SolveYourProblem Article Series: Bowling
Teach Me How To Bowl

How To Tally Bowling Scores

Tallying bowling scores may seem difficult to many people, but score keeping is as simple as adding up the number of pins each player knocks down. When bowling, each player has a turn to knock down the ten pins, and each player has two opportunities to knock them down. On the first attempt a player will bowl their ball, and knock down as many pins as possible. All of the pins that are knocked down on the first attempt are counted and recorded. In a bowling alley, a pin setter will remove the standing pins, clear the pins that are knocked down, then return the remaining pins. Then the player gets their second attempt, and any pins that are knocked down will be counted and added to the first score. The score from both attempts will be added together, then to any previous scores.

Before taking score, each player name should be written in the space provided on the score sheet. Recording a player’s score requires locating the player’s name, then writing the number of pins knocked down in the small space in the top left corner of the box for a specific frame. The number of pins knocked over on the second attempt should be recorded in the small box next to the first recorded score. The two scores from each attempt should be added together, and then recorded in the large blank space at the bottom of the box. In the game of bowling each set of ten pins is called a frame, and a complete game of bowling will be ten frames. In bowling, the object of the game is to knock over all ten pins in each frame; a high score indicates how well a player has performed.

If a player knocks down six pins on the first attempt then two pins on the second attempt, the player’s score is eight for the first frame. In the second frame, if the same player knocks down seven pins on the first attempt of the second frame, and one pin on the second attempt, then the player will have a total score of 16. There is also the possibility of bonus scoring in the game of bowling. Bonus scoring occurs when a bowler knocks down all ten pins in each frame. The bonus points will depend on whether a player knocked down all ten pins on the first ball roll or the second ball roll. Knocking down all ten pins on the first ball roll is known as a strike. Recording a strike requires marking an X for that frame; the player’s score will be the ten pins that they knocked down plus any other pins that are knocked down on the next two ball rolls.

When scoring a strike, scorekeeper must record the ten points plus the pins knocked down on the second attempt. The result of these scores should be recorded in the totals area for the frame that the strike was thrown in. After a strike, the next frame should be scored as usual. If a player bowls another strike, then ten points should be added for the first strike along with ten for the second strike, and the number of pins knocked over on the first attempt of the next frame. A player that knocks down all ten pins on the second ball roll is noted as rolling a spare.

A spare should be recorded as a / for that frame, and a player’s score will be the ten pins that were knocked over plus what they knock over on the next roll. The scores in a bowling game will continue to accumulate until each bowler plays all ten frames. If one bowler rolls a strike or spare on the 10th frame, then that bowler’s score will continue to rise as the bowler throws rolls their bonus balls. Once each player has finished the ten frames, all of their scores are added up to determine the winner.

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SolveYourProblem.com : 2008

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