A Beginners Guide

Green = whole playing surface.

 

Rink = the area a game is played on.

 

End = play from one end of the rink to the other.

 

Jack or cott = small light coloured ball you are aiming to be close to.

 

Woods = the bowls.

 

Match (league)= usually divided into 4 or 2 games.

 

Team (league) = usually 12 or 6 players for a match.

 

Set or Rink (league) = usually 3 players (skip, second & lead) for a game.

 

Lead = is the first person to play and is trying to get as close as possible to the

                jack.

 

Second = will consolidate the position of the team by making safe or adding

                     more to the total. Has responsibility for measuring and recording the score.

 

Skip = will control your rink and direct you where the best position for your

               bowl to be, then do his/her best not to mess it up when it is his/her

               turn. 

 

EBF = code of play. Most basically a bowl has to be within 2 metres of the jack to count as a                scoring wood, anything in the ditch does not count and is removed from play.  The                      skip may change the playing position of any member of his set.

 

BE (or EBA) = code of play. Most basically, most bowls are scoring woods and any current                   played bowl which touches the jack before coming to rest is marked and then would                 be scoring wood even if ending up in the ditch and so remains in play. Players remain                 in their starting positions for the whole match.

 

MATCHPLAY

            The whole playing surface which is divided into strips called rinks, for competition                       matchplay one match = one rink. For league matchplay there are usually 12 team                       members playing  in four sets of three on one rink each (one match = four rinks)                           except Tuesday afternoon which has a team of 6 on two rinks and Tuesday evening                     which has a team of 12 split home and away ie: two rinks home and two rinks away.                   Most games except Mondays are made up of a match consisting of 18 ends using 3                     woods.

             You play from one end of the rink towards the other end, this is one end, an 18 end                     game consists of 9 times up the rink and nine times playing back the other way.