Lawn Bowls Rules for Beginners:
Everything You Need to Play

The official World Bowls Laws of the Sport is a 50-page legal document. For new players, it can be completely impenetrable. This guide gives you every rule you actually need to play a proper game of lawn bowls — explained simply, clearly and in plain English.

The Objective

Lawn bowls has one simple objective: roll your bowls closer to the jack than your opponent. The jack is a small white ball that serves as the target. The player or team with the bowl nearest the jack scores points at the end of each round of play — called an "end."

The Equipment

• The jack: A small white (or yellow) ball, 63–64mm diameter, 280–290g. It is the target for all deliveries.
• The mat: A flat rubber rectangle (600mm × 360mm) placed at the centre of the rink. All deliveries must be made with at least part of one foot on or above the mat.
• The bowls: Biased spheres, approximately 116–131mm diameter depending on size. Each player uses a matched set of 2 or 4 bowls.
• Flat-soled shoes: Mandatory. No heels or ridged soles permitted on the green.

Setting Up an End

Placing the Mat

The mat must be placed centrally along the rink (centred between the side boundaries). The front edge of the mat must be at least 2 metres from the rear ditch. Once the jack has been cast and centred, the mat cannot be moved for the rest of that end.

Casting the Jack

The player who won the previous end (or the winner of the toss on the first end) rolls the jack. The jack must travel at least 25 metres from the front edge of the mat and must come to rest within the rink boundaries. If the jack goes into the ditch or out of bounds on the first cast, the opposing team casts it instead. Once the jack stops, it is moved to the exact centre line of the rink by the marker or an umpire.

Delivering the Bowls

Players alternate delivering their bowls toward the jack, one bowl at a time. In singles each player has 4 bowls; in pairs and triples formats the number varies by format. The following rules apply to every delivery:

• Foot on mat: At the moment of delivery you must have at least part of one foot on or above the mat. Completely leaving the mat before releasing the bowl is a foot fault.
• Rolling only: The bowl must be rolled along the surface. Throwing or pitching it through the air is not permitted.
• Order of play: In team formats, players must bowl in the agreed order. Playing out of turn means the opposing skip can declare that bowl dead.
• Drive warning: Before playing a fast drive shot, you must warn players near the head: "I am firing."

Touchers — The Most Important Special Rule

A toucher is a bowl that makes contact with the jack during its journey down the green. Touchers have one crucial privilege: they remain in play even if they end up in the ditch. A bowl that enters the ditch without touching the jack is dead (out of play). A marked toucher in the ditch is alive and can score.

Touchers must be marked immediately after coming to rest — chalk is applied to them, or a coloured disc is placed beside them in the ditch. An unmarked toucher that enters the ditch before the next bowl is delivered loses its toucher status.

Dead Bowls

A bowl is dead — out of play for that end — if it:

• Comes to rest in the ditch (unless it is a marked toucher)
• Comes to rest outside the side boundaries of the rink
• Comes to rest on the bank
• Passes completely outside the rink boundaries during its travel

Dead Ends

An end is declared dead — no score is counted and it is replayed — if the jack enters the ditch or leaves the rink boundary. The end is replayed from the same end of the green.

Scoring

Only one side scores per end. The side with the bowl nearest the jack scores one point for each of their bowls that is closer to the jack than the opposing team's nearest bowl. No bowls may be moved before the score is agreed. If it is too close to call visually, a measure is used.

Winning the Match

• Singles: First player to reach 21 shots wins.
• Pairs: Most shots after 21 ends wins.
• Triples: Most shots after 18 ends wins.
• Fours: Most shots after 21 ends wins.
• Sets format: First to win 2 or 3 sets (each set to 7 shots) wins.

The Most Common Rules Questions

"Can I move my bowl once it has been delivered?"

No. Once a bowl has come to rest it may not be moved by either team until the score for that end has been agreed. Moving a bowl before the count is agreed — even accidentally — can constitute interference and lead to a disputed end.

"What happens if the jack is knocked into the ditch?"

The jack in the ditch is still in play, provided it is within the rink boundaries (between the side boundary extensions). Any touchers in the ditch adjacent to the jack can score. Non-touchers in the ditch are still dead.

"What if both teams have bowls equidistant from the jack?"

The end is a tie. No shots are scored and the team who delivered the jack replays it for the next end. In long matches this can significantly affect strategy near the end of a game.