The game of lawn bowls is a mix between bowling and bocce ball and is usually played outdoors. The game involves two players throwing balls--which are weighted on one side to make them curve--in an attempt to get their ball closest to a center ball known as the "jack." Certain rules govern the game of lawn bowls to make play fair for all competitors.
Game Play Rules
Lawn bowls consists of either one, two or four players on a team facing off against another team. A coin toss or similar game of chance is used to determine which team will roll first. The winning team rolls the unbiased jack down the court and must make it travel at least 75 feet. After the jack is rolled, the first player on the same team rolls his first ball---known as a "bowl"---down the court in an attempt to get it as close as possible to the jack. Teams then alternate throwing bowls down the court until all bowls have been rolled or put into play. Teams are permitted to knock the opposing team's bowls out of play, as well as knock the jack closer to or away from a particular ball. Players must keep one foot over the playing mat--which is placed along the center line of the playing court and at least 6 feet from the back boundary--at all times for a roll to be considered legal.
Scoring Rules
Once all the bowls have been rolled, scoring begins. As in bocce or horseshoes, only one team---the team with the bowl closest to the jack---can score per round, which is known as an "end." If a team has more than one bowl closer to the jack than any other opponents' bowls, that team scores multiple points. Each bowl that is eligible to score is worth one point. If both opponents have their closest ball the same distance from the jack, neither team can score during that end.
Violations and Penalties
A player who either fails to stay over the mat or makes an incorrect delivery of the bowl, such as rolling it out of bounds, loses the privilege of bowling first. The other team or player will then re-bowl the jack and begin play. A bowl that is rolled out of bounds is a violation and is ineligible for scoring purposes. If a player plays out of turn, the opposing team has the option of either allowing that bowl to stand and continue in the proper order of play or pick up the bowl and resume play in the proper order.
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