How does scoring work in bowling?
Frames and open scores
A game has 10 frames. In frames one through nine, you get up to two rolls to knock down the 10 pins. If you knock all 10 down with the first roll, that is a strike. If you need two rolls, the frame's score is the pins knocked down in those two rolls.
Pins knocked down in an open frame, meaning no strike or spare, are added together. For example, 7 pins on the first roll and 2 on the second make 9 for that frame. Your running total adds each frame's score to the frames before it.
- Open frame: total of the two rolls
- Spare: all 10 pins in two rolls, scored as 10 plus the next roll
- Strike: 10 pins on the first roll, scored as 10 plus the next two rolls
- Tenth frame: extra rolls are earned for a strike or spare
Bonus points for strikes and spares
A strike or spare earns bonus pins from the rolls that follow. You cannot add the bonus until you have those rolls, so the frame total may be updated later. Strikes in a row build the score quickly, and the pattern is easy to track once you know the rule.
In the tenth frame, a strike or spare gives you extra rolls to complete the bonus. A perfect game is 12 strikes in a row, which totals 300. Scoring display can differ at some centers, but the standard rules stay the same.
Reading the scoreboard
Many scoreboards show an X for a strike and a slash for a spare. Use those symbols to check that each frame matches what you expect. If you are unsure, ask the staff at the lanes to confirm the total.
Common mistakes
- Adding the bonus pins too early, before the next rolls are thrown.
- Forgetting the extra rolls in the tenth frame.
- Confusing a spare with a strike when reading the scoreboard symbols.
