Facts & Statistics about the game of Bowls
Lawn Bowls is an ancient sport. The Encyclopaedia Britannica
records that bowls has been played in some form since 5,000 BC. However, it was
not always regarded as a desirable activity. In the 13th Century, England's King
Henry 111 banned bowls because the archers were distracted by the game, and in
1511, Henry V111 discouraged play, regarding bowls as a game associated with
gambling.
Certainly, the game was a distraction for Sir Francis Drake.
Truth or myth, no one is sure, but it is said that in 1588, Sir Francis Drake
insisted on finishing his game of bowls before turning his attention to
approaching the Spanish Armada. He is supposed to have lost the game, but won
the battle against the Spaniards.
Bowls came to South Africa in 1882 and the first green was
laid and a club founded at St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth. The game quickly
spread throughout the country. The South African Bowling Association was
instituted in 1904 and became the official controlling body for bowls in the
country. The South African Women's Bowling Association was formed in 1935 and
controlled women's bowls. These two controlling bodies were unified in East
London on 25 August 1996 to form BOWLS SOUTH AFRICA which body today controls
all Bowls in South Africa.
* modern bowls are made from a plastic compound in black or brown - in
earlier years they have been made from stone, wood - including lignum vitae, a
very hard wood from the West Indies, and even rubber.
* bowls are made in various weights and sizes.
* Diameter is 117.4/131mm - maximum weight is 1.57Kgs.
* the running surface or crown of the bowl is slightly higher one side to
create the "bias", causing the bowl to curve or "draw"
* the jack is the round white or yellow plastic ball at which players aim
their bowl
* the jack is 63/64 mm in diameter and weights 225/285 grams
* the bowlers must get as many bowls as possible closer to the jack than the
nearest of the opponent's bowls
* the club green is divided into rinks on which separate games are played
* maximum green size is 40m - minimum 37m maximum rink width is 5.8m
-minimum 5.5m
* the faster the green, the longer the bowls take to reach the other end
* the speed is determined by the length and density of grass and the
preparation in terms of rolling and grooming the grass
* A slow green (heavy) means there is less arc with the biased bowl which
doesn't travel as far and therefore takes less time to reach the jack
* slow green is 10-13 seconds
* fast green is 16-19 seconds
