Bowls Formats
Lawn Bowls has many format variations, below are just a few. If you have a format you would like to share, please submit it and we’ll get it added and share it with the world.
There are currently 2 Bowls Formats in this directory beginning with the letter J.
Jack Attack
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
Credit: Bowls VictoriaIt’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
Jack In The Box
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.
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.
Submit a Bowls Format