How Bowling Scores Are Calculated

With ten frames in each bowling game, you have two opportunities to knock down all the pins. Ideally a strike on each frame would give you the ultimate 300 game. Since very few of us will ever bowl a 300 game, I'll do my best to explain how pins carry back to frames with spare conversions, etc.

With a strike, your score increases by ten but you also get a bonus of the next two shots being added to that frame's score. When bowling consecutive strikes your score will increase dramatically. Strikes are marked on the scoreboard with an "X".

A spare is when all ten pins are downed on your "second chance" throw in a frame. A spare is marked with a "/" on the scoreboard. When a spare is thrown, the next delivered shot is added to the score on the spare frame. For example if you threw a spare on your second frame, then you hit 7 pins on your first throw on the third frame, the 7 would be added to the 10 pins (17 pins total) on the second frame. The third frame would also receive credit for the 7 pins and any additional pins that are knocked down.

The tenth and final frame allows each bowler an additional opportunity to down even more pins by giving an extra frame to those that bowl strikes or spares. If a spare is completed during the second delivery a third throw is awarded. A strike in the first or second delivery awards the bowler an additional shot as well. Below are examples of bowling scores.

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BOWLER 1

Frame    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10
Denise  7-1 5-3 6-2 7-2 9-0 0-8 2-4 5-4 2-6  6-3
Score    8    16   24  33  42  50   56   65  73   82

In this example I've omitted the strikes and spares to illustrate the basics of scoring. Each frame is totaled and added to the cumulative score.
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BOWLER 2

Frame    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10
Alex     8-0  2/  6-3  4/  7-2  8/  0/   8-0  7/   8/6
Score    8   24   33   50  59  69  87  95  113   131

For bowler 2 we're showing score spares and open frames together. The spare is scored as 10, plus the pin fall for the next ball that is bowled. This total is added to the cumulative score.

Frame 1) Count 8 pins
Frame 2) Spare (10), plus next ball (6) added to score = 24
Frame 3) Count 6 pins and add to score = 33
Frame 4) Spare (10), plus next ball (7) added to score = 50
Frame 5) Count 9 pins and add to score = 59
Frame 6) Spare (10), plus next ball (0) added to score = 69
Frame 7) Spare (10), plus next ball (8) added to score = 87
Frame 8) Count 8 pins and add to score = 95
Frame 9) Spare (10), plus next ball (8) added to score = 113
Frame 10) Add (10), plus 8 to score = 129
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Bowler 3

Frame    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10
Tiffany   X  7/   5-2  X    X    X   5/  8-1  7/  XXX
Score    20  35  43   73  95  115 133 143 163 193

Bowler 3 details how to score strikes, spares and open frames together. As previously demonstrated, a spare is scored as 10, plus the pin fall of the next ball rolled. A strike is scored as 10, plus the pin fall of the next 2 balls rolled. This total is added to the cumulative score.

Frame 1) Strike (10), plus next 2 balls (3)(7) = 20
Frame 2) Spare (10), plus next ball (7) added to score = 35
Frame 3) Count 7 pins and add to score = 43
Frame 4) Strike (10), plus next 2 balls (10)(10) add to score = 73
Frame 5) Strike (10), plus next 2 balls (10)(2) add to score = 95
Frame 6) Strike (10), plus next 2 balls (2)(8) add to score = 115
Frame 7) Spare (10), plus next ball (8) added to score = 133
Frame 8) Count 9 pins and add to score = 143
Frame 9) Spare (10), plus next ball (10) added to score = 163
Frame 10) Strike (10), Strike (10), Strike (10) = 193