So, you are at the head with the other players and about to watch the Skips’ bowls. It’s worth having a few bowling phrases that will make you sound like a seasoned performer. Waving at the bowls whilst they are moving has little effect on where they end up.

1. If the bowl is a good line and length: “It’s having a look” or “That’s in the count”.

2. If the bowl is a good line but a bit firm: “That could do some damage”.

3. If the bowl is coming up short: “It won’t make the journey” or “It’s all down to weight”.

4. If the bowl will sail past the head: “It’s never wasted there” or “Running”.

5. If the bowl will hit another bowl: “That’ll be wrecked”.

6. If your skip puts a good bowl in: “Well you bowled”.

7. Wrong bias – “Holding shot on the next rink”. No, they won’t have heard it before.

8. If there is a lucky wick, best not to articulate any phrases you may be thinking.

 

There are other bowling terms that you may come across:

 

Back bowl A bowl that ends up behind the head. Sometimes deliberately.

Backhand The left-hand side of the rink for a right-hander where a bowl will bend from left towards the centre line. Opposite way round for left-handers.

Bank The raised area on the other side of the ditch surrounding the outdoor green.

Be Up Plaintive cry for you not to be short with your next delivery. Again.

Bias Determines how much a bowl will bend on its path to its target.

Blocker A bowl deliberately played short to protect your position by blocking the opponent’s preferred line. Also known as Guard/Policeman/Goalkeeper.

Bowls Acquired in sets of four of identical size, weight, colour, bias and serial number.

When bowled, however, do not seem to perform in an identical way.

Bruise Mat Fine gauge netting pinned in front of the mat to protect a soggy green.

Calipers Metal hinged prongs used for measuring bowls which are very close to the Jack.

Count An expression used such as ‘It’s in the count’ which means that your bowl has come to rest among those that are closer to the jack than any of your opponents’ bowls.

Delivery The delivery is the action of sending a bowl towards the jack.

Down The other team are at least one bowl closest to the jack

Divot Term of endearment used by the Skip aka “You divot!” but usually the missing bits of turf from the green that are caused by poor technique and releasing the bowl too high.

Draw The art of delivering a bowl as close as possible to the target (generally the jack). You may hear a skip issuing an instruction such as “Just draw to the jack”.

Dead bowl A bowl no longer in play - having been bowled or knocked beyond the rink or mat’s boundary and not having been marked as a toucher. Will be removed.

Dead End A dead end occurs when the jack is knocked outside the the rink during play. No score is recorded and the end is replayed. In Shortmat, we play 2 shots to the opposition if you knock the jack off the mat.

Ditch Outdoors, it is the trench that surrounds the green and so is at each end of each rink. Indoors, it is a taped off area at the end of the Shortmat.

Drive (fire) A shot played with great force to disrupt the head. Apparently known in Scotland as a “blooter”. Also known as a ‘Take out’ when removing an opponent’s bowl.

End Each time all players have played all their bowls in one direction it constitutes an 'end' played. An End begins with placing the mat and delivering the jack. It is completed after the last bowl has been played and the score agreed.

Extra End If the scores are level after the designated number of ends have been played, an extra end is played to determine a winner (in competition play).

Follow through The arc of the delivery arm along the line of the delivered bowl.

Foot fault Where the position of the bowler’s feet at the point of delivery is against the rules.

Forehand The right-hand side of the rink (for a right-handed bowler taking stance on the mat) where a bowl will bend from right to left towards the centre line.

Green The total outdoor playing surface, which is divided up into rinks for match play.

Take the green Instruction to remind bowlers to take a line that allows their bowls to fully bend and not to take a line that is too narrow.

Head The head refers collectively to the Jack and the live bowls that have been delivered.

Heavy bowl A bowl delivered with weight. It can be intentional or not.

Hog Line A rink marking indicating the minimum distance that the jack has to clear.

Jack The small white/yellow ball that is the target in bowls. You may also hear it referred to colloquially as the “White”, the “Kitty” or the “Sweetie”.

Jack high A bowl that has come to rest level with the jack.

Last bowl Comparable to The Hammer in curling, but we are a little less evocative in our naming. We call the last bowl to be played in any end….. “the last bowl”. The player holding the last bowl may, however, opt not to play it if they consider the head/position too dangerous.

