10+ Free Printable Bowling Score Sheets (Excel / PDF)

You will need a bowling score sheet to learn the fundamentals of scoring in the bowling game. Usually, this sheet is required by the organizers of the games and scorers. They use it to keep the records and the computations so that they can easily determine the winner of the game.

What is a bowling score sheet?

A bowling score sheet is used to keep the track of the scores in a bowling game. There may be one, two, or more players in a bowling game. In the bowling sheet, the player keeps the record of the score after each round.

The importance of a bowling score sheet:

A bowling score sheet is very useful when a tournament is organized. It is commonly used in ten pins bowling and other bowling games to keep a systematic record of the game. With the help of this sheet, the organizers of the game keeps an account of the different players and their performances. In addition, the sheet provides space to record the score of different games, cumulative totals, and more in a professional format.

The rules of bowling:

It is important that you must learn the rules of the game first before using your bowling score sheet. There is nothing complex regarding bowling. It contains ten frames and in every frame, you roll the ball twice. The aim is to try to knock all of the pins down. Let us discuss below the basics;

• Strike frame: if you succeed in knocking all of the pins down with your first roll, you score a strike.
• Spare frame: if you knock all of the pins down with your second roll, you score a spare frame.
• Open frame: After two rolls in your frame, you get an open frame in the bowling score sheet template in case you can’t knock down all of the pins.

What do you know about the bowling score sheet?

In every bowling game, a bowling score sheet is important, particularly during tournaments. To record the scores of each of the players, you use it. You can easily determine the winner of the game through the records and the computations involved in a bowling score sheet example.

Moreover, you would record the scores in a printable bowling score sheet for big games and the official tournaments. You can also display these in a digital scoreboard. The audience want to know who is leading and who the strongest competitors are as they are part of the tournament. Here are some things that explain this essential scoring sheet;

• It contains a set of columns and rows.
• One column contains the name of the players and other includes the total scores and the maximum score on the rows for each player.
• Every column consists of ten columns that describe the details of the scores they made in each round.
• Every player obtains their own score sheet. They fill up this sheet as the game progresses.
• In each round, you will count the scores on the basis of how many bowling pins the players knocked down.

How do you create a bowling score sheet?

Making a bowling score sheet allows you to keep a record of scores without any error during playing the game. Here are the steps that will help you in creating a bowling score sheet;

1. At first, use MS Excel to create a 5 pin bowling score from scratch.
2. Next, open MS Excel and give a heading ‘Bowling score sheet’ at the top. Then, under the heading generate a section to enter the name of the first player. Make a column and give it a heading ‘Player name’.
3. A section ‘Player name’ contains many rows in it so suppose the number of games played. Along with this column, there are other columns that are used to enter the score on each round. For 10 rounds, make 10 columns.
4. In each cell, generate a box to record points. To track the total score on each round create another column.
5. After creating the first score sheet of one player you can copy it and paste it below to make another score sheet. Then, save the document and edit it as you need.
6. In the end, you can print a score sheet on a single page. Furthermore, you can also make various tables and fit them all in one page and print.

How to score in bowling?

You should consider the following scoring rules while using a bowling score sheet template;

Scoring the individual frames

There is a column with empty spaces on the far-left side of the bowling scorecard. Here, you have to write the names of the players in the game. To the right of the bowling scoring card, the next columns are ten score frames. There is a number above each of the columns of your card. These numbers increasing from left to right starting with “1” and going up to “10.” Within the scorecard, tally each of the player’s scores that matches the frame they’re bowling. You should also check Yahtzee score sheets.

In the upper left box, write down the score for your first roll for that turn. In each turn, every plays obtains to bowl twice except in the 10th frame until they knock down all of the pins with their first ball.

Next, the score of the second roll is written in the upper right-hand box for the turn. Add your score to the card after rolling for the second time. You have to ensure that you only note down the number of pins you knocked down in your second roll.

If you get a strike, write an “x” in the tiny box in the top-right of the scorecard frame. A strike indicates that on your first roll you knocked all of the pins down. On the other hand, if you get a spare, write a forward slash “/” in the tiny box in the top-right corner of the scorecard frame. This indicates that on your first roll you didn’t knock all of the pins down but you did on the second.

In case, you step over the foul line specify a foul with the letter “F.” write an “F” in the upper-middle box on your first roll for a turn. Write an “F” inside the tiny box in the upper-right of the scorecard frame in case you step past the line on your second roll for the same turn. If you miss all of the pins, mark your scorecard with a dash “－.” Indicate the miss with a horizontal dash “－” if the ball goes into the gutter or if you miss all of the pins.

Tallying your score

When your turn has completed, add the total number of pins you have knocked down in your two rolls. At the bottom of the scorecard frame right below the numbers, write your score for the turn you completed. By adding 10 to the total number of pins you knock down on your next roll, score a spare. When you knock the remaining pins down on your second roll of the same turn, it is referred as a spare.

While, by adding 10 to the sum of the next turn, score a strike. When you knock all of the pins down on your first roll, it is referred as a strike. On the basis of your next roll, the score of a strike can range between 10 and 30 points.

Calculating your total

If you roll a strike or a spare, you should only use the upper-right corner box in your tenth turn. The ‘fill box’ is the third box in the tenth turn. It assists you in deciding what your strike or spare will be worth in case you roll one in the tenth turn. By comparing the final score of the tenth frame, identify the winner of the game.

What is considered a good score for bowling?

Bowling is considered a very social sport. In this game, you would see groups of friends or families engaged during their free time. This fun sport doesn’t need athleticism to play. Furthermore, you don’t need any start-up investment even for newbies.

Nowadays, the events have remained popular at bowling centers all over the nation such as birthday parties or midnight bowling tournaments. The events associated with bowling are a lot of fun. The main purpose of this games is to create fun for everyone who participates, whether they are playing the game for the first time or they are a regular player.

It makes a lot of sense to know the scores of professionals in order to find a good score to see in your bowling score sheet template. The highest average among the players as of the last season of the Professional Bowlers Association with more than 100 games is 226. However, the typical score of a good bowler would have an average between 130 and 150 as per the reports from several bowling alley coaches and owners.

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