Bowls is a sport everyone can enjoy, whether you're 9 or 90! It is intrinsically accessible, no matter your age, gender, ethnicity or ability. It's also very sociable - as you'll find out when visiting one of our friendly clubs. The health benefits of sport are well-known, and bowls offers a low impact way to stay vitalized. And of course - that moment your bowl winds its way towards the jack is truly mesmerizing!

It's time to give bowls a go...

New clubs are signing up to offer 'Pay and Play' sessions all the time - so keep checking back here! You can also you the site to find a club near you and get in touch with them about memberships, coaching sessions and more, if you are interested. Bowls clubs are always eager to welcome new players and provide an opportunity to have a go. Each club has a contact on the Club Finder, so give them a call. 

Bowls takes a second to learn, but a lifetime to master. Like boules on the beach or a game of skittles, it’ll take you no time to figure out the basic rules of the game.

Bowls is played on a square of grass called a green, which is divided into lanes called rinks.  Players take turns to deliver their bowls from a mat at one end of the rink towards a small white target ball, often referred to as the ’jack’, situated near the other end.  The bowls are shaped so that they take a curved path towards the jack, known as the bias.

The aim of the game is to get your bowls closest to the jack.  One point is given for each bowl nearer the jack than the nearest bowl of your opponent.  For example, if you or your team has three bowls closer to the jack than your opponent’s nearest bowl then you will score three for that end.

Each game is split into individual ends.   After playing all the bowls in one direction and agreeing the score, the next end is played back down the rink in the opposite direction.  The winner of the previous end will cast the jack.

New to bowls? Why not try Bowls Bash, our short format of the game? Find out more at play-bowls.com/bowls-bash

We've got you sorted! We have launched a new version of the game called Bowls Bash. This is a fun, exciting and quick format of the game – ideal for your first PlayBowls experience! When searching, you can use the filter to find a club who offers this.

Besides Bowls Bash, there are different formats of the game. You can play singles or as part of a team, and a match can vary in lengths.  The winner can either be the one who has scored the most shots after a specified number of ends or the first to reach a designated score.

You'll need at least 2 people to play a game of bowls, and can even have up to 8. We recommend getting three of your friends or family to join you to make a rink of four when having your first experience of the sport, and booking a 'Pay and Play' session at a participating club near you.

The length of a game depends on the format you're playing. You can book an hour long 'Pay and Play' session at a participating club, or if you want to play for longer, you can always book more sessions! 

If you are interesting in joining a club and want to find out more about what they have to offer, give them a call using the contact details on their club page.

You can find our Terms & Conditions, and our Cancellation Policy within our Terms of Service here.

Play Bowls is a platform provided to bowls clubs across England by Bowls England, the national governing body. All clubs have the ability to set the prices and sessions to suit them. Their pricing structure could be based on a number of different factors; the facilities they have available, equipment, how many rinks they have available, the local prices for other leisure activities to name a few. Therefore we have allowed our clubs to set their own pricing to suit their circumstances.

Absolutely - we actively encourage it! This is a great sport for all ages and you never know - bringing your kids to a local club and taking part in a 'Pay and Play' session session may lead to the Commonwealth Games in the future!

Want to learn more before booking your first session? You can find loads of information about the sport on the Bowls England website, or when you’re using Play Bowls to find a local club, there’s more information on each club’s page as to what they offer.

Want to watch bowls as well as Play Bowls? Easy! Each year, Bowls England host their National Finals in Royal Leamington Spa in August. Find out more about the event and purchase tickets at bowlsengland.com.

Bowls is a feature at the Commonwealth Games, and you can tune in to all the action when the event takes place.