The scoop on lawn bowling

If you’ve ever wondered what bowls — better known as lawn bowling — is all about, the Free Press has the scoop on it.

First off, to get you in the right headspace it’s important to not compare bowls to alley bowling. Although there is a ball that is rolled, there are no pins at the end to knock down. Bowls is better compared to curling and bocce ball.

The game is played on a turf known as a rink. The rink can be made of grass — a bowling green — or carpet.

Both types of rinks have advantages and disadvantages, with players usually having a preference. With grass turf, bowlers need more force while rolling the ball to make it through the thicker terrain, while carpet is a smooth surface and requires a lighter touch.

The rink is outlined by a gutter on all sides, which deems the bowl out of play if it lands in it (unless it touches the jack first).

The jack is a small spherical ball, either white or yellow in colour, and is used as the target.

The bowl is a four-pound ball that is biased in shape, meaning one side of the bowl is heavier than the other, and is about double the size of the jack.

With the uneven weight, the bowl then curves based on how the bowler holds it, either with the lighter side on the inside or outside of their hand. There are indentations lined on the bowl for the bowler to grip and can either roll a backhand or forehand draw.

Teams can consist of singles, doubles, triples, or fours. Each player is allotted a certain number of bowls, which differ based on how many team members there are.

At the beginning of the game, there is a coin toss and the winner rolls the jack to begin the match as well as the first bowl. The jack must roll a minimum of 23 metres for it to be considered in play. If it meets the required distance, it is then moved into the centre of the lane.

Then the game begins with the players rolling their bowls and points are awarded to the team that has their bowls closest to the jack. Each round is called an end, and when an end is complete, the team switches sides.

Each player must bowl from their mat, a rectangular piece of cloth that the player must have a foot on or over at all times while they bowl.

The different positions in a team are the lead, second, third/vice, and skip. Each position has a different role in the game and is assigned to the players based on their strengths.

Much like curling, bowlers strategize on where they want their bowl to land and are able to hit the other team’s bowls out of the way or hit the jack itself and create a new target point.

grace.penner@winnipegfrepress.com