Bowls Formats

Singles – four (4) bowls per player

3 players per section whenever possible

100 up (first player to score 100)

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

The game ends when a players scores 100 points.

With just four changes to the normal rules, the game is very different. Two Jack Bowls provides a new and exciting bowling experience to all bowlers looking for something a little different. 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. It is extremely competitive, yet has maintained the vagaries inherent in the regular game. Two Jack Bowls is really absorbing and fun to play.

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. The scoring tide can turn very rapidly and never forget the opposition might be up to the same tricks and be better tacticians. Be ever vigilant!

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. Bonus and Penalty points are to be taken into account.

Blind bowls is just what the name implies – players wear blindfolds and rely on their teammates’ instructions to bowl their shots. It’s a great way to test communication and teamwork skills, not to mention a lot of fun – just make sure no one trips over a bowl when playing!

Two sides, one batting team and one bowling team.

The batting team bowls at the numbered cones scoring points for each cone they knock over.

No points are scored if the bowl hits a cone and then falls in the ditch.

The bowling team bowls at the wickets, each time they knock “the bails” off, the batting team loses a wicket. When ten wickets have fallen, the teams swap sides.

How to score:

Batting team bowls at the numbered cones scoring points for each they knock over. cones labelled 1-6, with 1 being the closest and easiest to hit, and 6 being the furthest and hardest to hit.

Equipment, Tennis balls or Bowls, 9 cones these need to be numbered 1-6 for runs and 3 stacked cones for the wicket and 2 mats.

Tips, Play a Twenty20 with 20 bowls each side, or play a test with two innings each.

Players bowl from a mat and aim to get their bowls through the posts and remain in the scoring zone.

How to score, 6 points if you get the bowl between the middle posts, 1 point for a “behind” if the bowl goes through the outer posts and 9 points if you 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 you can change the position of mats to alter distance and angle or change the size of the scoring zone.

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.

Each player has one bowls and one jack. Players start from the Mat which is your Tee and take turns to roll, you have to try and roll your bowl towards your jack while avoiding the obstacles.

Wherever your bowl lands that is where you 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-bound areas.

Each player has 3 bowls, take it in turns to roll from the mat the players then need to try and 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.

Jack Attack is a fun and fast-paced format of bowls, aimed to encourage participation with non-bowling members of the community. Jack Attack appeals to people who are looking for a more structured bowls competition than barefoot bowls, but don’t have the time to commit to longer formats of the game.

It’s intended to be run as a four-week competition, staged ideally on a midweek evening, but clubs are free to schedule games any time that suits their club and audiences.

The Basics

Three players per team

Team order can be interchangeable

Each player plays two bowls per end

Five ends completes a set

Two sets completes a match

A sudden-death tie-break will determine a winner, should sets be evenly split

Players aim to deliver their bowl as close to the jack as possible

The number of your team’s bowls closer to the jack than the nearest opposition bowl is the number of points you score

The jack is placed wherever the winning team wants at the opposite end of the green

Players to wait until all bowls are delivered before changing ends

Each team gets to have one power-play end per set. A power-play is where points are worth double.

Should the jack be knocked out of play, it will be re-placed back in a central position known as the ‘T’

All over in less than 75 minutes

The name of this one is very much literal!

The jack is placed inside a box that has a small hole on one side.

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’s 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.

Players play in teams of 2, each player plays a set amount of bowls.

2 x 2 x 2 x 2 Pairs

3 Bowls Pairs

3 Bowl pairs – 1 end per match

Play to a set number of ends (Suggested is 16), or to a timer.

1 end shootout finals

Jack out of bounds is re-spotted on the T

Tied end will be 1 bowl per player shootout

Toss a coin for jack/mat every end

The goal is to get to the highest number rink on your green.

If you win a match, you move up one rink, if you lose your match, you move down one rink.

Winning team on the highest rink of the green will hold their position, losing team on the lowest rink of the green will hold their position.

Rink draw is done via random draw, skips will come up to the table and collect a card with a number, that car will be your starting rink number.

Rules may vary from club to club

• Dress mufti.


• Prize money to be determined on the day, depending on the number of players.


• Each player will play with three bowls only, with a maximum of four players per rink.


• The player drawing the lead position on the first end on each rink will keep the score card for the entire game. Other players to measure and declare the results.


• On the first end the player drawing the lead position delivers the jack a minimum length of 21 meters, and to be played to where the jack is rolled (don’t move it to the centre). Should the jack be delivered out of bounds or in the ditch, a penalty of two shots shall be deducted from the offending player.


• On the second and subsequent ends, the player with the highest score on the previous end will lead followed by the player with the next highest score and so on.


• Game will be 18 ends maximum, or on the bell as decided by the controlling body.


• On each end, the scoring will be:1st shot-four points, 2nd shot-three points, 3rd shot-two points, 4th shot-one point.


• No driving is permitted. If a player knocks the jack into the ditch, the end will be declared dead and five points deducted from the offending player. The end will count.


• A bowl knocked into the ditch or out of bounds will incur a penalty of two points by the offending player.


• A bowl in course rolling into the ditch or finishing out of bounds will incur a penalty of two shots. This players remaining bowls are included in the final count.


• Players are not permitted to inspect the head; a penalty of five points will be deducted from the offending player.
  The winner shall be the player with the highest overall score.

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.

Speed bowls is all about going fast (as you can guess from the name!).

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!

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 around the rink, which players then attempt to execute shots around.

Players are awarded points based on the difficulty and success rate of their trick shots.

This makes each end a fun display of showmanship as players try to out-invent each other.

Triples are generally played to a set amount of ends.

Players use either 2 bowls, or 3 bowls each.