Lawn Bowls
The original and still the most popular form of bowls in the world today, the lawn variation started as a phenomenon of the south of England. Today though, Lawn Bowls is played in many countries across the world and indirectly associated with subtle variations elsewhere such as Bocce in Italy, Boules in France and Bolle in Denmark.
The game has largely stayed true to its roots, being played straight up and down a lawn, with each singles player having 4 bowls (otherwise known as ‘woods’) which they roll towards a Jack (or Kitty) - the aim being to get as close as possible. The skill of the game at its core revolves around understanding and manipulating the irregular trajectory of the bowl, which is less rounded on one side and subsequently curves in motion.
Crown Green Bowls
Although also played outdoors, the defining feature of Crown Green Bowls is its peculiar surface. As opposed to the field in Lawn Bowls, this variation uses a square lawn with a slightly raised area in the centre and the game itself can be conducted in any direction around the lawn (left to right or up to down etc.). The format of each game is also different, with just two bowls per end for every player. Such modifications to the format mean an extra tactical dimension is apparent, with players either opting to go over or around the raised area to reach the jack (which can also be played from any direction).
The sport is watched over by the British Crown Green Bowls Association, founded in 1907, with competitions organised on a county basis, which are in turn connected to local pubs and taverns who compete in what’s known as ‘midweek leagues’. The history of the game in competition is fairly long, with the first matches taking place in 1893 in which the combined force of Lancashire and Cheshire took on Yorkshire. Today, though, some 15 counties compete (worth noting that the team of ‘Wales’ is one of these so-called ‘counties’). As reflected in the list of competing teams, the sport is particularly popular in the North of England and the North West Midlands, but there have been international matches due to the spread of Crown Green Bowls to Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and Ireland. Indeed, the first international tournament was held in 1906 and the list of events includes the Senior and Junior Merit competitions, a veterans contest and the Champion of Champions tournament.
Indoor Bowls
Indoor Bowls essentially conforms to the standards of Lawn Bowls, so will be indirectly covered by this guide. In actual fact, the very establishment of Indoor Bowls was a simple consequence of the inclement winter weather conditions for Lawn Bowls, and participants’ desire to keep playing all year round. As such, strips of simulation green akin to Lawn Bowls surfaces were utilised. Interestingly, Indoor Bowls is now a popular sport in its own right, with the major competition being the World Indoor Bowls Council Championships (including singles and pairs formats) and the National Championships.
Short Mat Bowls
Ironically, Short Mat Bowls is itself an off-shoot of Indoor Bowls, responding to the fact that multiple games were not possible simultaneously. Unsurprisingly then, the chief characteristic of Short Mat Bowls is the playing surface - a mat just 12.2 to 13.7 metres in dimensions - while all the other basic equipment is retained. To compensate for the smaller ‘field’ of play, a block measuring 0.38 metres is placed in the centre to force players to ‘curl’ the ball to the Jack, as in Lawn Bowls.
The format was the brainchild of South Africans residing first in Wales and then Northern Ireland, before finally being exported by others to England. By the 1980s, it had gained a certain degree of popularity, and the English Short Mat Bowling Association was eventually set up in 1984.
Notable differences in rules when compared to Lawn Bowls include the use of a dead line (which a bowl must cross or be removed from play), different placement of the Jack on a central line (which is also heavier than other Jacks) and, of course, the use of a block which the bowls cannot touch.
Carpet Bowls
Far less popular and confined largely to East Anglia, the Midlands and the North of England, Carpet Bowls is distinguished both by its playing surface and certain rules. In contrast to Lawn Bowls, the mat is just 9.1 x 1.82 metres and the ditch does not exist. Moreover, the Jack is situated approximately 0.9-1.83 metres from the end of the carpet, the bowls are smaller, a block is used and all bowls must be delivered in a 0.55 metres wide playing space.
Overseen by the English Carpet Bowls Association, ten counties are listed as members and provide the basis for most competitions.
Table Bowls
A pub game played with miniature bowls on a billiards or snooker table. Bowls are delivered using a wooden chute slanted on the table edge, making the angle of delivery absolutely pivotal. Table Bowls is an esoteric leisure activity which lacks any cohesive, centralised body or organised competitive element.