Skittle-Bowl
Skittle-Bowl Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Directions for Playing the Game
Skittle Bowl may be played by any number of contestants, as in bowling. The object is to swing the ball around the outside of the pole so that the ball knocks down some, or all, of the pins on its return swing. Scoring is done exactly as in bowling. See "How to Score" below.
In England, the game of Skittles is played by pin count only, each player being allowed three swings at the pins. If a player knocks over all ten pins in one swing, he replaces the pins and continues with his second and third swings. Scoring is done at the completion of each set of three swings. The first player to reach an exact score of 200 pins is declared the winner. If a player with a 195 pin count knocks down more than 5 pins in attempting to reach 200, he must wait until his next turn before again attempting the exact 200 pin count.
The greatest challenge to a Skittle Bowl player is to attempt to knock the pins down one at a time in the least number of swings. If more than one pin is knocked over on any one swing, the pins knocked down must be replaced before continuing. The player who clears the pins off of the Skittle Bowl triangle with the least number of swings is the winner.
Diagram captions (printed beside the layout diagram): "The ball must make only one swing around the pole." "Hand must not pass the pole." "The player stands here." The diagram marks the foul line.
How to Score
Although scoring looks complicated at first, actually it becomes easy if you remember and follow these simple rules:
- Each game or "line" on the score sheet consists of 10 frames. Each box on the score sheet represents one frame.
- The maximum number of balls played in each frame is two.
- If you get a STRIKE, all 10 pins down with your first ball, you get a score of 10 in that frame, plus the number of pins you knock down with your next 2 balls. The maximum score for any frame, therefore, is 30, representing 3 strikes in a row.
- If you get a SPARE, 10 pins down on 2 rolls, you score 10 in that frame, plus the number of pins you knock down with your next ball.
- If you fail to topple all 10 pins with 2 balls, you simply record the number of pins you knock down.
- The score is maintained progressively, from frame to frame.
Scoring Shorthand
You keep score with these figures and symbols in the two small squares of each frame:
- A strike: an X in the first small square, the second square left empty.
- A spare: a 7 in the first square and a slash (/) in the second square.
- Converted split: a 7 in the first square and a slashed zero (Ø) in the second square.
- A miss: a 9 in the first square and a dash (—) in the second square.
Scoring a Typical Game
1st Frame: 6 pins knocked down on first ball; 3 on second. A score of 9 for this frame.
2nd Frame: 6 pins down on first ball; 4 on next for a SPARE. Do not total the score yet; you still have a bonus to add from the first ball in the next frame.
3rd Frame: 6 pins on first ball. Now you can total the score for 2nd Frame: 10 pins for the spare plus 6 for your bonus = 16. Add 16 to the 9 from the 1st Frame for a score of 24. Second ball: you knock down all 4 remaining pins for another SPARE. Do not total the score for 3rd Frame yet.
4th Frame: A STRIKE. Mark an "X" in first small square of 4th Frame and figure the score for Frame 3: 10 for spare + 10 for score on first ball in next frame = 20. Add 20 to the score of 25 = 45 for 3rd Frame.
5th Frame: 3 pins knocked down on first ball; 6 on second: 9 is thus your bonus and you get 10 for the strike = 19 for the frame, a total of 64 for the 4th frame. Now add the 9 pins you got in the 5th frame for a total of 73 for the 5th Frame.
6th Frame: A STRIKE. Mark an "X" in first square of 6th Frame, but do not total the score for the 6th Frame yet.
7th Frame: Another STRIKE. Mark an "X" in 7th Frame.
8th Frame: 5 pins knocked down with first ball. Now you can complete score for 6th Frame: 10 for strike in 6th Frame + 10 and 5 for the scores of your next 2 balls = 25 in 6th Frame for total of 98.
3 pins down with second ball. Now complete the score for 7th Frame: 10 for strike + 8 for the bonus = 18 plus previous score of 98 = 116 for 7th Frame.
Now add 8 pins for two balls in 8th Frame for a total of 124 in 8th Frame.
9th Frame: 8 pins down on first ball; none on second, a MISS. 124 + 8 = 132 for 9th Frame.
10th Frame: STRIKE. Mark an "X". On the 10th Frame don't wait for your next turn to take your bonus turn. If you have a strike, play two extra balls at once; if you have a spare, play one extra ball.
Strike on first bonus ball. Strike on second bonus ball. Now finish the score: 10 for strike in the 10th Frame + 10 for first bonus ball + 10 for second bonus ball = 30. Add 132 to 30. Total score for game = 162.
The printed sample score sheet for this example game is an image and is not reproduced; its running totals (9, 25, 45, 64, 73, 98, 116, 124, 132, 162) are all stated in the worked example above.