What is the Maximum Score in a Game of Ten-Pin Bowling?
The Harold S. Truman bowling alley in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building
What is ten-pin bowling?
Ten-pin bowling is a sport, popular both competitively and recreationally, where the participants roll a bowling ball down a long, rectangular lane towards ten pins arranged in four rows in an equilateral triangle. The aim is to knock down as many pins as possible, with the best result being all ten pins knocked down with one ball.
If there any pins left standing after the first ball, the bowler gets a second attempt to knock down the remaining pins. These two attempts to knock over all of the pins are called a frame. At the end of the frame, the pins are reset and the bowler goes again. There are ten frames in a game.
If there any pins left standing after the first ball, the bowler gets a second attempt to knock down the remaining pins. These two attempts to knock over all of the pins are called a frame. At the end of the frame, the pins are reset and the bowler goes again. There are ten frames in a game.
How is ten-pin bowling scored?
In traditional scoring, the bowler scores 1 point for each pin knocked down, up to the maximum of 10 per frame. The frame is scored with the total number of pins knocked down across the two attempts. There are bonus points available if all ten pins are knocked down. This differs depending upon whether it took one or two balls to achieve this,
If all ten pins are knocked down on the first ball, this is called a 'strike'. In this instance the bowler scores 10 for the pins knocked down, plus a bonus score of the total of the next two rolls.
For example, if a strike is scored in one frame, and the bowler follows this up by bowling a 7 and then a 1 in the next frame, they would score 10 + 7 + 1 = 18 for the strike. They would still get the 7 + 1 = 8 for the next frame as well.
If a strike is also achieved in the next frame, the third bonus roll ends up being the first roll of the second frame after the strike.
For example, suppose strikes are scored two frames in a row, followed by a third frame with 5 for the first ball and 2 for the second ball. In this case the bowler would score 10 + 10 + 5 = 25 for the first strike and 10 + 5 + 2 = 17 for the second strike. The next frame just scores 5 + 2 = 7.
Three strikes in a row (known as a 'Turkey') scores 10 + 10 + 10 for the first strike.
If a strike is scored in the final frame, two further bowls are given to create the bonus points to add to the final frame's score.
If all ten pins are knocked down on the first ball, this is called a 'strike'. In this instance the bowler scores 10 for the pins knocked down, plus a bonus score of the total of the next two rolls.
For example, if a strike is scored in one frame, and the bowler follows this up by bowling a 7 and then a 1 in the next frame, they would score 10 + 7 + 1 = 18 for the strike. They would still get the 7 + 1 = 8 for the next frame as well.
If a strike is also achieved in the next frame, the third bonus roll ends up being the first roll of the second frame after the strike.
For example, suppose strikes are scored two frames in a row, followed by a third frame with 5 for the first ball and 2 for the second ball. In this case the bowler would score 10 + 10 + 5 = 25 for the first strike and 10 + 5 + 2 = 17 for the second strike. The next frame just scores 5 + 2 = 7.
Three strikes in a row (known as a 'Turkey') scores 10 + 10 + 10 for the first strike.
If a strike is scored in the final frame, two further bowls are given to create the bonus points to add to the final frame's score.
A bowling score sheet with a strike in the first frame
What about if it takes 2 bowls to score 10?
If it takes two bowls within a frame to get all the pins down, this is called a 'spare'. A spare gives a score of 10 plus a bonus of the amount scored on the next roll.
For example, if a bowler knocks down 4 and 6 in one frame followed by 1 and 5 for the next frame, they score 4 + 6 + 1 = 11 for the first frame and 1 + 5 = 6 for the second.
If a spare is scored in the final frame, the bowler gets one extra roll to aim for bonus points.
For example, if a bowler knocks down 4 and 6 in one frame followed by 1 and 5 for the next frame, they score 4 + 6 + 1 = 11 for the first frame and 1 + 5 = 6 for the second.
If a spare is scored in the final frame, the bowler gets one extra roll to aim for bonus points.
A completed score sheet featuring strikes and spares - Source: Stefan Grazer Wikimedia Commons
So what is the maximum score achievable?
The best possible result is if the player bowls strikes on each go. In this case, each frame scores 10 for the initial strike plus two more 10s for the two following strikes. This gives a total of 10 + 10 + 10 = 30 for each frame.
In this case the player will get two extra bowls at the end to allow for bonus points in frames 9 and 10. A perfect game is therefore 12 strikes (10 frames plus 2 bonus rolls) with each frame scoring 30 points for a total score of 10 × 30 = 300 points.
In this case the player will get two extra bowls at the end to allow for bonus points in frames 9 and 10. A perfect game is therefore 12 strikes (10 frames plus 2 bonus rolls) with each frame scoring 30 points for a total score of 10 × 30 = 300 points.
The maximum score achievable in ten-pin bowling is 300.
What about competitive bowling?
In competitive bowling the scoring system is simplified to make score keeping simpler for the audience. In this case a strike automatically gets 30 points, regardless of what follows, and a spare gets 10 points plus the first bowl rolled in that same frame.
For example, if a player knocks down 7 pins on their first bowl, followed up by the remaining 3 pins, they would score 10 + 7 = 17. The next frame is irrelevant to the score of the current frame.
Because scores are never dependent upon the following frame, there is no need for bonus rolls at the end, so in competitive bowling there are just 10 frames.
The maximum score remains the same as ten strikes would still score 10 × 30 = 300.
For example, if a player knocks down 7 pins on their first bowl, followed up by the remaining 3 pins, they would score 10 + 7 = 17. The next frame is irrelevant to the score of the current frame.
Because scores are never dependent upon the following frame, there is no need for bonus rolls at the end, so in competitive bowling there are just 10 frames.
The maximum score remains the same as ten strikes would still score 10 × 30 = 300.
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