The sport of bowling dates back to 3,200 B.C. and ancient Egypt. The game did not become standardized until many centuries later, but one point that has remained confusing to newcomers throughout the years has been how to score the game. With its multitude of boxes, numbers and slash marks, a bowling score sheet can look overwhelming at first. However, the game only requires good addition skills to keep score accurately.
Step 1
Familiarize yourself with the score sheet before the game begins. The sheet is divided into columns and rows. Each row is used for one player. The columns that divide each row represent the "frames," or turns, in the bowling game. Within each frame box are two smaller boxes in the upper right corner, where you will score the number of pins knocked down in that frame.
Step 2
Tally the number of pins that the bowler knocked down with her first ball. There are 10 pins standing at the beginning of a frame. Subtract the number of pins standing from 10 to determine how many pins were knocked down. Write this number in the first box in the upper right corner of the frame. If the player knocked down all of the pins, it is called a strike. Place an "X" in the first box and move on to the second frame. If the bowler hits zero pins with the ball, place a dash in the box.
Step 3
Tally the number of pins that the bowler knocked down with her second ball. Subtract the number of pins standing from the number of pins that were left standing after the first ball, and write that number in the second box in the upper right corner. If the player knocked down the remaining pins with her second ball, it is called a spare. Mark a slash from the lower left to the upper right corner of the second box to denote a spare. If the player has not bowled a spare, add the numbers in the boxes together and write the total in the large box below the ball boxes.
Step 4
If the bowler rolled a spare, add the first ball of frame 2 into the total of frame 1. A spare is worth 10 points for the frame it is bowled in. For example, if the bowler knocked down eight pins on the first ball of frame 2, frame 1 would be worth 18 points. Write the total into the largest box of frame 1.
Step 5
If the bowler rolled a strike, add the next two balls bowled into the previous frame. A strike is worth 10 points for the frame it is bowled in. For example, if the bowler knocks over eight pins with her first ball of frame 2 then picks up the spare, the total for frame 1 is 20 points. If the player bowls two consecutive strikes, you must wait for the first ball of the third frame to be bowled before you can tally the first frame's score. Write the total into the largest box of frame 1.
Step 6
Continue to add the totals for each frame together as the game progresses. Write the total score in the largest box of each frame. For instance, if the bowler scored 18 points in the first frame and knocked down eight pins total in the second frame, tally the scores and write 26 into the largest box of frame 2.
Tips and Warnings
- If a bowler throws a spare or strike in the final frame, she receives one or two extra balls, respectively, to complete the frame. The highest score you can receive in bowling is 300 points, by throwing 12 consecutive strikes.
Things You'll Need
- Pencil
- Score sheet
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