BIAS
Bias is the amount of curve that a bowl will take during its course to the jack. Bowls are available with several different biases.
BLOCKER
A blocker is a bowl played to a position that restricts the opposition from getting to the target.
BOWLS
A bowl is made of a plastic composition which is shaped to give a ‘bias’. It is not weighted in any way.
Sometimes called a wood, emanating the time when they were made from a heavy wood called Lignum Vitae.
DEAD END
A dead end is one where the ‘Jack’ has been moved outside the boundaries of the rink by a bowl in play. In normal competition dead ends must be replayed.
DELIVERY
Delivery is the action of rolling a bowl. The development of a good delivery enables consistent performance.
DRAW
A draw is a bowl delivered with the correct weight and line to come to rest as close as possible to the target.
DRIVE
A shot played with minimum bias and sufficient weight to open up the head, to rearrange bowls in the head or to destroy an unfavourable head.
END
An end of bowls comprises the placing of the mat, the delivery of the jack and the playing of all the required bowls of all of the players in one direction of the rink.
GREEN
The green is the curved route taken to the jack. e.g. ‘you are a yard short but your green was good’.
HEAD
The head refers collectively to the jack and the bowls that have been delivered and come to rest within the boundaries of the rink.
HEAVY
When a player unintentionally delivers a bowl beyond the jack or the intended target it is described as being heavy.
JACK
The jack is the small white or yellow ball that is the target in bowls.
JACK LEVEL/JACK HIGH
A bowl which, when it comes to rest, is at the same distance from the mat as is the jack.
REST
To rest a bowl is to deliver it so that it gently comes to rest against another bowl to give you an advantage.
SHORT
A bowl that does not reach the jack or the intended target is described as being short.
SHOT
Shot can have several meanings. The shot or shots are the number of points scored in an end. It can also mean the type of delivery, e.g. a drawing shot. Also during an end, shot is the bowl currently nearest the jack.
TRAIL SHOT
A trail shot is an extension of the draw shot and is played with such controlled weight that it moves the jack so the bowl stay with it or moves the jack to a more advantageous position; i.e. to your waiting bowls.
TOUCHER
A toucher is a bowl that during its original course touches the jack before finishing within the boundaries of the rink including the end ditch.
WEIGHT
Weight is the term used to refer to the power applied to a delivery.
WREST OUT
Wrest out is the term used when the bowl is delivered with sufficient pace to push a bowl from its former position to take its place.
YARD ON
A yard on shot is another extension of the draw shot and must be played with very controlled weight.
It can be used to deliver a bowl so that it finishes three feet beyond the previous bowl, to promote bowls into the head, to wrest bowls out of the head or to plant bowls into the head.