How to Play Lawn Bowls

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Lawn Bowls is a precision rolling game played on a flat or near-flat grass surface called a green. Two to eight players compete individually or in teams, each trying to place their weighted, biased bowls closer to the jack than their opponents. The game rewards a steady hand and calm judgement far more than brute strength, which is a large part of its appeal across all ages and abilities.

It is played widely in parks, private gardens, and dedicated bowling clubs throughout the UK and Commonwealth countries. A well-kept lawn green is the ideal surface, but shorter, even grass will do for informal garden play. The rules below cover both competitive and casual games.

A little history

Bowls has been played in Britain for several centuries, and a green at Southampton is traditionally said to date from the thirteenth century, though documentary evidence for very early play is patchy. The game is widely documented by the sixteenth century, and attempts to suppress it among working people are recorded in various statutes of that era. The modern standardised rules were codified in Scotland during the nineteenth century, and the World Bowls organisation was established in 1905, bringing consistent international laws to the sport.

Setting up

1. Agree the number of ends to be played, typically 18 for competitive club games or a shorter number such as 6-10 for garden play.
2. Place the mat flat on the centre line of the rink at least 2 metres from the ditch at the near end.
3. The player or team going first is decided by coin toss.
4. The first player stands on the mat and rolls the jack along the green. The jack must travel at least 23 metres (in standard play) and must not enter the ditch. If it does, the opposing side re-spots it.
5. Once the jack has come to rest, it is centred on the rink centre line by the marker or by agreement in informal play.
6. Play begins with the player who delivered the jack.

How to play

1. Players must keep at least one foot on or directly above the mat when delivering a bowl. The mat must not be moved once an end has started.
2. Each player delivers all of their bowls alternately with the opposing player or team. In pairs, triples, or fours, teammates each bowl in sequence before the opposition bowls.
3. A bowl is delivered by rolling it smoothly along the green. Each bowl is biased, meaning it curves during its run. Players choose which bias side to use and which line to take to account for the curve.
4. A bowl that comes to rest in the ditch is dead and removed from play, unless it has already made contact with the jack, in which case it is a 'toucher' and remains live even in the ditch. Touchers should be marked with chalk before they reach the ditch.
5. A bowl that finishes outside the boundary of the rink is dead and removed.
6. Players may deliberately drive into the head (the cluster of bowls near the jack) to disturb their opponents' bowls or to move the jack. This is legal.
7. If the jack is knocked into the ditch but remains within the side boundaries of the rink, it remains live and play continues to that position.
8. If the jack is driven out of the rink entirely, the end is declared dead and is replayed.
9. Once all bowls have been delivered, the end is complete and scoring takes place.
10. The mat is then moved to the other end of the rink and the winning side delivers the jack to begin the next end.
11. If no side scores (a dead heat), the same side re-delivers the jack.

Winning and scoring

Scoring takes place at the conclusion of each end. Only one side scores per end. The side whose bowl is nearest the jack scores one point for each of their bowls that is closer to the jack than the nearest bowl of the opposition. For example, if the winning side has three bowls all closer to the jack than any opponent bowl, they score three points that end.

In a standard competitive game, the winner is the first side to reach 21 points, or the side with the highest score after the agreed number of ends has been played. In garden or casual play, any target score or number of ends can be agreed before the game starts.

The fine points

Measuring disputes are common when bowls appear very close to the jack. The accepted method is to use a flexible tape measure from the nearest surface of the jack to the nearest surface of each bowl in question. Neither player should move any bowl or the jack before a proper measure is taken. If a bowl is accidentally moved during measuring, it is replaced as nearly as possible to its original position and agreed by both sides. In formal play, a neutral marker or umpire measures and their decision is final.

A bowl that wobbles or topples after coming to rest is deemed to have settled where it falls, provided no outside agency caused the movement. If a bowl is disturbed by a person, an animal, or an object not part of the game, it is replaced to its original position where possible. Any bowl moved by a player by accident during an end remains where it ends up, unless both sides agree it can be replaced, which is common practice in garden play.

How to win more often

• Bowl to the same hand consistently within an end. Switching between forehand and backhand mid-end makes it harder to judge pace and build a reliable line.
• In the early bowls of an end, aim to draw close to the jack rather than drive. A safe draw gives you a scoring position and forces your opponent to attack.
• Watch every bowl your opponent delivers. Their line and pace tell you how the green is running and whether there is any bias in the surface itself.
• When you are lying shot (your bowl is nearest the jack), use your remaining bowls to build cover behind the jack rather than crowding the head, so that if the jack is moved it runs into your bowls rather than away from them.
• If you are well behind in an end with your last bowl, a firm drive to scatter the head is often the correct play. Leaving a bad end intact and losing five or six shots is far more damaging than the risk of a drive going wrong.

Variations

Singles

Two players compete head to head, each using four bowls. The game is typically first to 21 shots. Singles is the purest test of individual skill and is the standard competitive format at club level.

Pairs

Two teams of two players each use four bowls per player, giving eight bowls per side per end. Partners bowl at the same end throughout and swap roles (lead and skip) each end if they wish, though in formal play roles are fixed for the match.

Triples

Teams of three, with each player using three bowls. The lead, second, and skip each bowl in order. This is a popular format for club competitions as it accommodates odd numbers of players and keeps matches to a manageable length.

Short Mat Bowls

Played indoors on a short carpet mat, typically around 40 feet long, with a wooden block placed centrally to prevent straight drives. All the core rules of delivery, scoring, and end play remain the same. Short mat bowls is widely played in village halls and sports centres as a year-round alternative to the outdoor green.

Lawn Bowls: frequently asked questions