The score for a spare or strike cannot be calculated until the next throw or two are completed. This is why the score for the frame does not immediately appear).

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