Electronic scorekeepers, introduced in the 1970s, have become prevalent in bowling alleys, and modern bowlers no longer need to keep track of their own scores. But some older bowling alleys may not have updated equipment, and computers occasionally make mistakes, requiring bowlers to correct their scores. Each of the 10 frames in a bowling game is represented by a box on the scoresheet, each of which contains a smaller box in the upper-right corner. Keeping score in bowling is fairly straightforward if the bowlers are unable to knock down all 10 pins in a frame. Bowlers who earn strikes and spares, called marks, receive additional points for their achievements, complicating the scoring process.
Basic Scoring
Step 1
Write the number of pins knocked down with the first ball in the upper-left corner of the box for the frame if the throw was not a strike.
Step 2
Circle or place an "S" to the left of this number if the first throw resulted in a split--an arrangement in which there is a gap between standing pins.
Step 3
Write the number of pins knocked down on the second throw in the small box in the upper-right corner for the frame if there are still pins standing after the second throw.
Step 4
Place an "F" in the appropriate space if the bowler earns a foul on the first or second throw. Do not award the player any points for pins knocked down on a foul ball, which occurs if any part of the bowler's body touches or extends past the foul line.
Step 5
Add the numbers and write the total in the large space in the bottom of the frame. Proceed to the next frame.
Step 6
Score each subsequent frame by adding the pins knocked down in the current frame to the total written in the previous frame.
Scoring a Spare
Step 1
Write the number of pins knocked down by the first ball in the upper-left corner of the frame.
Step 2
Place a slash in the small box in the upper-right corner if the bowler knocks down the remaining pins with the second ball, earning a spare. Proceed to the next frame.
Step 3
Add the number of pins knocked down with the first ball in the next frame to 10 and write that number in the large space of the box for the frame in which the spare was scored.
Step 4
Complete the frame following the spare and score the pins earned there as normal according to the appropriate rule for marks or markless frames.
Scoring a Strike
Step 1
Place an "X" in the small box in the upper-right corner of the frame if all the pins were knocked down on the first throw. Proceed to the next frame.
Step 2
Add the total number of pins scored in the bowler's next two throws to 10 and write that number in the large space in of the frame where the strikes was scored.
Step 3
Score the two throws that followed the strike according to the appropriate rules above.
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