How many bowls does each player have in lawn bowls?
B · Beginner · The game · 2 of 4Bowls is played as singles, pairs, triples or fours. In singles each player has two, three or four bowls; in fours each player has two. Team players bowl in turn by position: the lead first, the second and third next and the skip, who directs the team, last. Positions cannot be swapped after the first end.
How it works
- Singles: two players, each with two, three or four bowls as set by the controlling body.
- Pairs: lead and skip, each with two, three or four bowls.
- Triples: lead, second and skip, each with two or three bowls.
- Fours: lead, second, third and skip, each with two bowls.
- Order: the leads play their bowls in turn, then each pair of players in order.
- Pairs with four bowls: the controlling body picks one of three orders, including leads and skips playing two bowls at a time.
- No swapping: positions are fixed after the first end, except to bring in a substitute.
- Breaking this: a team that changes positions is disqualified and forfeits the game.
- Side games: sides of several teams or singles players, with combined scores.
The glossary has the singles, the pairs, the triples, the fours, the skip and the lead.
Tricky cases
What does the skip do?
The skip is in charge of the team, directs the play and settles disputed points with the opposing skip.
Can a team swap its lead and skip halfway through?
No. A team that changes positions after the first end, without a substitute, is disqualified.
In pairs with four bowls each, does the lead always bowl all four first?
Not always. The controlling body may choose orders where leads and skips alternate in twos.
How many bowls are played in an end of fours?
Sixteen: four players a side, two bowls each.
Why the rule exists
Fixed positions let each player specialise: the lead sets the jack and draws close, and the skip, playing last, deals with what is left. Locking the order stops a team from changing roles to suit an end.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World events, fours | 18 ends, two bowls each | WB Law 55.1.4 |
| World events, triples | 18 ends with two bowls or 15 ends with three | WB Law 55.1.3 |
| Domestic play | Formats set by the controlling body | WB Law 55.3.1 |
From the rule book
World Bowls, Laws of the Sport of Bowls, Crystal Mark Fourth Edition (August 2022), Definitions B.1 to B.3 and Laws 1, 11 and 55. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the World Bowls Laws of the Sport of Bowls.