scoringduckpin bowling

The Basics

Duckpin bowling has rules similar to tenpin bowling. In a 10-frame game, bowlers try to knock down pins in the fewest rolls per frame. Bowlers have three balls per frame, instead of two in tenpin bowling, to knock over a set of 10 pins. If a bowler knocks down all 10 pins with their first roll in a frame, it is scored as a strike. If all the pins are knocked down in two rolls, the bowler has made a spare. If all the pins are knocked down in three rolls, it is scored as a ten, as in candlepins, with no bonus. If pins are still standing after the third ball, the bowler gets one point for each pin knocked down.

In the case of a strike, the bowler gets 10 points plus the total number of pins knocked down with the next two balls rolled, for a maximum of 30 points. In the case of a spare, the bowler gets 10 points plus the number of pins knocked down with the next ball, for a maximum of 20 points. If it takes three balls to knock down all 10 pins, the bowler gets 10 points, with no bonus. A bowler's final score is the sum of the points earned over 10 frames (a spare or strike in the tenth frame earns one or two rolls respectively). The maximum possible score is 300 points, which is accomplished by rolling 12 strikes in a row. According to the NDBC, the official high score in a sanctioned game is 279, rolled by Pete Signore Jr. in 1992.


Video: Keeping Score in Duckpin Bowling

Learn how to keep score in duckpin bowling.


A Sample Game

Below is a sample game bowled by "Fred":

Sample Duckpin Scoring

Let's go thru this game frame-by-frame:

  • Frame 1: Fred bowled a strike! The box in the upper right is marked with an X and no score is added yet.
  • Frame 2: Fred knocked down 6 on his first ball, then 2 more on his second, then one more on his final throw. Since Fred got a strike last frame, the first two balls from this frame count towards last frame as well. So, he gets 18 (10+6+2) for the first frame and 9 (6+2+1) for the second frame.
  • Frame 3: Fred knocked down 8 on his first ball, then got the remaining 2 pins on his second ball for a spare! A slash is recorded in the upper right box and no score is put down until next frame.
  • Frame 4: Fred knocked down 6 on his first ball, then got the remaining 4 pins on his second ball for a spare! A slash is recorded in the upper right box and since he got a spare last frame, he gets 16 (10+6) for the previous frame. No score is put down in the current frame.
  • Frame 5: Fred knocked down 9 on his first ball, then missed the remaining pin on his second try, but got it on his third try. Since he got a spare last frame, he gets 19 (10+9) for the previous frame. He gets 10 (9+0+1) for the current frame.
  • Frame 6: Fred bowled a strike! The box in the upper right is marked with an X and no score is added yet.
  • Frame 7: Fred bowled another strike! The box in the upper right is marked with an X and no score is added yet.
  • Frame 8: Fred knocked down 5 on his first ball, then 3 more on his second, then one more on his final throw. Since he's had 2 strikes in a row, he gets 25 (10+10+5) for the frame where he got the first strike and 18 (10+5+3) for the frame where he got the second strike. He gets 9 (5+3+1) for the current frame.
  • Frame 9: Fred knocked down 8 on his first ball, then 1 more on his second, then one more on his final throw. He gets 10 (8+1+1) for the frame.
  • Frame 10: Fred knocked down 7 on his first ball, then got the remaining 3 pins on his second ball for a spare! A slash is recorded in the upper right box and since it's the last frame (and you always count 3 balls per frame), Fred gets one more ball.
  • Extra Count: Fred knocks down 6 on his extra ball, so he gets 16 (10+6) for the final frame.

Fred has bowled a 150 game with 3 spares and 3 strikes (spares and strikes are typically recorded in league play).

Keep in mind that ANYTHING over 100 is considered pretty good in duckpins. The game in the boxscore above is VERY GOOD. The top averages in duckpins are right around 140-150.


Spares & Strikes

During league play, records of spares and strikes are usually kept and some leagues award prizes at the end of the season for the leader in each category. Strikes are difficult to come by in duckpins, so making spares is an important part of attaining a high average in duckpins.


Highest Scores

As of March 2016, the highest single game bowled in duckpins is 279 by Pete Signore, Jr. at T-Bowl Lanes in Newington, CT on March 4, 2002. The highest single game bowled by a woman is 265 by Carole Gittings at Fair Lanes Timonium in Timonium, MD on May 6, 1973.

The highest 3 game set in duckpin bowling is 655 bowled by Jeff Pyles at Glenmont Bowl in Wheaton, MD on April 24, 1978. For women, Diane Jasper holds the record with a 586 set bowled at Suitland Bowl in Suitland, MD on June 16, 1988.

You can view all the Men's, Women's, or Mixed World Records on the NDBC website.

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