Dimensions for Bowls — Lawn Bowls

Lawn bowls can be played as singles, pairs, triples and four-player teams and is played on a flat, grassed (or synthetic) surface called a green.

Related topics: bowls

The information in this guide is general in nature and cannot be relied upon as professional advice concerning the design of, or marking out for, sporting facilities and playing areas. No assurance is given as to the accuracy of any information contained in this guide and readers should not rely on its accuracy. Readers should obtain their own independent and professional advice in relation to their proposed sporting activity.

The green is divided into playing areas called rinks. Surrounding the green is a ditch and a bank upon which markers indicate the boundaries and centre lines of each rink. The art of this game is to be able to deliver bowls consistently close to a small, white ball called a jack. The jack is placed on the centre line.

Players deliver their bowls alternately from a mat at one end on the centre line of the rink. After the mat has been laid on the green, the jack is delivered toward the other end. The jack is perfectly round, much smaller than a bowl and is yellow or white.

Bowls (which weigh about 1.5kg each) are shaped so that they do not run in a straight line, but take a curved path (bias) towards the jack. A bowl can be delivered either forehand or backhand.

The aim of the game is to get one or more bowls closer to the jack than those (the closest bowl) of the opposition. One point is scored for each counting bowl. After playing all the bowls in one direction, the direction of play is reversed and the next end is played back down the rink in the opposite direction. Every game consists of a series of ends and the winner can either be the one who has scored the most shots after a specified number of ends or the first to reach a designated score.

Bowls Australia is the national body for bowls. Their guidelines on bowling green specifications follow.

Green

The green is either rectangular or square. The length of the green in the direction of play is between 31m and 40m.

Ditch

The green is surrounded by a ditch between 200mm and 380mm wide and between 50mm and 200mm deep.

Plinth

The ‘plinth’ is the edge of the grass which adjoins the ditch.

Mat

The mat is 600mm long and 360mm wide.

Bank

The bank is a minimum of 23mm above the level of the green. The bank is perpendicular to the playing surface of the green or at an angle of up to 35° from the perpendicular. The surface of the bank must be made of a material that will not damage the jack or bowls.

Rinks

The green is divided into sections called rinks. The rinks are between 4.3m and 5.8m wide. The rinks are numbered in order, with the centre of each rink marked on the bank at each end by a vertical peg that has the rink number on it. The prepared surface of the green extends for a minimum of 0.6m beyond the side boundary.

The four corners of the rinks are marked by white or brightly coloured vertical boundary pegs and located at least 600mm from the side ditch.

The centre line of each rink is defined by a line on the green for a minimum distance of 4m starting 2m from each ditch.

Lighting

Floodlights are located in positions that will provide the least glare to bowlers by placing the lighting away from normal lines of sight. It is recommended that a corner lighting system is used for outdoor greens. The minimum lux for competition, recreation and training is 100. The minimum mounting height of the pole is 12m.

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