Lawn bowling is a game in which the players roll wooden or plastic balls at a smaller target ball. Lawn bowling traditionally is played outdoors on a smooth, level, grass plot called a green. But the game may also be played indoors on an artificial surface.
A standard bowling green measures about 120 feet (36.6 meters) square. It consists of six to eight rinks (alleys), each 14 to 19 feet (4.3 to 5.8 meters) wide by 120 feet long. Up to eight matches can be played at once.
The bowls (balls) vary in size from 411/16 to 51/8 inches (11.9 to 13 centimeters) in diameter and weigh no more than 31/2 pounds (1.6 kilograms). They are not round. One side of a bowl is larger than the other, and this shape causes the bowl to roll in a curving line. The players control the amount of curve by the manner and speed of their delivery. They bowl from a rubber or plastic mat at each end of the rink. The target ball, called the jack, is round and has a diameter of about 21/2 inches (6.35 centimeters). The jack weighs about 10 ounces (283 grams).
The game may be played by singles, pairs, triples, or fours (teams of one to four players). The players try to roll their bowls as close as possible to the jack. Players also try to knock an opponent’s bowl away from the jack or to knock the jack away from an opponent’s bowl. In addition, players may try to guard a bowl that was thrown by a teammate. Each side faces the challenge of the jack’s position, as well as the course of the bowls and the need to counter the other team’s strategy.
The first bowler, called the lead, rolls the jack to the far end of the rink. The lead then delivers the first bowl as directed by the team’s skip (captain). Then the lead of the other team bowls. Opposing players alternate turns until each player has delivered the permitted number of bowls. The skip bowls last. Each player uses four bowls in singles and pairs, three in triples, and two in fours. A team scores one point for each bowl lying closer to the jack than the nearest bowl of the opponent.
After both sides have delivered all bowls from one end of the rink, they have completed an end (inning). They play the next end from the other end of the rink. Games of pairs, triples, and fours consist of a certain number of ends, usually 12 or 14. A singles game is usually played until one player has scored 18 or 21 points. Tournament games may be longer.
Lawn bowling dates back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It has flourished in England since the 1100’s. Today, about 20 nations, including the United States and Canada, have lawn bowling associations. These organizations sponsor annual tournaments.
