Bonus pins are almost always exclusive to match play. In some odd tournament formats, there may be bonus pins thrown out for a number of reasons, but in general, bonus pins are awarded to the winner of a match.

We'll use the Professional Bowlers Association as an example, as that is the highest level of bowling in the world. Typically, during the match-play blocks of a tournament, bowlers will be rewarded 30 bonus pins for winning a match.


Say Sean Rash faces Pete Weber in one match. Rash bowls 244, Weber bowls 234. Because Rash's score was higher, he won that match, and receives 30 bonus pins. Thus, he actually receives 74 pins in the standings (200 equals par, or zero, and the 44 pins above 200 he shot plus 30 bonus pins equals 74). Weber, meanwhile, receives 34 pins.

If Rash and Weber tie, they split the bonus pins. If they both throw a 200 game, they each receive 15 pins as half the bonus, which are then added to their cumulative scores.

As noted, there are variations depending on the format of the tournament, but in most cases, bonus pins are awarded to the winner of a match, and there are usually 30 of them.