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What is the mark called when you throw two balls to knock down all ten pins?

Author

Rachel Ellis

Published Jan 21, 2026

Strikes and Spares Knocking down all ten pins on your first ball is called a strike, denoted by an X on the score sheet. If it takes two shots to knock down all ten pins, it's called a spare, denoted by a (/).

What is it called when you knock down all ten pins with only one ball?

• If you knock down all the pins with the first ball, it is called a "strike" • If you knock down all the pins with the second ball, it is called a "spare" • Each games consists of ten frames.

What is it called when you get all 10 pins down on your second roll?

A "spare" is awarded when no pins are left standing after the second ball of a frame; i.e., a player uses both balls of a frame to clear all ten pins. A player achieving a spare is awarded ten points, plus a bonus of whatever is scored with the next ball (only the first ball is counted).

What is it called when you knock all the pins down?

Strike. When the bowler knocks down all ten pins with the first delivery of the ball it is called a strike. Your score goes up by ten, but like a spare, you get a bonus - your next two deliveries are added to the score.

What is throwing the ball in bowling called?

In bowling, throwing the ball is called delivering the ball. To deliver a ball, step up to the lane, aim, start with your non-dominant foot and take 3 steps forward while swinging your arm in a smooth arc.

22 related questions found

Why are 3 strikes called a turkey?

At some point (no one knows the exact first instance), one tournament decided to give away a turkey to people who managed to bowl three strikes in a row. This practice spread and eventually embedded itself in common bowling vernacular, long after giving away actual turkeys stopped.

What does the S mean in bowling?

An “O” around a number indicates the pins that were left standing after the first roll were in a “split” formation, though you can also use an “S” before the number to indicate a split formation. The numbers. Most of the scoring done in a game of bowling involves adding the number of pins knocked down in each frame.

Is 200 a good score in bowling?

Yes, bowlers are still considered pretty good if they average 200, but that isn't the major league level. Maybe double or triple A. Looking back to the 2006-07 season of the roughly 7,900 averages in the local Central Connecticut Bowling Association, 980 were over 200 and 156 topped 215.

What are 5 strikes in a row called?

BAGGER (SUCH AS FIVE BAGGER)

A string of strikes; i.e., five bagger is five in a row.

Why is it called Duck bowling?

Duckpin bowling legend Nick Tronsky keeps a watchful eye on the lanes at Woodlawn Duckpin Lanes. According to legend, the sport got its name because the small pins resemble the bodies of ducks in flight. Duckpin bowling balls are just the right size for small hands.

How much is a spare?

How to Score a Spare A spare is worth 10, plus the value of your next roll. Say you throw a spare in your first frame. Then, in your first ball of the second frame, you throw a 7.

Why is it called a 7/10 split?

For the uninitiated, a 7-10 split is when a bowler has knocked every single pin except for two in the back row on opposite corners. Your best bet is to throw the ball hard enough to make one ricochet into the other so that both get knocked down.

Can you bowl a 300 with a spare?

No it's impossible. It's very simple: if you get a spare, you add the pins from the next ball thrown to the current frame. If you get a strike, you count the pins from the next 2 balls thrown to the current frame.

What is 12 strikes in a row called?

A perfect game or 12 strikes in a row is also colloquially referred to as the « Thanksgiving Turkey. »

What is 11 strikes in a row called?

Rolling 10 strikes to start a game is called a Front 10, while an 11th strike is sometimes called One Day From Retirement because many amateur bowlers go their entire career without rolling 12 strikes in a single game.

What is a 300 game in bowling?

A '300' refers to the score of a bowling game, where every ball delivered knocks every pin over and results in a strike. It's a perfect game!

What is the rarest score in bowling?

The only score the history of bowling that has never been bowled is a 292." "The most difficult bowling score to get is absolutely 292, which can only be scored with 11 consecutive strikes and then a two on the last ball ... With ten standing, two is absolutely the toughest pin count to get with one ball."

What do pro bowlers make?

According to recent estimates, bowlers with a PBA membership typically make $45,000 to $50,000 a year with sponsorships not factored in. The best bowlers like Walter Ray Williams Jr. make much more that, though, with the average top pro bowlers clearing around $250,000 to $300,000 a year.

What does C mean in bowling?

Chop Off: A scoring term to describe the first ball of a frame that knocks down the headpin along with the 2 pin and 3 pin on one side. The 3 pin and 2 pin on the opposite side are left standing. It is scored as a "C" on our scoring system, however some scoring systems use the symbol "CO".

What are 3 spares in a row called?

Strikes & Spares

Two strikes in a row are called a double, three strikes in a row are called a Turkey, while four and five strikes in a row are called four/five-bagger(s) and so on and so forth.

What does Badger mean in bowling?

Badger – Once you've made a turkey, next up is a badger. A “four-badger” is four strikes in a row, a “five-badger” is five in a row, etc. Perfect Game – 12 strikes in a row is a perfect game and totals 300 points.

What is the record for the most 300 games bowled?

Twenty-five years ago today, Glenn Allison bowled three consecutive 300 games, the first to record the feat in a sanctioned league.

What is the number 1 pin called in bowling?

Head pin: The 1-pin.

What is the hardest spare in bowling?

The 7-10 split is famously the hardest shot in bowling. Most of us will never pick up the spare on a 7-10 split.