Outdoor & pub games
Ten-pin bowling
- players
- 1–8
- minutes
- 45
- years
- 5+
In the box
10 skittles · Boules
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- DexterityPaper and Pencil
Where to buy it
Near you
In a shop
Within 50 km.
The basics
Knock down all ten pins in each frame, in two balls at most. All the pins with the first ball is a strike, worth 10 points plus the next two balls; in two balls, it is a spare, worth 10 points plus the next ball, and otherwise you count the pins knocked down. The game ends after the tenth frame, which gives bonus balls after a strike or a spare; the perfect score is 300.
The rules, step by step
Setup
Lane of about 18 m, 10 pins in a triangle, 10 frames
- A lane of about 18 metres, ten pins set out in a triangle.
- A game has ten frames.
How to play
2 balls per frame, Strike on the 1st ball, Spare in 2 balls
- In each frame, you have two balls to knock down all ten pins.
- All the pins with the first ball: that is a strike, and the frame ends there.
- All the pins in two balls: that is a spare.
- The tenth frame gives one or two extra balls after a spare or a strike.
Scoring
Strike 10 + 2 balls, Spare 10 + 1 ball, Maximum 300 points
- Strike: 10 points, plus the total of the next two balls.
- Spare: 10 points, plus the next ball.
- Otherwise, you simply count the pins knocked down.
- The perfect score is 300 points, twelve strikes in a row: ten frames, plus the two bonus balls of the tenth.
End of the game
End of the 10th frame
- The game ends at the end of the tenth frame.
House rules and pitfalls
Enter the running total after each frame rather than the raw pin count…
- Enter the running total after each frame rather than the raw pin count: that is how the official scoresheet is kept.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
How do you score a strike?
Knock down all ten pins with the first ball of a frame. A strike is worth 10 plus the pins from the next two balls: a good run makes the score climb very fast.
And a spare?
Knock down all ten pins in two balls. A spare is worth 10 plus the pins from the next ball only. Keeping the scoresheet means taking these carried-over bonuses into account.
How many balls per game?
Ten frames, two balls each. The tenth frame gives one or two bonus balls if you get a spare or a strike in it.
What is the foul line?
The line you must not cross when bowling: a foot over it cancels the pins knocked down with that ball.
What is the perfect score?
300: twelve strikes in a row (ten frames plus the two bonus balls of the tenth). Extremely rare, even among professionals.