Irish Bowls Rules

This is a Draft for review and comment.  Anyone may propose changes; any proposed updates or comments should be directed to a member of the Management Committee in the first instance.

Irish Bowls is played as three wood pairs, sides drawn on the day, for fun.  A game shall be 16 ends.  Players will swap positions (lead/skip etc) after 4 ends, 8 ends and have the option to do so after 12 ends.  All bowls will be played before the jack is cast.  Scoring is as per normal bowls.  Measuring should be limited and if required, done by one person only, using their own measure.

The mat is taken by the first pair drawn on each rink and thereafter by the winners of the previous end.  The jack is cast by the last player to put up their bowl after all the bowls have been played.

Normal rules of bowls apply.  All bowls shall finish within the rink with the usual minimum length of 14m from the front of the mat.  Bowls in the ditch do not count.  No unduly weighted bowls, i.e. no ‘firing’.

The jack must stay within the rink with the usual minimum length of 23m from the mat.  If the jack is short or put in the ditch, it will be returned for the opposition to cast it.  If both sides cast an illegal jack, the end shall be tied with no score to either side.