Equipment Terms

Bias – The natural curve built into a bowl. The bias side is marked by the smaller circular ring, causing the bowl to curve toward the jack when delivered correctly. The term “bias” derives from Old French “biais,” meaning “sideways, askance, against the grain,” and entered English via the game of bowls, referring to balls made with greater weight on one side.

Bowl – The playing ball with a diameter from 4.5 to 5.25 inches and weight not exceeding 3.5 pounds. Also called a “wood” due to being historically made from lignum vitae hardwood. The first biased bowl was reportedly created in 1522 when the Duke of Suffolk repaired a split bowl using an ornamental ball from a bannister.

Jack – The small white or yellow target ball rolled down the rink to establish the target for the end. The earliest documented mention of the word “Jack” in this context appears in Shakespeare’s ‘Cymbeline,’ written around 1609, with a popular theory suggesting the name simply refers to it being smaller than the bowls.

Lifter – A metal tool that enables players to pick up bowls without bending down, particularly useful for those with injuries or disabilities.

Mat – Measures 14 inches by 24 inches. Players must stand on the mat when delivering the jack and bowls. The mat is placed with its front edge at least 2 meters from the ditch. The mat provides a base for delivering the jack and bowls while protecting the green surface from wear and tear. The mat is placed by the team winning the last end, in preparation to start the next end. This is also known as having the Mat. The team with the mat always rolls the Jack.

Measure – A special tape measure used to determine which bowl is closest to the jack when it’s too close to judge visually.

Playing Area

Center Line – The line marked at both ends of the rink to determine where the jack and mat are centered.

Ditch – Marks the ends of the rink, forming the 120-foot boundary on all four sides of the lawn.

Green – The entire playing surface composed of multiple lanes or rinks. The invention of the lawn mower in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding made it possible to prepare and maintain greens to a much higher standard, revolutionizing the game.

Hog Line – Small white markers on the edge of the rink, 76 feet from each ditch. The jack must go beyond the hog line to be in play.

Rink – The bowling lane on the green for your game. It measures 120 feet from the front of one ditch to the other and is 20 feet wide.

2-Metre Mark – Often referred to as the “T” – The furthermost position the jack can be placed. If the jack is rolled past this point but remains within rink boundaries, it’s spotted 2 meters back from the ditch.

Types of Lawn Bowling Games

Singles
A game played between two individual players. Each player delivers four bowls per end, and the winner is determined by who scores the most points after a set number of ends or reaches a predetermined score limit (e.g., 21 points). A variant singles game limits each bowler to two bowls per end.

Pairs (Doubles)
A game where two teams, each consisting of two players, compete. Each player delivers four bowls per end, alternating turns with their opponent. The team with the highest score after all ends are completed wins. A variant pairs game limits each bowler to three bowls per end.

Triples
A format played between two teams, each consisting of three players. Each player delivers three bowls per end. Triples games are often played over a set number of ends (e.g., 18 ends).

Fours (Rinks)
A team-based game where two teams, each consisting of four players, compete. Each player delivers two bowls per end. This format emphasizes teamwork and strategy, as players take on specific roles Lead, Second, Third (Vice-Skip), and Skip.

Australian Pairs
A variation of pairs where players alternate roles between Lead and Skip during the game. Each player delivers four bowls per end, but the format introduces additional strategy due to role rotation.

Cutthroat
An informal game typically played among three players. Each player competes individually to score points by delivering their bowls closest to the jack. Cutthroat is less structured but provides a fun and competitive experience.

Mixed Pairs/Triples/Fours
Games where teams consist of players from different genders. Mixed formats follow the same rules as standard pairs, triples, or fours.

Game Play

Back Bowl – A bowl that comes to rest beyond the Jack.

Backhand – For a right-handed player, delivering a bowl to the left side of the rink with the bias facing the center line. For a left-handed player, delivering to the right side with bias facing center.

Best Back – The bowl resting beyond the jack that is nearest to the ditch than any opposition bowl.

Dead Bowl – When a ‘none toucher’ bowl either goes in the ditch or any bowl rests outside the rink field of play. (See Touchers).

Dead End – When the jack has been knocked out of bounds. The end is not counted and is played again.

Down – When your team does not have the Shot Bowl, you are considered to be Down. You may be down by one or more shots.

End – A defined segment of the game which includes delivery of the jack, delivery of all bowls by opponents in the same direction, and determining the score.

Fast Green – A green where bowls travel faster and further over the surface compared to a slow green with the same delivery effort.

Forehand – For a right-handed player, delivering a bowl to the right side of the rink with the bias facing toward the center line. For a left-handed player, delivering to the left side with bias facing center.

Foot Fault – A foot fault occurs when the bowler does not have one foot on or over the mat on the release of the bowl. The foot may be on the mat or in the air.

Grass – The intended line of delivery for a bowl, taking into account its bias. Too much grass results in a wider path than necessary.

Hand – The side on which the bowl is delivered either Forehand or Backhand.
Head – The jack and any bowls that have come to rest within the boundaries of the rink and are not dead.

