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The Basics of Lawn Bowling

The Fundamentals

Everything lawn bowling - check it out!
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Bowls Explained

Bowls is a strategic, challenging and fun sport that can be enjoyed by anyone.  It is played on a large smooth grass surface called a “green”. 

Lawn 
bowls are large, hard resin balls with a bias to them, so that they travel along a curved path, rather than going straight. The object of the game is to roll your bowls closer to the target than your opponents.

​The target is a small white ball called a “
jack” and it is rolled the length of the green to start play.  Then players from each team take turns rolling their bowls down the green toward the jack. 

When all all the bowls have been played in one direction the players have completed an 
end.
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Photo courtesy of Tacoma LBC

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to deliver bowls closer to the jack (target) than your opponent.  

​The player or team with the closest bowl to the jack earns one point for each bowl closer to the jack than the nearest opponent bowl.

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Photo courtesy of Portland LBC

The Green

The game of Bowls is played on a 120 foot square of closely cut grass called the green.

​The green is divided into playing areas called 
rinks.  Each rink is 14' wide and with the rinks placed side by side, multiple games can occur at the same time.

The green is surrounded by a small 
ditch to catch bowls which leave the green, and a bank which has marks indicating the center side lines of each rink.
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Image courtesy of Frick Park LBC

FAQ's

And our most frequent answers.
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How many people can Play in a bowls game?
Anywhere from 2 to 8 players can play a game together in a bowls game. 
However you want to divide up to compete as two teams works just fine.
How long does a game last?
A typical pairs game lasts about an hour and a half.
As long as everyone agrees you can make the game any length of time you want.
Do women and men every play against each other?
Yes, often men and women play against each other in social games.  Some tournaments are mixed though most national and international tournaments are women's or men's events.
Don't Lawn Bowlers Have to wear white clothes?
The days are long gone when "whites" were required for daily bowling, except for a very few clubs or special occasions..
Bowling tournaments do have rules about clothing but they are easy to accommodate.
Most important is to wear flat soled shoes to protect the green.
I'D JUST LIKE TO TRY LAWN BOWLS BEFORE I JOIN A CLUB, CAN I DO THAT?
Sure, either drop by your nearest club or contact them to find out their schedule for "open bowling" or instruction.
I DON'T HAVE ANY LAWN BOWLS OR EQUIPMENT AND DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GET ANY?
The club has all the equipment needed for the game and it's free to use it.
IF I LIKE LAWN BOWLING CAN I DO IT BY MYSELF?
Anyone can bowl by themselves for practice, all of the better bowlers do exactly that!
Once you're a member of a club you usually have unlimited or generous access to the green and facility.
HOW CAN I JOIN BOWLS USA?
Only bowls clubs can join Bowls USA, so to become a BUSA member just join a club near you.  
If there's no clubs nearby you can become an "at-large" member of your division (geographical area).
Contact your division officers through their website and they'll help you get involved.
CAN YOU HELP ME FIND A LAWN BOWLING CLUB NEAR ME?
Go to the division page and determine your division (by geographical area). Browse the division website for a list of clubs, or contact one of the division officers listed and they will help you find a club.
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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Story and Mission
    • Governance
    • Policies
  • Programs
    • Hall of Fame
    • Laws and Umpiring
    • Coaching
    • Super Shots Club
  • Getting Started
    • The Basics
    • Find a Club
    • Resource Ebook
    • Bowls Distributors
  • Club Support
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • National Championships
    • US Open
    • Pro Bowls Association
    • Team USA
  • Contact Us
  • News