How to score bowling
A game is ten frames. You get two balls a frame to knock down ten pins, and strikes and spares earn bonus pins from the balls that follow. That bonus is the only tricky part, and it's easier than it looks.
The three kinds of frame
| Frame | Mark | What it's worth |
|---|---|---|
| Strike: all ten pins on the first ball | X | 10, plus the pins from your next two balls |
| Spare: the rest of the pins on the second ball | / | 10, plus the pins from your next one ball |
| Open frame: pins still standing after two balls | a number | Just the pins you knocked down |
A dash (-) on the scoresheet means a ball that knocked down nothing. A gutter ball is scored the same way.
Why a strike's total waits
When you throw a strike, its value depends on what you do next, so the scoreboard leaves that frame blank until your next two balls are in. A spare waits for one more ball. That's why the running total often lags a frame or two behind where you are.
The 10th frame
- Strike on the first ball: the pins are reset and you throw two more balls.
- Spare: the pins are reset and you throw one more ball.
- Open frame: the game ends after two balls.
Those extra balls only count toward the 10th frame. That's why the 10th frame has three boxes, and why a perfect game takes 12 strikes in a row.
A full game, worked out
Here is a real-looking game of 172, frame by frame.
| Frame | Balls | How it's scored | Frame | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X | 10 + next two balls (7 and 2) | 19 | 19 |
| 2 | 7, 2 | Open: 7 + 2 | 9 | 28 |
| 3 | 9, / | 10 + next ball (a strike, 10) | 20 | 48 |
| 4 | X | 10 + next two balls (X, 8) | 28 | 76 |
| 5 | X | 10 + next two balls (8, 1) | 19 | 95 |
| 6 | 8, 1 | Open: 8 + 1 | 9 | 104 |
| 7 | 6, / | 10 + next ball (a strike, 10) | 20 | 124 |
| 8 | X | 10 + next two balls (0, 9) | 19 | 143 |
| 9 | -, 9 | Open: 0 + 9 | 9 | 152 |
| 10 | X, 9, / | Strike, then two bonus balls: 10 + 9 + 1 | 20 | 172 |
Check it yourself: type those balls into the bowling score calculator.
Scores worth knowing
- 300: twelve strikes in a row, a perfect game.
- 190: 9 and a spare in every frame, with a 9 on the last bonus ball.
- 90: 9 pins and a miss in every frame, no marks at all.
- Turkey: three strikes in a row. Four is a "four-bagger", and so on.
- Clean game: a strike or spare in all ten frames, with no open frames.
Common questions
Is a strike in the 10th frame worth 30?
Only if both bonus balls are strikes too. The 10th frame is simply the sum of its balls: X, X, X is 30; X, 9, / is 20; X, 7, 2 is 19.
What about "current frame" scoring?
Some international events use a newer system where a strike is worth a flat 30 and a spare 10 plus the first ball's pins. Almost every league and bowling center uses the traditional scoring described on this page, and so does StrikeKeeper.
Does a foul count?
A foul ball scores zero pins, even if pins fell. It's marked F on the sheet.