Rules
Field of Play
In Delhi the bowls event is being held on a synthetic surface similar to that normally used indoors. The bowls green is around 37m long and perfectly flat. The green is divided lengthwise into six rinks, which are 5.4 to 6.3m wide. The green is surrounded by a ditch 30cm deep and 30cm wide, enclosed by a sloping bank.
Bowlers must stand with at least one foot on a rubber mat in the centre of the rink being played. The back edge of the mat must be 1.2m from the ditch.
At the beginning of the game, the jack must be rolled so that it rests at least 23m from the players’ delivery mat for a game to begin.
Each bowl nearer the jack than any bowl rolled by the opponent scores a point. Aiming for the opponents’ bowls and knocking them out of the way is an integral part of the game. Aiming to move the jack into a more favourable position is also permitted. Bowls are considered dead if they:
- travel less than 14m from the mat
- come to rest outside the rink
- go into the ditch without touching the jack (bowls that hit the jack on their initial roll are called touchers; they may remain potential scorers wherever they land) within the confines of the rink.