II.2.1. Main rules
The court
Ideally the court has a solid and levelled surface. The surface can be composed of soil, asphalt, dirt or synthetic material and it can also be turf. The sides have to be marked with a border of at least 25 cm in height, made of concrete or wood, and the bumper boards at the end lines, which allow moderate sway, are made of wood with hard rubber coating.
The ball
The ball has a weight of 920 g and a size of 107 mm in diameter. It is made of coloured plastic or bone. The pallino has a weight of 80 g and a size of 4 cm in diameter. (The size of the ball may be different for young and adult players.)
The game
The aim of the game is to place one’s bowls as near as possible to the pallino (the jack). Usually this is done by bowling.
Team competitions consist of a triples, then a singles and a doubles game. In general, matches start with the triples, then come the singles and doubles games, played simultaneously. Thus, the results for team matches can be 3-0 or 2-1.
Team combinations
- 1 player against 1 player (with 4 bowls per player)
- 2 players against 2 players (with 4 bowls per player)
- 3 players against 3 players (with 6 bowls per player)
The game
- The match begins with a toss that decides which team starts on which end.
- The pallino is placed in the centre, then the first player tries to throw his/her ball close to it.
- If the throw was well executed, the opponents try to place their balls closer to the pallino than the other team. The side that does not have the ball closest to the jack has a chance to bowl, up until one side or the other has used their four balls.
- It is the first player’s turn again. When both teams delivered all of their bowls, the referee decides which ball is the closest to the pallino or how many balls belonging to the competitor with the better position are closer to the jack than the closest ball of the opponent.
- A match ends when one of the teams reaches 12 (or 15) points.
Gameplay in the video below: