Bowls Glossary

At the start of a game a toss of a coin or bowl is held.

The winner of the toss has the option to play the first bowl, called keeping the mat, or letting the opposition have the first bowl, to “give away the mat”, thus reserving the last bowl of the end for themselves.

After the first end, the winner of the end automatically gets the mat and the first bowl of the next end.

Some controlling bodies have experimented with an additional rule allowing the winner of the end to decide if they keep the mat or give the mat away.

Having the last bowl of an end is seen as an advantage, particularly at the highest levels of competition.

Refers to the width of the bowl required to enable it to stop at a designated point within the rink. To take more grass is to bowl wider than your previous delivery a grass green refers to the type of playing surface that the green has manufactured from, as opposed to a synthetic or artificial green.

Alternative description to grass to describe the width of the bowl required to enable it to stop at a designated point within the rink. To take more green is to bowl wider than your previous delivery. The area of the playing surface containing one or more rinks, the perimeter of which is usually defined by a surrounding ditch.

Common term for the staff who maintain bowling greens.

Refers to the way a player holds the bowl in preparation for delivery. Two common grips are the “claw grip” and the “cradle grip”. A bowl that is manufactured with an inverted ridge or dimple around the outer edges of the side of the bowl is also referred to as a grip or “gripped” bowl.