How does sets play work in lawn bowls?
I · Intermediate · The green, the equipment and sets play · 7 of 7In sets play, a game is two sets of nine ends each, won on shots. If each side wins a set, or both are drawn, a three-end tie-breaker decides it, with more ends if still level. In sections, a win earns three game points and each set won a set point. A dead jack is always re-spotted.
How it works
- Format: better of two sets, each nine ends unless agreed otherwise.
- A set: won by the higher shot total after nine ends; equal shots make it a draw.
- Knockouts: play in a set stops when one side cannot draw or win it.
- Tie-breaker: three ends if the sets are split or both drawn; then single ends until there is a winner.
- First set: a coin toss; second set: the first set's winner starts.
- Game points: three for a win, none for a loss.
- Set points: one for a set won, half for a draw; the tie-breaker is not a set.
- Section order: game points, sets won, net set points, net shots, then the head-to-head result.
- Re-spotting: a dead jack goes to a set spot 2 m from the front ditch and play continues.
The glossary has the sets play, the tie-breaker, the game points and set points, the re-spot position, the end and the net total of shots.
Tricky cases
A side wins the first set 10-2 and loses the second 4-5. Who wins?
Neither yet. The sets are split, so a tie-breaker decides it.
Does a tie-breaker count as a set for points?
No. The tie-breaker is not a set.
The jack is knocked out over the right-hand boundary in sets play. Where does it go?
To a spot 2 m from the front ditch and 1.5 m right of the centre line, or the single centre spot if that method is used.
Who starts the second set if the first was drawn?
The winner of the last scoring end of the first set.
Why the rule exists
Short sets keep games tense and suit television and tight schedules. Re-spotting the jack stops a dead end from wiping out a long run of play.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sets play | Two sets of nine ends | WB Law 56.1 |
| Tie-breaker | Three ends | WB Law 56.2 |
| Ordinary play | Dead jack means a dead end, unless re-spotting is adopted | WB Laws 19.4, 19.5 |
From the rule book
World Bowls, Laws of the Sport of Bowls, Crystal Mark Fourth Edition (August 2022), Law 56. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the World Bowls Laws of the Sport of Bowls.