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.