Game Formats
What is Lawn Bowls?
Lawn Bowls is a game that’s easy to start playing but hard to become really good at.
It’s a game where players try to roll their balls, called bowls, as close as possible to a smaller white or yellow ball called the “jack” or “kitty”.
You can play it inside or outside on a special grass or fake grass area called a “green”. The green is divided into sections called “rinks”.
In a singles game, one player starts by flipping a coin to decide who goes first. They lay down a mat and roll the jack to the other end of the green.
Then, players take turns rolling their bowls from the mat towards the jack. They’re trying to make a group of bowls around the jack, called the “head”.
If a bowl goes outside the playing area, it’s out of play.
If a bowl touches the jack or stays in the ditch at the end of the green, it’s still in play.
But if the jack goes into the ditch, it’s still in play unless it goes beyond the side boundary.
After each player has rolled all their bowls, the one whose bowls are closest to the jack scores points.
They get one point for each bowl that’s closer than their opponent’s closest bowl to the jack.
This keeps going for several rounds, or “ends”, until the game is finished.
Formats
Lawn Bowls has many format variations, here are just a few. If you have a format you would like to share, please Contact Us and we’ll get it added.
With just four changes to the normal rules, the game is very different. Two Jack Bowls provides a new and exciting bowling experience to all bowlers looking for something a little different. The game is a challenging test, met by the careful use of draw shots and tactical decisions. The drive has been taken out of this game entirely making it a great fun alternative for social bowlers of all standards. It is extremely competitive, yet has maintained the vagaries inherent in the regular game. Two Jack Bowls is really absorbing and fun to play.
Two jacks – Two heads
Each lead rolls one jack. They are lifted and placed 1m either side of the centerline. Usually both jacks remain separate targets throughout the end, which encourages every player to rely on direct draw shot skills to score points.
Tactics
No two games can ever be the same. Every shot from Lead to Skip may require a different tactical approach to gain progressive scoring advantage. This could include trying for shot bowls to both jacks. Moving a Jack away from an opposition bowl(s). The Lead and Second quietly setting up a few shot bowls close to one Jack, the Skip then goes for the other. The scoring tide can turn very rapidly and never forget the opposition might be up to the same tricks and be better tacticians. Be ever vigilant!
Bonus Points
A bonus point for a “toucher”. Anyone, at any time (including brand new player)s can actively score points for their team. It is not unusual for a team to have 5 or more “touchers”, so bonus points can win or lose the game.
Penalty Points
Drives accrue two penalty points. This is to encourage bowlers to draw and to actively discourage bowlers charging through the head, ‘looking’ for luck. A drive is a bowl that finishes in the ditch.
Scoring – The normal score system is used and begins from either jack. This first jack is then removed. No bowl is to be disturbed. The same normal scoring system is then applied to the second jack. The score totals from both jacks are recorded on the card.
Competition Winners
Any established system can be used, but a “point system” is ideal for the game. The suggestion is; 1 Point for a winning end. 1 Point each for a drawn end. 1 Point extra for an end winning advantage of 3 shots. 2 Points extra for an end winning advantage of 4 or more shots. Bonus and Penalty points are to be taken into account.
Singles – four (4) bowls per player
3 players per section whenever possible
100 up (first player to score 100)
The scoring shall be:
- 4 points for shot
- 3 points for second shot
- 2 points for third shot
- 1 point for fourth shot
Maximum of 10 shots can be scored per end
The game ends when a players scores 100 points.
Players play in teams of 2, each player plays a set amount of bowls.
2 x 2 x 2 x 2 Pairs
3 Bowls Pairs
Triples are generally played to a set amount of ends.
Players use either 2 bowls, or 3 bowls each.
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- 3 Bowl pairs – 1 end per match
- Play to a set number of ends (Suggested is 16), or to a timer.
- 1 end shootout finals
- Jack out of bounds is respotted on the T
- Tied end will be 1 bowl per player shootout
- Toss a coin for jack/mat every end
The goal is to get to the highest number rink on your green.
If you win a match, you move up one rink, if you lose your match, you move down one rink.
Winning team on the highest rink of the green will hold their position, losing team on the lowest rink of the green will hold their position.
Rink draw is done via random draw, skips will come up to the table and collect a card with a number, that car will be your starting rink number.
Players each play a set amount of bowls, taking runs one each. Usually played as 4 bowls each, a known variation is 2 bowls singles.
Rules may vary from club to club
- Dress mufti.
- Prize money to be determined on the day, depending on the number of players.
- Each player will play with three bowls only, with a maximum of four players per rink.
- The player drawing the lead position on the first end on each rink will keep the score card for the entire game. Other players to measure and declare the results.
- On the first end the player drawing the lead position delivers the jack a minimum length of 21 meters, and to be played to where the jack is rolled (don’t move it to the centre). Should the jack be delivered out of bounds or in the ditch, a penalty of two shots shall be deducted from the offending player.
