Bowling
Strike, spare: the math is done.
Ball by ball, up to frame 10. A strike’s bonus waits for its next two balls: so does Matchito.
Score a gameOne ball, one number.
Enter the pins knocked down. The keypad won’t take more pins than are still standing, and the X key enters a strike or a spare. Try it!
- 10 frames per game
- 300 max
- Bonuses worked out
- Pick bowling, and name the two players.
- After each ball, enter the pins knocked down. The player finishes their frame, then it’s the other player’s turn.
- Matchito adds the bonuses as soon as the next balls are rolled, and ends the game after each player’s 10 frames.
The rules, in short.
What World Bowling’s rules say, and nothing more.
- 10
A game
A game has 10 frames, two balls each, except on a strike. In frame 10, you get a third ball if you strike or spare.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.1 - X
The strike
All 10 pins on the first ball. It’s worth 10, plus the pins from your next two balls.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.3 - /
The spare
All the pins in two balls. It’s worth 10, plus the pins from your next ball.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.6 - 300
The perfect game
Two strikes in a row make a double; three, a triple, and the first is worth 30. For 300, you need 12 strikes in a row.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.4 and 2.1.5 - F
The foul
You cross the foul line: the ball counts, but no pins are credited to you.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.8.1 and 2.8.4 - O
The split
A circled number marks a split: the head pin is down, and the pins left standing are separated by a gap.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.8
The ball, in one press.
One press on your watch or the three buttons on your earbuds opens the player’s ball: ⏮ for pink, ⏭ for yellow. The pins are entered on the phone; ⏯ undoes the last ball.
The questions people ask.
How do you keep score in bowling?
An open frame is worth its pins. A strike is worth 10 plus your next two balls, a spare 10 plus the next one. The frames add up.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.3, 2.1.6 and 2.1.7What is the highest score in bowling?
300, with 12 strikes in a row: one per frame, plus two in frame 10.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.5What does a circled number mean?
A split: after your first ball, the head pin is down and the pins left are separated by a gap.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.8How many balls in the last frame?
Two, or three if you strike or spare. That’s what lets the bonus in frame 10 be counted.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.1What happens if you step over the line?
It’s a foul. The ball counts as rolled, but none of the pins it knocks down are credited to you.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.8.1 and 2.8.4How do you score a game, frame by frame?
The example in the rules. Three strikes: the 1st frame is worth 30. The 2nd, 10 + 10 + 7 = 27, running total 57. The 3rd, 10 + 7 + 2 = 19, total 76. The 4th, 7 and 2, an open frame: 85. In the 10th, strike, strike and 8 add 28, and the game ends at 180.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.2What is a turkey?
Three strikes in a row. The rules call it a “triple”; “turkey” is everyday bowling slang with no standing in the rules.
World Bowling (IBF), Universal Playing Rules, September 2019, copy published by the ABF, 2.1.5