Nine-Pin Skittles: Lawn Game Rules & Scoring

• A skittles set: nine wooden pins (and usually two or three wooden balls or a cheese)
• For lawn skittles, a flat lane of grass roughly 15 to 21 ft long
• A throwing or bowling line marked with chalk, a rope, or a board
• A scorepad to track each player's running total over the agreed number of rounds

Need the gear? See our skittles picks before game day.

1. 01 Set up the nine pinsArrange nine pins in a square turned toward the bowler so the rows appear as 1-2-3-2-1. Use consistent spacing on level ground and mark the throwing line.
2. 02 Mark the throwing lineSet a line where players will stand to bowl or throw. For lawn skittles this is usually 15 to 21 ft from the pins. Step over the line and the throw does not count. In table skittles, you stand at the end of the board and swing the ball.
3. 03 Bowl three ballsEach player gets three balls per frame. Roll or underarm-throw toward the nine pins from behind the agreed line.
4. 04 Count the fallen pinsCount one point per pin knocked down. Remove fallen pins before the next ball, keeping the standing pins in place unless all nine have fallen.
5. 05 Reset an early clearanceIf all nine pins fall before you have used three balls, stand all nine back up and use the remaining balls. After the turn, reset the full diamond for the next player.
6. 06 Finish six equal framesGive each player six frames, add the frame scores, and compare totals. Highest total wins. This is the chosen garden format; other sets and leagues use different match lengths.

• Score one point for each pin knocked down. This garden format gives each player three balls per frame.
• If all nine pins fall before the third ball, reset all nine and use the remaining balls. This early-clear reset is part of the chosen garden version.
• Record the total pins for that frame, then add them to the running total.
• Play six complete frames per player. Everyone gets equal frames, and the highest final total wins.
• Local leagues use different pin-counting and reset rules; agree a different version before play rather than changing it mid-game.

Keeping score on paper? Print the free skittles score sheet. No signup needed.

• Lawn (garden) skittles: the outdoor nine-pin version. Roll or underarm-throw a ball down a grass lane at a diamond of nine pins. The closest relative to ten-pin bowling.
• Table skittles (devil among the tailors): the indoor pub version. A ball hangs from a post on a chain and you swing it to knock down a small diamond of nine pins on the board.
• Killer skittles: each player has lives. Fail to knock down at least one pin on your turn and you lose a life. Last player standing wins.
• Long Alley and Old English nine-pin: regional pub formats with longer alleys and 'cheeses' (flat throwing discs) instead of round balls. Fun to try if your set includes a cheese.