The Etiquette of Lawn Bowls 

THE ETIQUETTE OF LAWN BOWLS 
Some of the common etiquettes for the great sport of lawn bowls:

• Introduce yourself at start of game, shake hands with your opponents
• Be ready to play when it is your turn
• Hand bowls to teammates (e.g second or third hand bowls to lead, lead or third hand bowls to second, etc). This is not an absolute necessity, as some players may prefer to pick up their own bowls
• Kick bowls back after end has been declared/agreed upon
• Stand BEHIND the mat when your opponent (or team mate) bowls
• Prior to delivery check that the path to the bowl is clear – check whether a player on the next rink is about to bowl and delay bowling, if necessary
• Don’t distract a player who is on the mat preparing for a delivery
• Take an interest in the game. Follow how the ‘head’ is building up
• Don’t stray onto a neighbouring rink
• Place the skips bowl on the mat prior to changeover
• Avoid distracting players on neighbouring rink
• Never applaud ‘lucky’ bowls (wicks, etc) – accept them graciously
• Do not criticise any players bowling
• Remember that your opponent has ‘possession of the mat’ once your bowl comes to rest. This means refrain from lingering around the head checking out position of bowls, etc
• Don’t drop bowls on the green – from the bank, in particular
• If an umpire is called to measure, all players should leave the head until the umpire has finished measuring
• Don’t move bowls until the result of an end has been agreed upon
• Walk quickly when changing ends and walk only on your rink (the one you are playing on)
• Shake hands with opposition at end of a game