FAQ: Bowling Rules and Scoring

Bowling is a game in which a large round ball is rolled 60 feet down a wooden lane, with the goal of knocking over 10 pins arranged in a pyramid. The basic scores and rules are simple to follow and are based on the idea that each pin knocked over is worth one point.

Q: What is a foul in bowling?

A: A foul occurs when the bowler's foot crosses the foul line and steps onto the actual lane. A foul results in a score of zero for the ball, making a strike impossible. The best a player with a foul can hope for, on that frame, is a spare.

Q: How is a spare scored?

A: A spare is scored by adding the score achieved with the next ball to the previous frame. So, for example, if a spare is scored in frame eight, and six pins are knocked down with the first ball in frame nine, then the score for frame eight is 16.

Q: How is a strike scored?

A: A strike is scored by adding the score achieved with the next two balls to the previous frame. So, for example, if a strike is scored in frame eight, and six pins are knocked down with the first ball in frame nine and three pins are knocked down with the second ball in frame nine, a total score of 19 is recorded for frame eight.

Q: What is a turkey?

A: A turkey occurs when a player gets three strikes consecutively. This results in a score of thirty in the first strike frame.

Q: What is the score for a perfect game?

A: A perfect game, in which the highest possible score is earned, has a final score of 300. This is achieved by bowling 12 consecutive strikes, that is one in each frame, and two in frame ten, which allows for an additional ball.