- On the second and subsequent ends, the player with the highest score on the previous end will lead followed by the player with the next highest score and so on.
- Game will be 18 ends maximum, or on the bell as decided by the controlling body.
- On each end, the scoring will be:1st shot-four points, 2nd shot-three points, 3rd shot-two points, 4th shot-one point.
- No driving is permitted. If a player knocks the jack into the ditch, the end will be declared dead and five points deducted from the offending player. The end will count.
- A bowl knocked into the ditch or out of bounds will incur a penalty of two points by the offending player.
- A bowl in course rolling into the ditch or finishing out of bounds will incur a penalty of two shots. This players remaining bowls are included in the final count.
- Players are not permitted to inspect the head; a penalty of five points will be deducted from the offending player.
- The winner shall be the player with the highest overall score.
4 Bowls per player – can be up to 4 players per rink.
Played as a normal game of singles with player holding shot establishing mat placement and length to play.
On each end the player with the bowl the longest distance away from the jack has their bowl removed for the remainder of the game.
Player with the bowl the longest distance away from the jack has last bowl on the next end.
Any bowl out of bounds is also removed.
Jack killed, the end is replayed or respotted, as determined by you prior to the game.
Winner is the last player to have bowls in play.
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Speed bowls is all about going fast (as you can guess from the name!). Players have a limited amount of time to deliver their bowls. If they exceed the time limit, they forfeit their turn. This adds an element of urgency and thrill, as players must make quick decisions and execute shots rapidly. You can up the excitement further by progressively reducing the time limit for each round, until players are left with only a few seconds to take their turn!
Credit: Bowlr.co.uk
Similar to trick shot pool, this format encourages players to attempt creative and challenging shots. Obstacles like ramps, tunnels, and strategically placed cones are scattered around the rink, which players then attempt to execute shots around. Players are awarded points based on the difficulty and success rate of their trick shots. This makes each end a fun display of showmanship as players try to out-invent each other.
Credit: Bowlr.co.uk
The name of this one is very much literal! The jack is placed inside a box that has a small hole on one side. Players must roll their bowls through the hole in order to get close to the jack inside it, without knowing precisely where the jack is. Once everyone’s had their turn, the box is lifted to reveal the winner.
This format adds an element of both luck and skill to the game: it requires precision to get the bowl through the hole, but there’s a randomness involved with where the bowl ends up in relation to the hidden jack. It’s a fun and challenging format that tests a player’s ability to adjust their speed and line on every shot.
Credit: Bowlr.co.uk
Blind bowls is just what the name implies – players wear blindfolds and rely on their teammates’ instructions to bowl their shots. It’s a great way to test communication and teamwork skills, not to mention a lot of fun – just make sure no one trips over a bowl when playing!
Credit: Bowlr.co.uk
Credit: Bowls Victoria
Credit: Bowls Victoria
Credit: Bowls Victoria
Credit: Bowls Victoria
Credit: Bowls Victoria
Credit: Bowls Victoria
Credit: Bowls Victoria
Credit: Bowls Victoria
Credit: Bowls Victoria
- 3 bowl singles.
- 2 sets of 6 ends.
- 1 end tiebreaker.
- 1 powerplay per set.
- 1 nominated kill per set.
- Average game length 40 mins.
- 3 players per rink, play 2 games & 1.
- 3 games per round or mini-tournament.
Three bowls singles is an excellent development format as it teaches you not to waste bowls.
The nominated kills and powerplays bring added excitement, as does the one end tiebreaker.
Just make sure you have a total number of players divisble by three. If you don’t, you can always provide a non-playing marker, or have 2 players agree to use a marker from the next rink when needed.
The jack always gets placed on the 2m, and the mat gets moved to any preferred position within the normal legal length.
The winner is found using wins > sets > ends > diff. Other prizes can be paid out using this as a ranking method.
Credit: Short Form Bowls
- 2 bowl pairs.
- 2 sets of 5 ends.
- 1 end tiebreaker.
- 1 powerplay per set.
- 1 nominated kill per set.
- Average game length 40 mins.
- 4 teams per group, play round robin.
- 3 games per round or mini-tournament.
Two bowl pairs is a fast and very active game.
It’s also a great way of bringing new bowlers into the club.
We recommend you have them pair up with a more experienced bowler, and that person plays lead with the new bowler playing skip. We think this way because:
the new bowler doesn’t feel the pressure of bowling to a bare jack
he/she gets to see experienced bowlers start to build a head
the experienced bowler can guide the newbie on what shots to try and play.
This can also be a great format for the middle of a Bowls Classic day where you can have a four split into 2 pairs with one pair playing the first set while the other has lunch, and then they swap for the second set. If a tiebreaker is needed in this format, it’s real fun for all four players to have just one bowl each.
The winner from all groups is found using wins > sets > ends > diff. Other prizes can be paid out using this as a ranking method.
Credit: Short Form Bowls