Scoring
Ok! Now some basic lessons on how to score the game and why.
Some may ask why do we need to know this?, our center uses computers to do this for us. Well although a lot of centers use a computer to score not all of them do and a basic understanding of how is worthwhile if only to check that someone who says "I know how" does actually know how. Plus that and one regulation does state that a sanctioned competition should be manually scored as well, after all we all know a computer isn't foolproof and errors have been seen, although rare. Most errors will occur, not from the addition, but because the sensors at the pin deck have miscounted the amount of pins actually on there, maybe because one has moved off spot and is hidden by another. OK lets look at a scorecard
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What you see are a set of numbers within boxes with a few other symbols that maybe you haven't seen before. Lets go through this frame by frame.
Frame 1, well it would seem we didn't find a good line and only scored eight with the first ball and this is recorded in the left hand of the two smaller boxes. For the second shot of the frame we only managed one of the remaining pins and this is recorded in the right hand box. We haven't got any bonuses as we don't have a spare or strike so this can be scored in the remaining area as NINE (Eight + One).
Frame 2, oops! not a brilliant first ball again only Seven, oh well, put this in the left hand box. Ah! better, managed to get the remaining three pins with the second shot, this is a Spare and is recorded in the right hand box as a Slash running from bottom left corner of the box to top right. Many people will shade the lower triangle But this is not the proper method of scoring. We can't score this yet as the spare constitutes One bonus ball score. I will go into this at the end.
Frame 3, Ah! a better first ball this gets nine. Record again in the left hand box and now we can score the second frame. We got all Ten pins so it is Nine + Ten + Nine (The bonus ball score) = Twenty Eight. Second ball again gets the remaining pin so again we record a spare in the right hand box. Again we can't score due to the bonus.
Frame 4, Ok got that line sorted and we knocked them all down with the first ball, a Strike, and this is recorded in the left hand box with a cross. We can't score this frame as a strike will get you Two bonus ball scores, but we can score the previous frame and this is Twenty Eight + Ten + Ten (the strike) = Forty Eight.
Frame 5, Oops! A new symbol appears here, we didn't put a good first ball in and we left two pins which look like a split but one of the two remaining is the Head (Number 1) Pin, this means it is NOT a split but is called a washout and is depicted with a 'W' above the frame box. The second ball missed both remaining pins and is recorded with a dash in the second box. We can now score the 4th frame which is Forty Eight + Ten + Eight (Eight + Zero) = Sixty Six and now the 5th Frame Sixty Six + Eight = Seventy Four.
Frame 6, Got the line again and a Strike results, again the 'X' in the left box, again we can't score until we know the bonus scores.
Frame 7, Really got this sussed now and we score another Strike (A Double). Still can't score frame 6.
Frame 8, Well what do you know, another strike (a Turkey) again the 'X' in the left box. Now we can score frame 6 - Seventy Four + Ten + Ten + Ten = One Hundred and Four.
Frame 9, Oh well, it couldn't last and we get a Seven but the pins are Split apart and one is not the head pin, so now we put the seven in the left box and put a circle around this to depict the split. We can score frame 7 One Hundred and Four + Ten + Ten + Seven = One Hundred and Thirty One. Second ball and we went across the foul line, now any pins we hit are disallowed and no score recorded but we put an 'F' in the right box. (If you should do this on the first ball then no score is recorded and the 'F' goes in the left box and all Ten pins are reset for the Second ball). Score can be placed for frame 8, One Hundred and Thirty One + Ten + Seven + Zero = One Hundred and Forty Eight. and for frame 9, One Hundred and Forty Eight + Seven + Zero = One Hundred and Fifty Five.
Frame 10, OK Back to normal and a Strike This is placed in the left box (In my example 3 boxes are shown in the 10th frame, some scorecards have the normal two boxes plus a third in the end box. We can't score this as we need two bonus balls which are bowled on the same lane immediately. We got a Nine and Spare with these so scoring is One Hundred and Fifty Five + Ten + Nine + One = One Hundred and Seventy Five. If you should get a Spare in the tenth you get one extra ball not two.
Handicap, In the end box we are showing a score of 35, (Sometimes this will be in the first box - where your name goes) this is your handicap, which in most league games will be set by a formulae set by the league secretary/committee. This is then added to the final Scratch score so this game results in a final score of One Hundred and Seventy Five + Thirty Five = Two Hundred and Ten.
Recap time. Ok So the score for the first ball will always go in the left hand smaller box, the score for the second ball in the right hand small box. A Spare is recorded in the second box with a slash and a Strike recorded in the left box with an 'X'. A Split is depicted in the left box with a ring around the score (a split is when two pins or more are left and there is a pin missing between them and one of the remaining pins is not the head pin). A Washout is like a split but with the head pin present and is recorded with a 'W' above the left hand box. A Miss is depicted with a dash in the relevant box. A Spare will make the score increase by ten PLUS the next ball, a Strike will make the score increase by ten PLUS the next two balls.
Ok, A small suggestion came in to me suggesting a blank (I.E. No Totals) score card for people to try to see if they can follow this through properly so the next image is that with the ball scores filled in so can you get the correct score.?? both handicap and scratch scores please....
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