Bowling Formats
Lawn Bowls has many formats, from the standards to some “out of the box” games. Each local region and club have developed completely different formats as well as variations of some of the formats illustrated below.
Standards
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Players each play a set amount of bowls, taking runs one each. Usually played as 4 bowls each, a known variation is 2 bowls singles.
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Singles – four (4) bowls per player
3 players per section whenever possible.
The scoring shall be:4 points for shot
3 points for second shot
2 points for third shot
1 point for fourth shot
Maximum of 10 shots can be scored per end
A variation is known as “100 Up Singles”. Same rules as Australian. Game ends when a players scores 100 points. -
Players play in teams of 2, each player plays a set amount of bowls: 2 Pairs, 3 Bowls Pairs, or 4 Bowls Pairs.
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Two teams. Three players for each team, including a Lead, Vice, and Skip. Triples are generally played to a set amount of ends. Players use either 2 bowls or 3 bowls each.
Standards (Variations)
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Three bowls singles. Two sets of 6 ends. One end tiebreaker. One powerplay per set. One nominated kill per set.
Average game length 40 mins. Three players per lane. Three games per round or mini-tournament.
The jack is always placed on the 2 meter mark, and the mat gets moved to any preferred position within the normal legal length.
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Variation of Australian. Same rules as Australian. Game ends when a player scores 100 points.
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Two bowls pairs. Two sets of 5 ends. One end tiebreaker. One powerplay per set. One nominated kill per set.
Average game length 40 mins. Four teams per group, play round robin. Three games per round or mini-tournament.
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With just four changes to the normal rules, the game is a challenging test, met by the careful use of draw shots and tactical decisions. The drive has been taken out of this game entirely making it a great fun alternative for social bowlers of all standards.
Two jacks – Two heads: Each lead rolls one jack. They are lifted and placed 1m either side of the centerline. Usually both jacks remain separate targets throughout the end, which encourages every player to rely on direct draw shot skills to score points.
Tactics: No two games can ever be the same. Every shot from Lead to Skip may require a different tactical approach to gain progressive scoring advantage. This could include trying for shot bowls to both jacks. Moving a Jack away from an opposition bowl(s). The Lead and Second quietly setting up a few shot bowls close to one Jack, the Skip then goes for the other.
Bonus Points: A bonus point for a “toucher”. Anyone, at any time (including brand new player)s can actively score points for their team. It is not unusual for a team to have 5 or more “touchers”, so bonus points can win or lose the game.
Penalty Points: Drives accrue two penalty points. This is to encourage bowlers to draw and to actively discourage bowlers charging through the head, ‘looking’ for luck. A drive is a bowl that finishes in the ditch.Scoring: The normal score system is used and begins from either jack. This first jack is then removed. No bowl is to be disturbed. The same normal scoring system is then applied to the second jack. The score totals from both jacks are recorded on the card.
Competition Winners: Any established system can be used, but a “point system” is ideal for the game. The suggestion is; 1 Point for a winning end. 1 Point each for a drawn end. 1 Point extra for an end winning advantage of 3 shots. 2 Points extra for an end winning advantage of 4 or more shots.
Skills
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Players have a limited amount of time to deliver their bowls. If they exceed the time limit, they forfeit their turn.
This adds an element of urgency and thrill, as players must make quick decisions and execute shots rapidly.
You can up the excitement further by progressively reducing the time limit for each round, until players are left with only a few seconds to take their turn! -
Four Bowls per player and up to 4 players per rink. Played as a normal game of singles with player holding shot, establishing mat placement and length to play.
On each end, the player with the bowl the longest distance away from the jack has their bowl removed for the remainder of the game. Any bowl out of bounds or in the ditch is also removed.
Player with the bowl the longest distance away from the jack has last bowl on the next end.
Winner is the last player to have bowls in play.
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Similar to trick shot pool, this format encourages players to attempt creative and challenging shots.
Obstacles like ramps, tunnels, and strategically placed cones are scattered on the lane, which players then attempt to execute shots around.
Players are awarded points based on the difficulty and success rate of their trick shots. -
The Jack is placed inside a box that has a hole on one side large enough for a bowl to roll through.
Players must roll their bowls through the hole in order to get close to the jack inside it, without knowing precisely where the jack is.
Once everyone has had their turn, the box is lifted to reveal the winner.
This format adds an element of both luck and skill to the game: it requires precision to get the bowl through the hole, but there’s a randomness involved with where the bowl ends up in relation to the hidden jack.It’s a fun and challenging format that tests a player’s ability to adjust their speed and line on every shot.
Down Under (from Bowls Victoria)
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Rules: Each player has 1 bowl, the bowlers line up around the frisbee thrower. Each player tries to get their bowl closest to the frisbee. All players bowl together. The closest to the frisbee throws it in another direction.
Equipment: Bowls with or without Bias and Frisbees.
Tips: Ensure game area is large enough not to hinder other games and can cater to the number of participants good range of players is from 4 to 20. Increase the number of frisbees and or break into smaller groups. -
Rules: Each player has 1 bowl and 1 jack. Players start from the Mat, which is the Tee. Each player takes turns rolling their bowl towards the jack, while avoiding the obstacles.
Wherever the bowl lands is where each player will next bowl from. Like Golf you count how many deliveries it takes to to complete the hole.
Score: 40 points for 3 rolls to touch the jack, 30 points for 4 or 5 rolls, 20 points for 6 or 7 rolls and 10 points for 8 or more.
Equipment: Mat acts as your Tee, Bowls one per participant, Cones (trees) , hoops (sand bunkers), and a Flap Jack.
Tips: Get players to design their own Bowls golf holes and use the whole green to create a multi-hole course. To increase the challenge, change each hole after it has been played once. Add more obstacles, such as hurdles and pool noodles and design holes close to ditches to make out-of-bounds areas. -
Rules: Each player has 3 bowls. From the mat, each player tries to roll their 3 bowls into the 3 hoops. Wait until all bowls are rolled before scoring.
Scores: 20 points for each bowl that lands into the hoops and a bonus 40 points for landing 3 bowls into the 3 hoops. Include a marker or hurdle to help new bowlers understand where to aim.
Equipment: Mat, Bowls with Bias (3 per participant) and 3 flat hoops.
Challenge: Add obstacles like cones in front of the hoops, space hoops out over a longer distance, encourage players to knock each other’s bowls out of the hoops. Use another hoop as an equipment zone near the mat to return bowls to after scoring is finished. -
Players bowl from a mat and aim to get their bowls through the goal posts and remain in the scoring zone.
How to score: 6 points if a player rolls their bowl between the middle posts, 1 point for a “behind” if the bowl goes through the outer posts and 9 points if a player can land the bowl on the mat behind the central posts to score a “Super Goal”.
Equipment: Mat, Bowls with Bias (three per participant) and 4 cones.
Tips: Challenge players to knock each other’s bowls off the “target” mat. To increase or decrease the difficulty of the game, players can change the position of mats to alter distance and angle or change the size of the scoring zone.