Clean Game Definition

[PBizme]

Do you count it as a clean game if you mark in frames 1-9 and then go 8 / 7 in the 10th? On one hand you didn't miss any spare shots, but on the other hand you left pins standing at the end.


http://bencaruso.com/bowling/index.aspx

[drlawsoniii]

Not a clean game if you left pins standing

[NewToBowling]

To me (and USBC) a clean game means you had a mark in every frame. Your example is a clean game regardless of how one thinks because your open was the fill ball which is NEVER a consideration.

If it was "X 8 -" some might have an argument.

[bowl1820]

Do you count it as a clean game if you mark in frames 1-9 and then go 8 / 7 in the 10th? On one hand you didn't miss any spare shots, but on the other hand you left pins standing at the end.


If you strike or spare on your first ball of the tenth, then it's a clean game the fill ball doesn't count.

But in thing's like clean game pots, it may depend on if they have their own local definition.

But using the classic definition, then yes you had a clean game.

A USBC response to the question:


You only have to get one spare or strike in the 10th frame to keep the game clean.

The "Bowler's Guide" defines a Clean Game as follows: A game with spares or strikes in every frame.

Sincerely,

John Budnik,
Rules Counselor

[NewToBowling]

Wonder if pot games would have issue with 7 as fill ball. I don't think there should be a requirement to get a strike on fill ball seeing as you only get one shot at it.

[fokai73]

I had a clean game the other day at a tournament after switching pairs...9/ x8, 8/, 7/, and a X last ball.

[PBizme]

Thanks guys. Sounds like it does count as my first clean gamethen. I actually had another one in my next game where I went X 8 / in the 10th, but I was still curious.

http://bencaruso.com/bowling/index.aspx

[vdubtx]

I have never looked at the fill ball as the determining factor of a clean game, strikes in 10-11 and then a count on the fill is a clean game to me. If you spare and then have fill count, that is a clean game. As mentioned above by NewToBowling, if you struck in 10 to start and then don't close it out with a mark, I wouldn't take that as a clean game personally.

[J Anderson]

Wonder if pot games would have issue with 7 as fill ball. I don't think there should be a requirement to get a strike on fill ball seeing as you only get one shot at it.

In my experience with clean game pots, a spare with a 7 fill in the tenth would be considered clean. There were some hypothetical discussions as to whether less than five on the fill ball should still be considered clean. If one struck on the first ball and didn't strike on the second ball in the tenth, the spare had to be converted to be considered clean.

Back before automatic scoring, we would count marks to figure out which team was ahead. If a fill ball was less than five it would negate the mark in the previous frame. It was actually a much better predictor of the outcome than the plus/minus on the automatic scorer.