Introducing Indoor Bowling
This is a sport played indoors on a carpeted pitch (called a ‘green), where a biased ball (called a ‘bowl’) is rolled to a stationary object ball (called the ‘jack’), with the aim being to get closer to the jack than the opposition.
Matches
A match involves two teams or individuals who will each take turns at rolling their bowls. After all bowls have been delivered, the team or individual with the closest bowl to the jack wins that turn (or ‘end’).
If a team or individual has one bowl closer to the jack than their opponent, then they will score one point (or ‘shot’); if they have two bowls closer to the jack that their opponent, then they will score two shots, and so on.
The Winner
A match may consist of a set number of ends (with the winner being the team or individual who has scored the most shots within those ends), or a shots target (with the winner being the first to reach a certain number of shots).
There are two main variations of indoor bowls as follows.
Flat green
The sport is played on a green which is completely flat. Matches are played within set lanes (called ‘rinks’). The national governing body for this variation of the sport is the English Indoor Bowling Association. Contact details for the English Indoor Bowling Association are:
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 01664 481900
- Website: www.eiba.co.uk
Short mat
This is generally played on a rink mat which is transportable and is smaller than a flat green rink. There is a block midway down the playing surface, providing an obstacle that must be avoided. The national governing body for this variation of the sport is the English Short Mat Bowling Association. Contact details for the English Short Mat Bowling Association are:
- Email – [email protected]
- Website: www.esmba.co.uk