There are some interesting terms used in bowling just for the purpose of fun. From turkey and turkey sandwich to cake shot and hambone, many slang words make the game of bowling even more fun to play. The beer frame is one of these terms. It’s not a rule; but rather a tradition, and therefore teams may change it according to their liking and preference.
When every player on a team bowls a strike or spare in any given frame (usually the fifth frame) except one person, that person owes everyone a round of beers. This tradition is called the beer frame in bowling terminology and is used only in recreational leagues.
In some leagues, this frame is only the fifth frame of every game teams play. During this frame, the player that plays the worst game has to buy everyone a round of beer when the game is over. In other games, all ten frames may be observed for this type of performance, and more than one player may fall victim to the rule.
Since this rule or tradition was only invented for fun, many variations exist. The players can alter or modify it according to their skill level and to motivate new players or beginners to perform their best.
Let’s see how and when this rule was invented and what are the variations and exceptions to it.
Purpose of the Beer Frame Tradition in Bowling
In any game in which players team up to play, they invent some kind of personal rules for the purpose of entertainment. Bowling is no different. The beer frame is a fun way to have some free beer and motivate players to play better next time.
This rule is followed in games where three or more players team up to play a game of bowling. The players pre-designate a frame to be “the beer frame” and then see how players perform in that particular frame.
The beer frame tradition guarantees that everyone will enjoy at least one drink when the game ends. However, each player tries not to be the one who has to buy everyone else some kind of refreshment.
In team bowling, the beer frame is a clever way to motivate everyone to bowl a strike. If you don’t, you will have to face the consequences. Bowling a strike is exciting in itself, but when you also get a beer as a result, it becomes larger-than-life!
The Beer Frame Opportunity
Another term related to the beer frame used in bowling is BFO or beer frame opportunity. When all players on a team have bowled strikes, the last player becomes the “opportunity” to buy everyone a round of drinks.
While the other players may look forward to the last player also bowling a strike, they feel it’s better to enjoy a beverage than to see their team member performing well.
Either way, it’s a moment to rejoice for the team and therefore termed as an opportunity. If the player bowls a strike, the team wins. And if they get free beers, they still win and also get a chance to enjoy the drink.
Variations of the Beer Frame Rule
Many variations of this rule exist in different recreational leagues. For example, in some places, this rule states that if a bowler knocks down all ten pins in the tenth frame, they can re-roll the last frame for a chance to win a free beer. This rule is believed to have originated in the United States in the early 1900s.
This rule was likely invented to encourage bowlers to keep playing after they had already won a game. But it is used only in casual games that are played for fun as it can give an unfair advantage to a team already ahead. Some bowling alleys will offer a free beer to the winning team of a league game, but this is not always the case.
Another variation of the tradition is to buy just about any type of refreshment or drink and not just beer. The name, however, remains the beer frame for the purpose of clarity.
When the rule states that the person who doesn’t bowl a strike (or spare) in any of the ten frames of a game has to buy everyone else a round of beers, this can happen in any one or multiple frames. There can be more than one player on a team who might owe a round of beers to everyone else because they didn’t play well.
A not-so-common term in bowling called “the fry frame” is also like the beer frame, except that the unfortunate player has to buy everyone fries instead of beer. Well, if you’re hungry, you would want to choose this variation to the rule.
If we look at the history of this tradition, originally, the fifth frame was designated as the beer frame. But in some leagues, any frame in which all other players perform well except one will be termed the beer frame.
Is the Beer Frame a Fair Rule?
Since the beer frame was invented just for fun, it’s hard to say if it’s unfair to some players. But if only a single player on a team is a beginner, they may fall victim to this rule repeatedly, which would be unfair.
However, if the frame is pre-designated (usually the fifth frame), the rule doesn’t seem as unfair. Nevertheless, the tradition is for everyone to follow, and it is announced beforehand, so each player has to come prepared.
The worst that can happen to anyone who has been beer framed is to buy everyone (including himself) a round of drinks. But if we look at the bright side, it motivates them to bowl better next time. So, after all, it’s not as unfair as it sounds!
