Candlepin Bowling Instructions

Candlepin bowling is traditional ten-pin bowling with a Boston accent. New England's home-grown version of the sport has a few twists on the rules that make the game easier in some senses, and much harder in others. Like many great games, candlepin bowling is easy to learn, but hard to master, and it requires plenty of dexterity, strategy and skill.

  1. Prepare Your Scorecard

    • Once all your bowlers are present, choose an order, and put their names in the scoring system (modern bowling alleys have different systems, many of which are self-explanatory. Very old bowling alleys will do this for you, or may still have projection-screen scoring, in which you have to keep track of scores by hand.)

      Make sure everyone is wearing bowling shoes (rubber soles damage the approach and will cause you to trip while delivering the ball), and selects a ball. In many candlepin bowling alleys, balls are stored on the ball return and are small enough to be used by anyone. The heaviest ball is 2 pounds, 7 ounces.

    Basic Scoring

    • Let's say the bowler knocks down five pins with the first ball. The machine or scorekeeper should put a "5" in the first slot. On the second ball, the bowler hits two pins. The machine or scorekeeper should place a "2" next to the "5." Then, on the third ball (candlepin bowling allows three balls per frame, or "box") the bowler eliminates the remaining three pins. The machine or scorekeeper should record the score for the box as "10."

    Spares and Strikes

    • A player earns a spare by knocking down all 10 pins with the first two balls. A spare counts as 10 pins, plus the number of pins the player knocks down with the next ball. For example, if a player makes a spare in the first box and knocks down five pins with the next ball, the scorekeeper should write "15" as the score in the first box.

      Players earn a strike by knocking down all 10 pins with the first ball. Knocking down all 10 pins with the second ball is considered a spare. A strike counts as 10 pins, plus the amount of pins the bowler knocks down with the next two balls. Strikes are rare in candlepin bowling.

    Dead Wood

    • A fun twist to candlepin bowling is that felled pins remain on the lane between balls. While this can sometimes be an obstacle, it usually is an advantage, as players can use these fallen pins (called "dead wood") to knock down the remaining pins. There is one exception, however. Pins that have crossed a line known as the dead wood line are considered out of play and should be removed before the bowler throws the next ball.

    No Interference

    • Distracting other players by unfair means (heckling, etc.) is illegal.

      Generally this is not a problem, as many leagues and open-bowling games are played in the spirit of fun and friendship. However, it is possible to interfere with others unintentionally, mainly by bowling next to another bowler who is in the middle of an approach. Entering another bowler's peripheral vision during the approach is extremely distracting and is considered poor etiquette. Wait until there is no one bowling to your right and to your left before starting your approach.