Lawn bowls rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Checked 14 October 2026
Settling an argument? Search all 21 rules
- How does a game of lawn bowls work?
- How many bowls does each player have in lawn bowls?
- Who plays first in lawn bowls?
- Where can a bowler stand when delivering?
- How far must the jack go in lawn bowls?
- How is an end scored in lawn bowls?
- How is a game of bowls won?
- What is a toucher in lawn bowls?
- When is a bowl dead in lawn bowls?
- What happens if the jack goes in the ditch?
- What happens if a player accidentally stops a bowl?
- Where must players stand while others bowl?
- What happens if a bowler plays out of turn?
- Can a bowls team bring on a substitute?
- What happens if a bowls game is stopped by rain?
- What does a marker do in lawn bowls?
- Can a coach give advice during a bowls game?
- Can wheelchair users and blind players play lawn bowls?
- How big is a lawn bowls green?
- What gives a lawn bowl its curve?
- How does sets play work in lawn bowls?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| WB Law with number, for example WB Law 17.1; WB Definition with letter and number; WB Appendix | World Bowls, Laws of the Sport of Bowls, Crystal Mark Fourth Edition (August 2022). Read in full |
| (changes) | World Bowls, Changes to CM3 to CM4. Read in full |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
| Not saved | A document that exists and is not in research/ |
Checked on 14 October 2026. The diagrams in Appendices B and C were read through their text labels; the displacement chart in Appendix C is also in words.
Not covered: the World Bowls Regulations (cited for match-fixing and international events) and any edition newer than the fourth.