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Scoring High scores are the goal in bowling. Athletes must be able to recognize bowling scoring symbols and have a general understanding of how bowling is scored. Automatic scoring equipment, in most cases, has eliminated the need for manual scoring and made the job of keeping score easy.   Teaching Scoring A game consists of 10 frames.  Each frame is added together to get the score of the game.  A traditional series is composed of three games. The double-box system is displayed and is used for scoring each frame. The number of pins knocked down with the first delivery is shown in the left box of each frame. The pins knocked down on the second delivery, if any is shown in the right box. When a bowler fails to knock down all the pins in one frame with two deliveries, it is called a miss. The symbol for a miss is a "-." When a bowler knocks down all the pins in one frame with two balls, it is called a spare. The symbol for a spare is a "/." When a bowler knocks down all the pins in one frame with one ball, it is called a strike. The symbol for a strike is an "X." Three strikes in a row are called a "turkey." When a bowler comes in contact with the foul line or any portion of the lane or structure beyond the foul line, it is charged as a "foul" and no pins are counted for that delivery. If the foul occurs on the first ball, the pins are set for the second delivery, and zero pins are counted for that delivery. The bowler then gets one ball to knock all 10 pins down. If all 10 pins are knocked down on the second delivery, it is counted as a spare. Splits are pins left standing after the first ball is delivered with a pin or more gap between them. It is not considered a split if the headpin (number 1 pin) is left standing.   Key Words Frame Series Miss Spare Strike Turkey Foul Split   Coaches' Tips for Scoring — At-a-Glance Tips for Practice For most of your athletes, a general understanding of how scoring is done is all that is needed. For those athletes whose ability will permit them to learn to keep score, you can refer them to your national or international rulebook or one of many books on bowling available in bookstores or libraries.

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