• A player will get two attempts to knock down all pins in a single frame.
• A player generally will score a point for every pin knocked down in a frame.
• If a player knocks down six pins on their first roll and one of the remaining four on their second they would have a score of seven for that frame.
• The number of pins knocked down in a frame is referred to as the “pinfall.”
• A player who rolls a ball into the gutter or fails to knock own any pins will receive a score of zero for that frame.
• In the event that pins are left standing at the end of a frame, it is referred to as an “open frame.”
• The score for each frame is added up at the end of the game to give a cumulative total. The maximum score attainable is 300.
The Scorecard
On a bowling scorecard each frame is divided into two boxes in which the individual score from each roll is recorded. The cumulative score after each frame is written underneath.
• If a player knocks down nine pins they would receive a score of “9”
• A strike is recorded on the scorecard as an “X”
• A spare is recorded on the scorecard as a “/”
• A zero is recorded on the scorecard with a “-”
• A foul is recorded on the scorecard as an “F”
• If the first roll of a frame results in a split then it is usually recorded on the scorecard by enclosing the pitfall in parenthesis. Eg – if a player knocked down eight pins and was left with a 7-9 split the first box of the frame would read “(8)”
Splits
A split is the name given to the pins left standing on the second ball in a frame if the head-pin (1-pin) was knocked down on the first delivery and either of the following two conditions are true:
• The standing pins are separated by at least one fallen pin. For instance, if the 7-pin and 9-pin were left standing, there would be a 7-9 split.
• At least one pin is down immediately ahead of two or more standing pins, for instance a 5-6 split.
The hardest shot in bowling is generally considered to be the ‘Goal Posts’ which is the 7-10 split. This is because of the distance between the two pins. The shot must be so precise so that it hits the outside of the pin with enough power and accuracy that it deflects across the lane to knock down the other.
There are 459 possible split combinations in ten-pin bowling. Some of the more common ones are:
• Baby Split: 2-7 or 3-10
• Big Ears: 4-6-7-10
• Christmas Tree: 2-7-10 or 3-7-10
• Clothesline: 1-2-4-7 or 1-3-6-10 or 7-8-9-10
• Lily/Sour Apple: 5-7-10
• Poison Ivy: 3-6-1
Strikes
If a player knocks down all ten pins on their first roll, they are awarded a strike. When a strike is achieved, a player is given ten points for the ten downed pins, plus the total of their next two rolls. For this reason the value of a strike is not known until the end of the next frame.
1. Player rolls a strike on ball one of frame one (ten points awarded)
2. Player knocks over five pins on ball one of frame two (five points awarded)
3. Players knocks down two pins on ball two of frame two (two points awarded)
4. Player earns an additional seven points for the strike in frame one
5. The total pinfall for frame one is 17 (10 +7). The total pinfall for frame two is 7
6. After two frames the player has 24 points
For larger points, players must score multiple strikes in a row. Two consecutive strikes are referred to as a “double,” while three strikes in a row are referred to as a “triple” or a “turkey.” A perfect game (12 strikes in a row) is referred to as a “Thanksgiving Turkey.”
1. Player rolls a strike on ball one of frame one (ten points awarded)
2. Player rolls a strike on ball one of frame two (ten points awarded)
3. Player rolls a 3 on ball one of frame three (three points awarded)
4. Player earns an additional 13 points for the two rolls after the first strike
5. Player rolls a 4 on ball two of frame three (four points awarded)
6. Players earns an additional seven points for the two rolls after the second strike
7. The total pinfall for frame one is 23, frame two pinfall is 17, frame three pinfall is 7
8. After three frames the player has 47 points
Spares
If a player knocks down all ten pins in a frame after two rolls, they are awarded a spare, which earns the player ten points for the ten pins that have been knocked over as well as the score of their next roll.
1. Player rolls a six on ball one of frame one (six points awarded).
2. Player rolls a four on ball two of frame one (four points awarded).
3. Player rolls a seven on ball one of frame two (seven points awarded)
4. Player earns an additional seven points for the roll after the spare
5. Player rolls a gutter ball on ball two of frame two (zero points awarded).
6. The total pinfall for frame one is 17 (6 + 4 + 7). The total pinfall for frame two is 7
7. After two frames the player has 24 points
Scoring consecutive spares works in the same way as strikes. In the example above, if the player had knocked over the remaining three pins in the second shot of frame two to secure a second spare, they would receive ten points for frame two, plus the score from the first shot of frame three as a bonus.
Extra frame
In the tenth and final frame, players who roll a strike or a spare will receive bonus shots. If a player rolls a strike on the first ball of frame ten, they will be entitled to two additional shots. If a player bowls a spare over two rolls in the tenth frame, they will be allowed to take one additional shot. If players roll either a strike or spare on the extra shots, they will only receive the points for pins knocked down. Therefore, in the final frame, the biggest score that can be attained with three consecutive strikes is 30 (10 + 10 + 10). If a player rolled a strike, then a spare on their two bonus shots, then they would earn 20 points.
A perfect game score of 300, therefore, is made up of 12 consecutive strikes.
To date Zara Glover, the UK’s number one female player has enjoyed four perfect games. In 2006, Elliot John Crosby became the youngest ever bowler in Britain to roll a perfect game, at the age of 12 years and two months.
Now you know how it all works why not try for yourself to see if you can emulate Zara in the bowling alley with your own perfect score or some 'Thanksgiving Turkeys.'
