1.  HOW TO GET STARTED

• We can arrange a date to meet at our club to show you around; or drop in if you see the green is open.
• We have bowls you can borrow to give it a go.
• Wear flat shoes.
• To set you up with the basic skills and objectives of the game, we offer free coaching with our qualified club coaches.
• You’ll find out how little it costs to belong to a bowling club. There different types of membership available to you.

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2  EQUIPMENT & SETUP

Lawn bowls is played on a level, grassy surface, with the aim of delivering your bowls closer to the target ball (jack) than your opponent. Each player has several lawn bowls, which are biased so that they curve as they roll. To play, you’ll need a set of lawn bowls, which are available in a variety of sizes and weights. If you’re a member, our club can lend you a set of bowls to play, plus a jack, and a scoreboard; casual players need to pay a nominal fee (usually around $5 each per game – check in the clubhouse) for the loan of the same items for the game. You also need a pair of flat non-marking shoes, with no discernable heel so you don’t damage the surface of the green any colour goes).  Bare feet are also fine at some clubs – please enquire!

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3.  GAMEPLAY

There are several different rôles or positions in each team; please see THIS PAGE for full details.

TO BEGIN PLAY:

Toss a coin
In any rollup or competition, one opponent flips a coin to see who begins a segment of the competition (known as an ‘end’) . The winner of the toss then lays the mat and rolls the jack to the other end of the green to serve as a target.

Set the jack
Once it has come to rest, the jack is moved by one of the team to be aligned to the centre line of the rink, and players take turns to roll their bowls from the mat towards the jack and so build up the ‘head’ (the cluster of bowls around the jack). 

When all of the bowls have been played, this is called an end. The number of ends are determined before play begins; sometimes it can simply be the number of points needed to win instead (e.g. 21 points).

The boundary & the ditch
Bowls may curve outside the boundary of the rink but must come to rest within the boundary of your particular rink to remain in play. Otherwise they are deemed out of play or “dead” and are placed on the bank above the end of the rink.

Bowls falling into the ‘ditch’ (at the end of the green) are also deemed ‘dead’ and removed from play – with the exception of when a bowl has made a connection with the jack (it’s then known as a ‘toucher’). Touchers are marked with chalk or washable chalk spray and remain alive in play even if they fall into the ditch. They’re marked so you know which ones in the ditch are still ‘alive’ so that you can allot points if any are closer to the jack than any opponents’ bowls.

Similarly, if the jack is knocked into the ditch by a toucher, it is still in play and its location is marked by a small white peg on the bank above the ditch. No subsequently played bowls can become touchers – if they touch the jack in the ditch, they are still considered to be out of play. Note that if the jack lands in the ditch outside the rink boundary, then no score is recorded and the end is replayed; or in some formats, the jack can simply be re-spotted on the 2m mark.

Awarding the points, and ‘ENDS’
Once each competitor has delivered all of their bowls (2,3 or 4 depending on the competition) , the distance from the jack to the closest bowl(s) is determined, and points (sometimes called ‘shots’) are awarded for each competitor’s bowl which is closer than the opponents’ closest bowl to the jack. For example, where a competitor has three bowls closer to the jack than any of their opponents’ bowls, they are awarded three points.

When all of the bowls have been delivered, this session is called an ‘end‘. The direction of play changes after each end. The number of ‘ends’ to be played or else the number of points to be reached for the game to finish, is decided before the game starts.

The SKIP
The team captain, or ‘skip’, always plays last and assists directing the team’s shots and tactics.

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4. TECHNIQUE

Delivery:
To play lawn bowls, you need a smooth and consistent delivery technique. Stand with your feet slightly apart and pointing towards your mark, keeping your knees slightly bent; at least one foot or part of it has to be the mat. Holding the the bowl and keeping one foot (or part of it) on the mat at all times, you can if you wish take a step forward with your other foot and in one continuous motion release the bowl. You’ll aim for the bowl to roll smoothly towards the jack. Keep yourself low so that the bowl doesn’t bounce or thump as it hits the green – this can not only damage the green, but also really affects your bowl’s aim and its distance or weight. It takes practice to develop a consistent technique, but with time and patience, you’ll be able to deliver your bowls accurately and with ease.

Bowls not quite round
The bowls are not quite round. They are shaped differently on one side which gives them the bias.

Utilising the bias
As the bowl slows, it begins to roll in the direction of the bias. So bowlers will thus change the side of the bias in their hand, depending on the direction in which they want the bowl to curve. You’ll see a smaller image or design on one side of the bowl; this is the side which you should always keep facing into the centre of the rink –  in other words, the side closest to the jack.

Line, length and luck!
The challenge of all shots you make is to be able to adjust your line and length accordingly. As some players say, line, length,  and luck (or the three L’s) are all involved!