How to Keep Score in Bowling: Strikes, Spares and 10th Frame
How to keep score in bowling? A game has 10 frames and you get up to two balls per frame. An open frame scores the pins you knock down. A strike (all 10 pins on the first ball) scores 10 plus the pins from your next two balls, and a spare (all 10 pins with two balls) scores 10 plus the pins from your next ball. Add each frame to the running total; a perfect game is 300.
Below we walk through the symbols on a score sheet, a full worked example, the 10th frame and how to score a game by hand. Bowling in a league? Our men's vintage bowling shirts can carry your team name.
How to keep score in bowling: the basic rules
Country Club Lanes sums the rules up simply: "A game of bowling consists of 10 frames. You have 2 chances per frame to knock down all the pins." If you knock down 4 pins and then 5 more, that frame is worth 9 (Country Club Lanes, How To Keep Score).
- Open frame: you leave at least one pin standing after two balls. Score = pins knocked down.
- Spare: all 10 pins with two balls. Score = 10 + the pins on your next ball.
- Strike: all 10 pins on the first ball. Score = 10 + the pins on your next two balls.
Because strikes and spares borrow from later balls, you often cannot write a frame's total until one or two more balls have been rolled.
Bowling score sheet symbols
| Mark | Meaning | How it scores |
|---|---|---|
| X | Strike | 10 + next two balls |
| / | Spare | 10 + next ball |
| - (dash) | Miss, no pins on that ball | 0 for that ball |
| Number (1–9) | Pins knocked down | Face value |
| F | Foul (crossing the foul line) | 0 for that ball |
| Circled number | Split left after the first ball | Scored like any other ball |
A worked example: scoring a full game
Here is a sample game, ball by ball, with the running total.
| Frame | Balls | Frame score | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X | 10 + 7 + 3 = 20 | 20 |
| 2 | 7 / | 10 + 9 = 19 | 39 |
| 3 | 9 - | 9 | 48 |
| 4 | X | 10 + 10 + 8 = 28 | 76 |
| 5 | X | 10 + 8 + 1 = 19 | 95 |
| 6 | 8 1 | 9 | 104 |
| 7 | 6 / | 10 + 10 = 20 | 124 |
| 8 | X | 10 + 6 + 2 = 18 | 142 |
| 9 | 6 2 | 8 | 150 |
| 10 | X 9 / | 10 + 9 + 1 = 20 | 170 |
Notice frame 1: you wait for the two balls in frame 2 (7 and 3) before you can write 20.
How do you score a strike in bowling?
Write an X and leave the total blank. After your next two balls, add them to 10. Two strikes in a row are a "double" and three are a "turkey". A turkey frame is worth the maximum of 30, because 10 + 10 + 10 = 30.
How do you score a spare?
Write the first-ball count, then a slash. After your next ball, add it to 10. A spare followed by a strike is worth 20; a spare followed by a gutter ball is worth just 10.
How does the 10th frame work?
The 10th frame gives bonus balls so strikes and spares can be completed. Per Country Club Lanes: "If you get a spare in the 10th frame, you get 1 more ball. If you get a strike in the 10th frame, you get 2 more balls." If the frame is open, you get no extra ball and the game ends. That means the 10th frame can have up to three balls, and a perfect game is 12 strikes in a row: 300.
How to keep score in bowling by hand
Most centers score automatically, but knowing the math helps you check the screen, play backyard or kids' games, and plan the spare you need to win.
- Draw 10 boxes with a small box in the top corner of each (three small boxes in frame 10).
- Write each ball in the small boxes: a number, X, / or -.
- Fill in an open frame's total right away.
- For a spare, wait one ball; for a strike, wait two balls, then write the total.
- Always add to the running total from the frame before.
What is a good bowling score?
"Good" depends on your level, but the math shows where points come from. Spares matter more than most new bowlers think: a game with a spare in every frame and 5 pins on each bonus ball scores 150 without a single strike, while ten open 9-pin frames score only 90. Want more strikes? Read how to bowl a strike, and brush up on bowling etiquette before league night.
Match shirts for league night
A team in matching shirts is easy to spot on a busy center floor. Shopwada bowling shirts come in styles such as men's and women's polos and quarter-zips, with custom names; styles, sizes and prices vary by design, so check each product page. Shop men's vintage bowling shirts.
FAQ
How do you keep score in bowling for beginners?
Add the pins for each frame. A spare is 10 plus your next ball, a strike is 10 plus your next two balls, and you keep a running total over 10 frames.
How many points is a strike worth?
A strike is 10 points plus whatever you knock down on your next two balls, so one strike can be worth from 10 to 30 points.
What is the highest score in bowling?
The highest score is 300, a perfect game of 12 strikes in a row, including both bonus balls in the 10th frame.
What does a dash mean on a bowling score sheet?
A dash means a miss: no pins were knocked down on that ball, so it scores zero.
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