How does a game of lawn bowls work?
B · Beginner · The game · 1 of 4Players take turns to roll bowls along a flat green towards a small ball called the jack. The bowls are shaped so they curve as they slow. When all the bowls of an end have been played, the side with the bowl nearest the jack scores a shot for each of its bowls nearer than the opponent's best.
How it works
- An end: the jack is delivered, every player delivers their bowls in the same direction, and the shots are counted.
- The jack: a small white or yellow ball, the target.
- Bowls: each player has a matched set; each bowl curves because of its shape, called its bias.
- Delivery: underarm, from a mat, with one foot on or above it.
- The head: the jack and the live bowls around it.
- Scoring: one shot for each bowl nearer the jack than the opponent's nearest.
- Ends alternate: play goes up and down the rink, one direction then the other.
- Formats: singles, pairs, triples and fours, played to a set number of shots, ends or sets, or for a set time.
The glossary has the end, the jack, the bowl, the bias, the head and the shot.
Tricky cases
Can more than one shot be scored in an end?
Yes. Every bowl nearer the jack than the opponent's nearest bowl counts one shot.
Do players bowl straight at the jack?
No. Because of the bias, a bowl is aimed wide and curves in as it slows.
What is the difference between indoor and outdoor bowls?
The laws cover both. Some sizes differ, such as rink width and the jack, and indoor greens are often synthetic.
Is the green always grass?
No. It may be grass or a synthetic surface approved by the national body.
Why the rule exists
Scoring only the bowls nearer than the opponent's best makes position count more than power. The bias means that reaching the jack takes judgement of line and weight together.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World events | Singles to 21 shots; pairs, triples and fours to 18 ends, or sets | WB Law 55.1 |
| Domestic events | Format set by the controlling body | WB Law 55.3 |
| Sets play | Two sets of nine ends and a tie-breaker | WB Law 56 |
From the rule book
World Bowls, Laws of the Sport of Bowls, Crystal Mark Fourth Edition (August 2022), Definitions C.3, C.7, C.13 and D.1 and Laws 1, 2, 22 and 46.4. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the World Bowls Laws of the Sport of Bowls.