| Bowlers
must stand with at least one foot on a rubber mat in the center
of the rink being played; the back edge of the mat must be
4 ft (1.2 m) from the ditch.
The
bowls are rolled alternately by the opposing players toward
the jack (2.5 inches or 6.3 cm in diameter). Each bowl nearer
the jack than any bowl rolled by an opponent scores a point.
Bowls are termed dead if:
- They
travel less than 15 yd (13.5 m) from the mat
- Come
to rest outside the rink, or
- Go
into the ditch without touching the jack.
Bowls
that hit the jack on their initial roll are called touchers;
they remain potential scorers wherever they land.
An
end is completed when all bowls have been rolled.
Matches
may be played for a certain number of ends, usually 15 or
17, or until a particular points total is reached, 21 points
in single games. Matches may be played by either individuals
(singles) or by teams of two to four players (pairs, triples,
and 4s).
The
game is played mainly in the United Kingdom, Australia, New
Zealand, and South Africa and to some extent in the United
States, where it was introduced by English settlers in the
late 17th century.
There is an indoor variety of lawn bowls and other
forms more popular in continental Europe. Among
the latter is boccie (or bocce), played in Italy and also
in the United States. |