Holding Shot – Team with their bowl(s) closest to Jack (see also Shot Bowl).

Hook – the direction a bowl takes when it is slowing down and has just about a meter or two left to roll. Some bowls hook more than others, especially older Classic bowls with extreme bias.

Jack – White ball or “kitty” used as a target to play to, which determines point scoring (see Points).

Jack High – A comparison indicating a bowl’s front edge is level with the jack’s front edge.

Lead – The first player to bowl in an end, responsible for placing the mat and rolling the jack if their team is to start.

Length – The amount of force required when delivering a bowl to reach the desired target.

Line – The directional arc that the bowl travels along from delivery to stopping point.

Live Bowl – A bowl that stops within the confines of the rink. If a bowl finishes in the ditch or outside the rink boundary, it’s considered a dead bowl, unless it touched the jack first.

Measure – When it is uncertain which bowl is closest to the jack, a tape measure is used to determine which bowl(s) is nearer than the oppositions nearest bowl. Players carry a special lawn bowls tape measures to do this.

Narrow – When a bowler doesn’t deliver the bowl far enough from the centerline to the jack, causing it to run too narrow.

Pairs – Bowls games in which each team has two players (a Skip and a Lead).

Promoting a Bowl – Pushing up one of your team’s bowls to a better position.

Scoring – Only one team scores per end. Their bowls count one point each for those nearest to the jack without an opponent’s bowl interfering.

Shot Bowl – The bowl closest to the Jack.

Skip – The captain of a team who directs play and typically bowls last.

Tied end – When the two closest bowls are both exactly the same distance from the jack and belong to opposing teams, even after measurement, the end is declared a tie.

Toucher – Bowls that hit the Jack. These bowls are marked with chalk and remain “live” even if they are knocked into the ditch.

Trailing the Jack – The jack is moved by a bowl with the bowl staying with the jack to score. Often used to move the jack to a favorable position scoring several shots.

Trial Ends – Formal practice ends. Only allowed at the start of a game in which each team rolls 2 bowls down and back to get a feel of the green. Such ends do not count in the scoring.

Up – When your team does have the Shot Bowl, you are considered to be ‘Up’. You may be ‘Up’ by one or more points.

Weight – The relative effort required to ensure a bowl reaches its intended target when delivered.

Wick – When a bowl is deflected during its progress after delivery, usually from contacting another bowl or the jack.

Wide – The bowler delivered the bowl too far from centreline to the Jack. It runs too wide. (Also called taking too much “Grass/Green”).
Wick – When a bowl bounces off another bowl. (This term is derived from curling).

Woods An old term for bowls. They used to be made of wood so were mainly brown in color. These days they are made of a dense plastic composite material and are in various colors, although the most common is black.

Wrong Bias – A bowl delivered with the biased side placed opposite to the desired position, causing it to arc away from the intended target.

Shot Types

Back Bowl – A strategic shot where the bowl is deliberately delivered to come to rest beyond the jack. This tactical shot provides insurance against the jack being driven backward, as it creates a favorable scoring position if the jack is moved toward the rear of the head. Back bowls are often played by the skip as a defensive measure.

Blocker – A tactical shot where a bowl is deliberately placed to obstruct a particular line to the jack or head. This shot is used to prevent opponents from accessing certain areas of the head or to protect favorable positions. A well-placed blocker forces opponents to play more difficult shots with narrower margins for error.

Draw – The most common and important shot in lawn bowling, often described as the “bread and butter shot.” It involves delivering the bowl with the correct line and weight to reach a specific target, typically getting as close to the jack as possible. Any positional shot is considered a draw, whether aimed at the jack or elsewhere on the green for tactical purposes.

Chop & Lie – (also called “Tap and Lie” or “Wrest”) – A delicate shot played with slightly more than draw weight (about 2 feet of running). The aim is to tap an opponent’s bowl out of position gently enough that your bowl comes to rest in the position vacated. This shot is typically used when the head is obstructed and the jack is covered by another bowl.

Yard On – A controlled weight shot delivered with approximately one yard more running than a draw shot. It’s used to move the jack or displace an opponent’s bowl by about one meter up the rink. This shot is often employed as a rescue shot when the head is unfavorable but salvageable. Since increased pace reduces the effect of bias, the line must be adjusted to be straighter than a draw shot.

Running Shot – A controlled weight shot delivered with more force than a draw shot but less than a drive. It’s played with at least ditch weight, typically to remove an opponent’s bowl from the head. The shot requires adjusting the line (as increased pace reduces bias effect) and is delivered by taking a long step-out while pushing the bowl with arm muscles rather than using elevation for power.

Drive – A shot delivered with maximum force toward the target, also known as a “firing shot” or in Scotland as a “blooter.” This aggressive shot is aimed straight at the target with sufficient pace to minimize the effect of bias. It’s typically used as a rescue shot when the head is unfavorable, with the aim of knocking the jack out of play, removing opponent’s bowls, or killing the end. The drive is essentially a last line of defense rather than a routine shot.