Bowling Score Calculator

A strike is when you knock down all 10 pins on your first throw in a frame. It scores 10 points plus the total pins knocked down in your next two throws. For example, a strike followed by 6 and 3 gives you 10 + 6 + 3 = 19 points for that frame.

A spare is when you knock down all remaining pins on your second throw. It scores 10 points plus the number of pins knocked down on your very next throw. So a spare followed by a 7 gives you 10 + 7 = 17 points for that frame.

A perfect game is a score of 300, achieved by throwing 12 consecutive strikes — one in each of the first 9 frames, plus three strikes in the 10th frame. It is the maximum possible score in a standard game of ten-pin bowling.

The 10th frame is special — if you throw a strike or spare, you earn a bonus throw (or two). A strike on throw 1 earns two more throws; a spare on throws 1 and 2 earns one more throw. This allows a maximum of 30 points in the final frame (three strikes).

An open frame is any frame where you fail to knock down all 10 pins in two throws — no strike or spare. The frame score is simply the total number of pins knocked down, with no bonus added.

A turkey is three consecutive strikes in a row. It's one of the most celebrated achievements for recreational bowlers. Similarly, four strikes in a row is called a 'hambone,' and six in a row is known as a 'wild turkey.'

Enter the number of pins knocked down for each throw across all 10 frames. For a strike, enter 10 for throw 1 and 0 for throw 2. For a spare, enter the pins on throw 1 then the remaining pins on throw 2 so they total 10. The 10th frame has a third throw field if you earn a bonus ball. The calculator handles all bonus scoring automatically.

The minimum score in a game of ten-pin bowling is 0, achieved by throwing every ball into the gutter (a 'gutter ball') across all 20 throws in the first 9 frames, plus both throws in the 10th frame, knocking down zero pins each time.