How To Score Bowling
Ten Pin Bowling Score Calculator

by Ten-Pin-Bowling.com

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How To Score Bowling: A Bowling Score Calculator

Calculating score in a game of ten pin bowling is really not that difficult. Although you will need some fundamental math skills to calculate bowling score. Before you learn how to score bowling you should learn some basic terms used. For those that want a quick and easy method of scoring bowling. There is a link to an online ten pin bowling score calculator below. A printable bowling score sheet is available too.

Common Terms Used To Calculate Bowling Score

1. Strike = knocking all 10 pins down on the first ball rolled in a frame.
2. Spare = knocking all the remaining pins down on the second ball rolled in a frame.
3. Mark = filling the frame with ether a strike or a spare.
4. Open = pins left standing after 2 balls rolled.
5. Double = 2 strikes in a row.
6. Turkey = 3 strikes in a row.
7. 4 bagger or Hambone = 4 strikes in a row.
8. A Bagger = bagger is more that 3 strike in a row: (example: 4 bagger and so on).
9. Foul = when a bowler cross over the foul line.
10. Split = when the is a gap between pins on a spare.
11. Gutter Ball = when a bowler rolls the ball in the channel.
12. Frame = A place where you keep score on a score sheet there are 10 in a bowling game.

Basic Symbols In Bowling

1. Strike = X = In the small box
2. Spare = / = In the small box
3. Miss = - = A minus sign indicates no pins knocked down.
4. Split = O = When There's a circle around the number of pins left on the first ball means a split.
5. Foul = F = An F indicates a foul a foul's a zero in bowling.li>

Basic Fundamentals For Calculating Score In Bowling

A game of ten pin bowling consists of 10 frames. A bowler gets 2 chances to knock down all 10 pins. There are 5 things that can happen .

1. Strike - When on the first ball bowled all 10 pins get knocked down.
2. Spare - When on 2 balls bowled all 10 pins knocked get down.
3. Open - Is When The Bowler leaves pins standing after 2 balls bowled.
4. Gutter Ball - When the ball goes in the gutter and gets a zero.
5. Foul - When The bowler goes over the foul line and get a zero.

When Bowling Strike's or Spare's The Bowler's Rewarded

1. A strike's worth 10 plus the reward of the next 2 balls bowled.
2. A spare's worth 10 plus the reward of the next ball bowled.

With an open frame there is no reward. The bowler's only credited for pins knocked down in the frame they're in.

Bowling Score Sheet Example

A bowling score sheet contains 10 boxes or squares. These boxes represent 10 frames to makeup a game. Notice the right-hand corner there is a smaller box inside the 1st 9 frames. In the 10th frame they're 3 smaller boxes. The 10th frame's scored different then the first 9 frames. The 10th frame is the last frame in the game.

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Scoring A Whole Game Of Bowling

Now that we have the basics we can run through a sample game. You will see how to score bowling in the next few steps. If you are able to follow these steps frame by frame then this should be easy for you to score your own game.

The First Frame

The bowler knocks down 7 pins on their first ball and they spare (Shown in the illustration below). This is how it would look. (note: these are just examples).

Illustration Of The First Frame

Note - You can not add up the frame because this is on a spare ball. A spare is worth 10 plus the next ball.

The Second Frame

The bowler bowls a strike in the second frame. Because they had a spare in the first frame you add 10 from the strike plus the 10 pins from the spare in the first frame. It adds up like (10+10=20).

Illustration Of The Second Frame

Note - You can not add up the second frame because this is on a strike ball. A strike is worth 10 plus the next 2 balls.

The Third Frame

On the third frame 9 pins are knocked down on the 1st ball and then you miss the remaining pins on the 2nd shot and get a open frame. On the score sheet you would fill in the 9 and the - (Shown in the illustration below). Now you can add up the 2nd frame after the strike and you would add this up like this. (20+10+9=39) in the second frame. Then add the 9 from the 3rd frame and would look like this (39+9=48) so you would have a score or 48 in the 3rd frame.

Note - You can not add up the second frame because this is on a strike ball. A strike is worth 10 plus the next 2 balls.

Illustration Of The Third Frame

The Fourth and Fifth Frames

On the 4th and 5th frames you get 2 strikes in arrow and have a double. Your score sheet would look like this (Shown in the illustration below). You would put an X in the small boxes and you will get a 10 for both the 4th and 5th frames. But you can not add these up yet - because a strike is worth 10 plus your next to balls bowled.

Illustration Of The Fourth an Fifth Frames

The Sixth Frame

On the 6th frame you knock down 8 pins on the first ball and spare the second ball. You would put the 8 beside the small box and the / in the small box (Shown in the illustration below). Now you can add up the double that you had in the fourth and fifth frames and the 8 count of the sixth frame. It would add up like this. (48+10+10+8=76) in the fourth frame. Then you can add up the fifth frame and you can now add the spare from the 6th frame remember the spare = 10 and would add up like this (76+10+10=96). Once again you can not add up the 6th frame - because a spare is 10 plus the next ball bowled.

Illustration Of The Sixth Frame

The Seventh Frame

On your 7^th frame you knock down 7 pins on the first ball and miss to get a open frame on the second ball. Your score sheet would look like this (Shown in the Illustration below). Now you can add up the spare from the sixth frame plus the 7 pins of the first ball in the seventh frame. You would add it up like this (96+10+7=113) goes in the sixth frame. You would add up the 7^th frame like this (113+7=120).

Illustration Of The Seventh Frame

The Eight and Ninth Frames

On your eighth and ninth frames you get 2 strikes in arrow And have a double. Your score sheet would look like this (Shown in the illustration below). You would put an X in the small boxes and you will get a 10 for both the 8^th and 9^th frames. But you can not add these up yet - because a strike is worth 10 plus your next to balls bowled.

Illustration Of The Eight and Ninth Frames

The 10th Frame

On your first ball you knock 6 pins down. You may now add up the 8^th frame and it would look like this (120+10+10+6=146). A 146 would go in the 8th frame. Then you bowl a spare on your second ball of the 10^th frame. You can now add up the 9^th frame and would be scored like this. (146+10+10=166). And now you bowl a strike on your last ball of the 10^th frame. (Shown in the illustration below). You would add it like this (166+10+10=186).

Illustration Of The 10^th Frame.

A Perfect 300 Game

The perfect 300 game is the high game that can be bowled in bowling.

It consists of 12 strikes in a row starting in the first frame.
(Shown in the illustration below is a Sample 300 game).
By examining the score below you can see how the game is scored.

Illustration Of A 300 Game!

A Printable Bowling Score Sheet

Next Article - How to Score Bowling

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