Glossary, Part 2

We brought you all kinds of terminology in our first post about lawn bowling language, which you can find here. But it seems that we missed some of the lingo that’s commonly tossed around the green so, we’ve brought another installment of our Lawn Bowling Glossary to give you a better idea of what you’re talking about if you’re a beginner, or to brush up on some old terms if you’re a novice!

Block – This is a bowl that sits right in the line of fire. Bowlers will strategically block their opponent to keep them from scoring or winning.

Bowl in Course – This can also be thought of as ‘any bowl in motion.’ From the moment you release the bowl from your hand, to the moment it rests somewhere so it is no longer moving, the bowl is in course.

Covered – This is what it’s called when a bowl is in front of another bowl, or in front of another bowl. In this instance, the bowl in front would be ‘covering’ the other bowl.

Dead Bowl – A dead bowl can occur on the green for many reasons. One instance of a dead bowl is if any bowl, with the exception of the toucher, should come to rest in a ditch. A bowl can also become dead if it touches any side of rink and comes back to the green, or if it touches any jack or toucher that sits in a ditch. If a bowl stops 15 yards or less from the mat, this bowl will also be considered a ‘dead bowl.’ Any bowls that come to a stop anywhere outside of the boundaries of the rink are also considered to be dead bowls.

Dead end – Any end that has within it a dead jack is considered to be a dead end. The jack becomes dead if it has rolled outside the boundaries of the rink. Should an end become dead, the two skips will decide mutually in which direction the end should be played out. Traditionally, the round is replayed in the same direction that it was originally being played.

Fast Green – A fast green refers to the conditions of the actual green being played on. If the grass has been cut too close or the green has been allowed to dry out, it will be a fast green. The bowls will have a wider curve on them and the ironically, the course will take longer to play.

Four – This is the type of team that is playing the round. Four members logically enough, make up a Four and within this Four, each member has a specific role. Within a Four are: the lead, the second, the third, and the skip. Each player delivers two bowls each round.

This time, we’ve found too many new terms to bombard you all at once with them! Check back soon for another installment of our Lawn Bowling Glossary. And if you have any suggestions on terms that we’ve missed, drop us a line and let us know!

The Roles in Bowls

In lawn bowling, each team is made up of 4 people. These 4 people each have their own role within that team and each role has their own responsibilities. The 4 roles are called The Lead, The Second, The Third, and The Skip. Here’s a brief explanation about what each does.

The Lead – The first player to bowl is called The Lead and they will approach first, lay down the mat, position the target or jack where The Skip would like it, and deliver the first bowl. Generally The Lead tries to position their bowl just in front of the jack or just behind it. The worst thing The Lead could do is deliver a short bowl, which could hinder the other players on his team, or deliver a wing shot, which could help players of the opposing team.

The Second – The Second is the second person on the team to bowl. The Skip may offer them tips on how to deliver their bowl, depending on whether or not The Skip thinks they are in a good position.

The Third – The Third is the third person on the team to bowl but is generally a more experienced player. This is because they will require a greater level of skill as there will already be several bowls in the playing green and they will need to know how to maneuver around them. The Third may actually tell The Skip what they think is best but ultimately, they must leave the decision to The Skip and carry out what they think is best.

The Skip – This is the hardest role within lawn bowling. Not only must The Skip be extremely knowledgeable about lawn bowling and its techniques and strategies but they must also be able to throw just about any shot there is. In addition to all of this, they must be able to advise other team members on what they should do and should also offer support throughout each match.

Lawn Bowling Glossary

While it’s true that there really aren’t that many terms that you need to know to enjoy the sport of lawn bowling, there are a few that you should become familiar with. Here is a short list of the most commonly used terms in lawn bowling.

Backhand – This is when you swing the bowl across the body to the side from which you want to throw the shot.

Centre Line – This is the line marked at each end of the rink that the jack and the mat must sit.

Controlled Weight Shot – This is a move the bowler will make when they’re trying to achieve what could be done with a drive but not lose their bowl.

Ditch – This is an actual ditch built around the exterior of the rink. If a bowl lands in here, it’s considered dead unless it’s a toucher bowl.

Draw – This is when the bowl is thrown in an effort to get as close as possible to the jack.

Drive – This is a throw that attempts to knock other bowls or the jack out of position.

End – An end can only be played when the jack is still live. It’s when each bowl is thrown in a match, all in the same direction.

Forehand – This is a move that throws the bowl from the same side of the body that the hand holding the bowl is on.

Green – This is what the sport is played on.

Head – The bowls around the jack at the finish of an end are called a head.

Jacks – This is the bowl that other bowlers want to get their bowls closest to.

Mat – This is what the bowler will stand on while they throw.

Rink – This definition is used to either define the specific area in which an end is played or a group of 4 players making a team.

Shot – This is the bowl that is closest to the jack when the end is finished.

Wood or Bowl – The ball that bowlers use to throw towards the jack.