Lawn Bowling Court Size; Perfect Mat Dimensions | Rink Size

Discover the ideal lawn bowling court size for this fun sport. Here, you’ll learn about the dimensions and layout of the bowling green, essential for an enjoyable experience.

So, let’s discuss the lawn bowling court size in detail.

Get perfect measurements and create a perfect playing surface!

Lawn Bowling Court Size
Lawn Bowling Court Size

The Game

Lawn bowling, also known as bowls, is where you try to roll balls with a little curve so they get close to a smaller ball we call the “jack” or “kitty.” The game aims to land the ball as close to the target as possible.

Lawn bowls is a fun game played on a grass or artificial turf field called a bowling green. The green is a rectangular carpet divided into lanes, similar to swimming lanes, referred to as rinks.

Before playing, we toss a coin, decide who gets to go first, and set the stage. So, what is the objective of the lawn bowling game? Our main focus is on the tiny ball called “jack.” Our target is to roll these balls to one end of the green. One tricky part of the game is that balls can go in a curve and not always in a straight line. One by one, roll these balls, trying to get as close as possible to that jack. If a ball goes too far off or falls into a ditch, it is considered out of play.  

Here is the question that can come to your mind: How do you score a bowl? In lawn bowling, the more pins you knock down, the more points you can score.

Players score points for each ball closer to the jack than their opponents. If the bowls players reach 21 points in a game or have the most points at the end, they win!

Despite some differences, Lawn Bowling and bocce court Layout share several similarities. The objective of both games is the same: rolling balls towards a smaller target ball to place them as close as possible to score points. 

Lawn bowling court size

The World Bowls set the standard rules and court sizes for regular lawn bowls.

A lawn bowling court, also known as a bowling green, measures between 120 and 150 feet in length and 14 and 16 feet in width. The game is played on a large grass surface called a “green.” 

There aren’t strict rules about the field size for one type, called crown green bowls, so clubs can decide what fits them best. Picture a crown green like a fancy hat—raised in the middle with the edges dropping down towards the sides.

Lawn Bowling Court Size
Lawn Bowling Court Size

Lawn Bowls Green Dimensions

The area where we play is called a bowling green. The field’s length measures from one end to the other; length is where we roll the balls. The greens’ length is usually between 31 to 40 meters. 

The field is surrounded by a ditch, like a bit of passage around the edges. The field is shaped like a square, measuring 40 meters on each side. This way, you can play in different directions, which keeps the field in good shape.

The fields might not be as big in cities, where space is limited, but they still try to keep them square. The length measures 31 to 40 meters, but the width can vary greatly—from as narrow as 8 meters to as wide as 60 meters or more.

For each game on the field, we have a designated area called a “rink.” Outdoors measures 4.3 to 5.8 meters wide, and indoor play measures 4.6 meters. We mark the middle of this area, similar to the middle line in a soccer field layout.

Lawn bowling court Measurements

  • Green Dimensions

Length—31 to 40 meters

Width— 40 meters

  • Width of Lawn Bowls Rink

Outdoor—4.3 to 5.8 meters

Indoor—4.6 meters

  • Ditch Specifications

Width—200 to 380 millimeters

Depth—50 to 200 millimeters

Ditch Bank Height—230 millimeters

  • Boundary & Rink Markings

Centre Line—Marked 2 meters from each end ditch

Side Boundaries—Shown by boundary pegs

  • Outer Rink Boundary

600 millimeters from the side ditch (outdoor)

Lawn Bowling Court Size
Lawn Bowling Court Size

The Ditch and The Bank

You know that edge around the green where the ball might roll into? Yes, that is the ditch, and it has a little wall called a bank on the outside. This measures 230mm tall from the ground.

The edge of the lawn bowl playing area – called the ditch. It is like a border, marking where the game stays in play. The ditch usually measures 200 to 380 mm wide and 50 to 200 mm deep. The ditch has a little wall around it and stands 230 mm above the green.

The bank is like a wall standing straight or sometimes leaning slightly – up to 35° from straight up. You must ensure that our bowling balls and the tiny target ball (jack) don’t get hurt; the wall is made of a safe material.

Lawn Bowl Green Borders

The greens are designed to make it as square as possible, about 40 meters on each side. 

According to the official recommendation, we can play the game in different directions. You must ensure that the carpet wears out evenly and helps players not have to squint in the sun too much.

But in some places, the area might not be 40 meters long, but in the square.

These can be all sorts of widths, from a narrow 8 meters to a wide 60 meters. 

Lawn Bowl Rink Dimensions

There are different sections on the greens called lanes or rinks. In these rinks, action is happening. For outdoor play, a rink is about 4.3 to 5.8 meters wide. Indoor rinks are a bit wider, measuring 4.6 meters. The middle line is on the surface, starting about 2 meters away from the ditch on each side. The farthest lane from the ditch, known as the ditch rink, measures 600 mm away from the side ditch. For indoor play, the ditch rink measures 460 mm.

Lawn bowl mat dimensions

Have you ever wondered about the mat we start the game from? This is the “go” point for lawn bowls. A lawn bowl mat marks the starting line of lawn bowls. Usually, the mat is a neat rectangle, about 600 millimeters wide (24 inches) and over 2 meters long ( 94 inches or 7.8 feet).

Lawn Bowling Court Size
Lawn Bowling Court Size

FAQs

The grass for lawn bowls is typically maintained at 4 to 6 millimeters ( 0.16 to 0.24 inches). 

A standard lawn bowls court, often called a rink, measures around 34 to 40 meters long and 4.3 to 5.8 meters wide.

Outdoor rink widths can vary between 4.3 and 5.8 meters (14/19 and 19 feet). Indoor rink widths measure between 4.6 and 5.8 meters (15/19 ft).

Conclusion

This post explores the lawn bowling court size, including the dimensions of the bowling green and rinks. The article also provides detailed information on the field’s dimensions, rinks, and even the mats used in the game. Additionally, it answers common questions about grass height and rink width, highlighting the variations in rink widths for outdoor and indoor play. 

We can say that this article serves as a comprehensive guide for those interested in understanding the intricacies of lawn bowls’ court size and related factors.

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