Lead The player who lays the mat, delivers the jack and plays the first bowl for their team at the start of an end.

Line The curved route to the Jack.

Live bowl Any bowl that is active during an end and which can have an influence in the outcome of that end — no matter how. Must be within the confines of the rink/mat (if it is in the ditch, it must have touched the jack to be still alive).

Long Jack Where the jack is delivered to a point on or close to the 2m mark from the ditch at the opposite end of the rink. In Shortmat when it is placed at the back of the jack line.

Mark (chalk) it To mark a bowl with chalk (or spray) to indicate it has touched the jack.

Marker A person who officiates in a game of singles.

Mat The rectangular piece of rubber placed on the rink at the start of each end. Outdoors, It can be positioned anywhere along the centre line of the rink as long as it is at least 2m from the ditch edge and leaves at least 23m from it to the jack (effectively at least 25m from the front ditch). Also indicates whose turn it is, eg:  "It's your mat".

Measure The action or device used to ascertain which bowl is closest to the jack.

Narrow A bowl delivered inside the ideal line.

Pace of the Green Either Fast or Slow. A Fast green requires less effort in delivering the bowl and is usual for indoor carpets. Damp and the grass length will affect the pace of the green.

Pineapple A badly released bowl that hops, skips, wobbles or jumps. Sometimes called a Potato.

Plant Strike another bowl causing it to strike other bowls changing their position.

Promote a bowl Intentionally hit one of your team’s bowls to move it closer to the jack.

Roll-Up Informal social bowls, usually with biscuits.

Rink The rectangular division of the green used for individual games.

Rink (fours) A team of four players.

Rub/Wick Where a bowl hits another bowl and changes its line into/past the head.

Second (Number 2) The player who plays second in a rink (fours side) or triple.

Short bowl A bowl that has not reached the head/jack. Or ‘made the journey’.

Short jack A jack that is delivered to a point that is at, or just over the minimum distance permitted (23m). In Shortmat when it is placed at the front of the jack line.

Shot Different meanings depending on how it is used. 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, and during an end, the bowl that is currently nearest the jack. ‘Shot Wood’ or ‘Shot Bowl’.

Shoulder The point of a bowl’s line where it begins to curve inwards towards its target.

Singles A head to head game between two players. Usually four bowls.

Skip The skip is short for ‘skipper’ who is the captain of the team and is the last to bowl. They are responsible for deciding the team’s tactics, maintaining the score card and salvaging what they can from the head they have been left with.

Stance The position adopted on the mat prior to delivery.

Strings Used to define the boundaries of the rink (outdoors).

Sweeper A Zimmerframe-like trolley used to collect the bowls at the end of the end.

Third This person is the third to bowl in a rinks team. They are deputy skip.

Tied End This occurs when the closest bowls of each side are exactly the same distance from the jack at the completion of the end – most commonly both bowls touching the jack. In this event neither side scores a shot but the end is scored as played.

Toucher Bowl that has touched the jack during its course, to be marked with chalk/ spray.

Toucher (in the ditch) A toucher that ends up in the ditch is still a 'live' bowl as long as it is within the confines of the rink.

Trail (the Jack) Playing a bowl that 'picks' up the jack and moves it to another position in the rink. A 'trail' shot normally implies that the jack stays largely with the bowl.

Trial Ends Before starting some games one practice end of two bowls each is allowed each way. Can be referred to as 'Two up, Two down'.

Triples A team of three players who normally play with three bowls.

Umpire The main official at any game who hangs around all afternoon on the off-chance that they will be needed to resolve a dispute or advise on the laws of the game.

Up Your team are at least one bowl closest to the jack

Using the mat Outdoors, moving the mat to various positions up and down the centre line of the rink in order to lengthen/shorten the length to the jack and disconcert the opposition. Also to avoid the divots in the green caused by bowlers launching from knee height.

Visiting the Head Not a toilet-break but when the Skip puts their bowl down and ambles up from the mat to have a look at what they are faced with.

Walking the mat Moving your position on the mat to change your line to avoid bowls in the way.

Weight The term used to refer to the power applied to a delivery.

Wide bowl A bowl played outside the line which finishes wide of its target.

Woods Still a term used for bowls by some - because that’s what they used to be made from.

Wrecked A bowl that hits another bowl in its path and is stopped in its tracks.