How many deliveries may a bowler make in each regular tenpin bowling frame?

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bowling Tommy Jones competing in the Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions final in Uncasville, Conn., April 1, 2007.

In a regular game of tenpin bowling, a player is allowed a maximum of two deliveries per frame.1

The goal is to knock down all ten pins on the first delivery, which is known as a strike. If pins remain standing after the first roll, the player is permitted a second delivery to attempt to knock down the remaining pins, resulting in a spare if successful.1

An exception occurs in the 10th frame: if a player bowls a strike or a spare, they are granted additional deliveries to complete the frame, allowing for a maximum of three balls in that final frame.1