What is the Difference Between Lawn Bowling and Bocce Ball?

Many people use the terms ‘lawn bowling’ and ‘bocce ball’ interchangeably, thinking that the two sports are one in the same. And even those who know that there’s a slight difference, think it’s only that bocce ball is what the sport is known as in Italy. And while bocce did originate in Italy, the differences go a little deeper than that.

The first most obvious difference is that lawn bowling is traditionally played on a green, while bocce is played on a field that’s usually sand or asphalt. In both sports, there are usually boards placed up alongside the boundaries and in both cases, the playing fields are usually very long rectangular structures.

In bocce, the team to throw their ball first is chosen randomly and they are then given the chance to throw their jacks into a marked zone, somewhat farther down the playing field. Should they miss twice in a row, the other team is then given the same opportunity. Lawn bowls also use a jack, but in this case, it’s the jack that’s placed somewhere along the playing field. The teams then take turns trying to get closest to the jack, and the rules of play become quite complicated with ‘dead’ bowls and ‘live’ jacks.

Another difference between lawn bowling and bocce ball is the type of balls that are used. Jacks made for bocce are usually made from metal or plastic, whereas lawn bowls are generally made of wood. But one of the most glaring differences between the two different types of balls is that balls used for bocce are perfectly round and smooth and have no bias whatsoever. In lawn bowling, the specific bias or sphere of the bowls is essential to game play and plays a huge part in the player’s strategy.

Bocce ball is more known in Italy, although it’s starting to become very popular in the United States too. Lawn bowling is still known as a sport that’s more popular in areas such as New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, and Canada.