The bowling center is a great destination for a night out with friends or family. Everyone loves to bowl as many times as possible, especially the kids. But since everyone in the group or family doesn’t bowl at the same skill level, keeping score in the traditional way may not always be the best choice.
If you’re interested in competition to add a little fun to your night out, there are a few great game formats that will level the playing field and keep everyone involved!
None of these formats require any special requests of the bowling center – you can just apply these rules and get started.
Baker System
This is a great one for teams or dividing up the family. Each person on a team bowls one frame, then
a teammate takes over the next frame. The score is tabulated the same as a traditional game, you’re
just relying on teammates to help you score!
Scotch Doubles/Alternate Shot
This one is pretty simple. Teams of two bowlers alternate shots throughout the game, no matter the
result of each roll. If the first person rolls a strike, the second person starts a new frame. If the first
person leaves pins standing, the second person has to pick up the spare.
Best Frame/Best Ball
This is a great format for teams of two or more. Everyone bowls their own ball, but the best
individual score from each frame is the team’s score. So if you knock down seven pins, but your
teammate knocks down nine, your team score for the frame is a nine.
Next time you’re out with friends or family, give one of these game formats a try!