The same as regular bowling, except that if you throw a 9 on the first ball, it counts as a strike. In child tournaments, sometimes even an 8 will be a strike as well. Tournaments are a *lot* of fun to play No-Tap, as everyone has much more of a chance to win as long as they can consistently throw the ball in the pocket. I bowled a 279 No-Tap once (my average was around 145 at the time), winning the tourney.