How to score bowling

On Pranab’s site

DRAFT (needs work or removal)

Each player gets 10 rounds, with 2 throws each round, and bonus throws on the 10th.

The 10th round has bonus throws if you knock down all the pins.

Round 1
10
10
Round 2
0
0
10
Round 3
0
0
10
Round 4
0
0
10
Round 5
0
0
10
Round 6
0
0
10
Round 7
0
0
10
Round 8
0
0
10
Round 9
0
0
10
Round 10
2
8
3
23
Annotated bowling score card.

For each round, the pins knocked down in each throw are marked at the top of the box for that round. In the bottom half, the score for that round is added to the score for the previous rounds.

If you’re curious about the jargon, each round is called a “frame”, and each throw is called a “roll”. I won’t use these terms, because they don’t add much to the explanation, and they’re trivial to remember over time.

Let’s get to it.

Each round is worth the number of pins knocked down, plus any bonus points for knocking down all the pins.

If you knock down all the pins in the first throw of a round, then add up the next two throws as bonus points for the current round. This is called a strike.

10
+10+2+3
2
3
+2+3
Scoring example 1 for knocking down all pins in one throw. Look at how the 2 and 3 from the next two throws in the next round is added to the current round as a bonus.
10
+10+10+4
10
+10+4+1
2
3
+4+1
Scoring example 2 for knocking down all pins in one throw. Notice how the next two throws after it are in two different rounds.

If you knock down all the remaining pins in the second throw of a round, then add the first throw from the next round as bonus points for the current round. This is called a spare.

3
7
+3+7+1
1
5
+1+5
Scoring example 1 for knocking down remaining pins on second throw. Notice how the 1 from the next round's first throw is added to the first round's score.
0
10
+0+10+3
3
2
+3+2
Scoring example 2 for knocking down remaining pins on second throw. Notice how even though they got all 10 pins in one throw, they didn't get it on the first throw, so it only adds 1 bonus throw.

On the 10th round, if you knock down all the pins, you get bonus throws to calculate bonus points. The pins knocked down in bonus throws are only for calculating the bonus points. So if you knock down all the pins in the first throw, you get two bonus throws, but if you knock down all the pins on the second throw, then you only get one bonus throw. Otherwise, you get no bonus throws.

Round 10
10
8
3
+10+8+3
Scoring example for knocking down all pins on the first throw of the 10th round. Here, the second and third throw are bonus throws to calculate the bonus points.
Round 10
5
5
3
+5+5+3
Scoring example for knocking down all pins on the second throw of the 10th round. Here, only the last throw is a bonus throw to calculate the bonus points.