How Does Bowling Scoring Work?

Last updated on September 6th, 2023 at 04:01 pm

Bowling scoring works by awarding the player for every pin they knock down with the ball. So, if you knock down all six pins with your first ball, you receive six points. Meanwhile, if you knock down two pins with the second ball, you get two points. Each frame allows two rolls to knock down all ten points to score ten points. At the end of the game, you tally up the number of pins you knocked down after each frame to see who had the highest score.

So, how does bowling score work exactly? How do you record scores on a bowling sheet? How many points are a strike and spare in bowling, and how many points are three strikes in a row? What is a perfect score in bowling/the highest score you can get? What is the most challenging score to get in bowling, and how do you bowl 300?

Keep reading to see how does bowling scoring work for your next event!

Table of Contents

How Do you Record Scores on a Bowling Sheet?

Bowling points are scored based on the number of pins you knock down. For example, if you knock down six pins on your first roll, you will mark down six in the first box of the frame. If you hit three pins down on your second roll, you write a number three in the second box.

However, if you were to score a strike, you can mark down ten, but bowlers will typically jot down X for strikes, then you add the number of pins you knocked down with your next two hits alongside that number. If a bowler hits a spare, you will mark down a “/” and add the points from the next shot. In the tenth frame, your score would be for all the pins knocked down in the frame, as you can get awarded bonus points (bonus rolls) if you hit a spare or a strike.

Also, it is worth noting that if you roll a gutter ball, you put a zero in the box where the roll took place. For example, if you roll a gutter ball on the second roll, you put the zero in the second box under the frame where the roll took place.

How Many Points is a Strike and Spare in Bowling?

Both a strike and spare equal ten points but with each, you receive additional points. These extra points mean that if you score a strike, you then get to add the points you earned in total from the following two shots to the ten points you gained from the strike. The same principle applies to a spare, but you only add points from the next shot.

How Many Points are 3 Strikes in a Row?

You are awarded thirty points for that frame if you score three consecutive strikes. A strike is ten points, and you get to add the points from your next two rolls to that one frame, so in total, it will come out to thirty.

What is a Perfect Score in Bowling / Highest Score You Can Get?

A perfect score, also called a perfect game, is when you have a bowling score of 300. A 300 only occurs when a person rolls a strike on every frame, including three strikes in the tenth frame. With there being ten frames in a typical game, that is how you reach 300. The highest possible score in ten-pin bowling is 300 points, but in five-pin bowling, the maximum score is 450, as each strike in this version of bowling is worth 450.

According to hobbyseekers.com, an average adult bowler has a one out of 11,500 chance of bowling a perfect game. Meanwhile, professionals have much better odds of bowling a perfect game.

What is the Most Difficult Score to Get in Bowling?

The most difficult and, by default, the rarest score in bowling is 292. You need to roll 11 consecutive strikes and two on either the first or the last ball in the final frame to get this score. With ten pins in play, it can be challenging to strike two on the final attempt, making hitting a 292 almost impossible.

How to Bowl a 300 in Bowling

Bowling 300 requires you to hit nothing but strikes from the first roll. You would have to hit three strikes in each frame through the first nine frames because you are awarded the points from your next to shots. So, after the nine frames, you are at 270, then in the 10th frame, you must hit a strike on your first shot, and then a strike on the next two awarded shots you will be given for making the first strike bringing your total score to 300.

Conclusion: How Does Bowling Scoring Work?

In bowling, you earn points based on the number of pins you knock down. In ten-pin bowling, as the name suggests, there are ten pins, so the highest score you get is ten, but a caveat comes in if you score strikes and spares. If you hit a strike with your first shot in the current frame, you get ten points plus additional points from the next two shots. So, if you hit a strike, then two and three pins, respectively, on your next two shots, your frame score is 15. For a spare, the same process applies but only for the next roll.

Hitting a perfect score in bowling is challenging and has yet to be done much; it requires you to hit nothing but strikes throughout a single game, including the additional two shots awarded in the last frame giving you a total of 300 points. This number can be higher in five-pin bowling, reaching 450. Still, five-pin bowling is prominent in Canadian bowling alleys. The most challenging score to hit in bowling is 292 because the math and chances are against players.

The scoring system in bowling for beginners can take time to understand. However, the most important thing to remember is that ten-pin bowling has ten pins per frame. As long as you tally up the score after every frame, it will be easy to follow the score as the game continues. Also, if you are playing at most bowling alleys, they will display the score on the screen.