Bowls Glossary

A bowl place behind the head positioned so that if the opposition trails the jack from its current position towards the back of the rink, the back bowl may become shot or reduce the number of shots that the opposition may have if moved to this part of the rink.

The ditch at the end of the green which is directly behind a player when they stand on the mat.

For a right-handed player, delivering a bowl to the left-hand side of the rink, with the bias facing the centre line of the rink.

For a left-handed player, delivering a bowl to the right-hand side of the rink, with the bias facing the centre line of the rink.

The area on the outer edge of the green, beyond the ditch.

Reserve players who have not been selected to play in a competitive game.

On competition days, those players not selected to play may have a practice game at the same time that the competition is in progress.

In the past the term also described those players watching and critiquing the game from the bank, and an obsolete meaning, spelt “banckers”, referred to skillful bowlers who lured unsuspecting amateurs to play them for money or other prizes.

In Australia, the origin of the name may also stem from a sponsorship of a bank who provided prizes or other financial support to clubs.

Instruction from Skip to bowl longer (don’t be short of Jack).

A type of grass (botanical name: Agrostis stolonifera) used for the construction of lawn bowls greens. Known for its carpet like cover, and the ability to successfully cultivate in a wide variety of climates.

This is the bowl at rest beyond the jack nearest the ditch than any opposition bowl.

The natural curve built into a bowl, creating an arc from the point of releasing the bowl to the point it stops.

A call made when determining which player will deliver the first bowl at the start of a game. One player will roll a bowl end over end and calling “bigs” refers to the bowl stopping with the side where the larger rings are facing upward.

A bowl positioned on the green such that it would stop an opponent’s bowl from reaching a defined point, usually the jack, based on its regular line.

A marker placed on the bank to indicate the outside boundary of a rink. If a bowl finishes completely outside the boundary it is a dead bowl.

If the jack is rolled outside the boundary when first delivered, it is returned to the mat for the opposition player to roll the jack.

If the jack is moved outside the boundary after being placed on the centre line, the end is declared a dead end and is replayed, unless the competition has a local rule to spot the jack in such situations.

The biased ball used in the game of bowls. The side of the bowl that is biased can be identified by the smaller engraved concentric rings seen, compared to the outer (non-biased) side of the bowl.

A device that enables players, who have an inability to bend as part of a standard delivery action, to bowl in an upright position. Bowling arms are normally licensed or approved by the controlling body and require the bowler to have a medical certificate to verify the need for use.

Official name of the sport, as defined by World Bowls.

A piece of cloth used by bowlers to clean and/or polish a bowl during a game. They are made of various materials, with the most popular being cotton cloth, or a chamois for wet conditions.

During a game, a planned stop in play, usually an afternoon tea break.  In some competitions, local regulations allow the managers to determine if a break is taken or if the teams play straight through to completion.

When the jack is knocked out of play (the jack is no longer live), the end is burnt. In formal competitions, the end must be replayed. In informal and semi-formal competitions, the jack is placed on the center line of the rink, 2m from the ditch – play then continues as normal.

An end is usually deliberately burnt when the opposing team has an overwhelming advantage in the count. The current player will then use driving weight to try to disrupt the head.