Irish Road Bowling

Irish road bowling has been played in the Irish countryside since the 1600s. Its origins are unclear-perhaps it was brought to the Emerald Isle from England by weavers in the new textile industry, or perhaps from Holland by the troops of William of Orange, or maybe it began when Irish patriots robbed small English cannonballs and rolled them home by the light of a full moon. Irish troops traditionally have played road bowling whenever they were stationed around the world.

Irish Road Bowling - General Rules

Minimum age is 13 (unless accompanied by a parent).

Team players must have at least one person on their team that is 18 or older.

It is the responsibility of all players to read the rules before they start playing.

Teams will consist of 2, 3, or 4 players. A team captain must be decided by the team prior to game play. The team captain will decide the order of play for the team.

Minimum of one ball needed for the team.

There are no handicaps.

A prize will be awarded to the winning team.

These rules are similar to, but are not the official Bol~Chumann na hEireann (the Irish governing organization) rules, which govern all official Ireland, International and North America competitions.

The Gear

A 28-ounce iron-and steel cannonball the size of a tennis ball (a bowl, ball, or bullet) is hurled down a country road to the finish line. The player or team with the fewest shots to the finish line wins. We have eight bowls which means up to eight teams can play.

The Road

A road to road bowling is like a golf course to golf - each road is unique and requires a different combination of strategy and skill. Choosing a good road is important; it should be very scenic with a variety of terrain: straight-aways, curves to the left and to the right, and a hill or rise for uphill and downhill shots. We will start and end at the three sister's mailboxes on Sunset Drive

Teams

Irish road bowling is played as singles competition, or with teams of two, three or four persons. Only one bowl is used per team, with players throwing in rotation. In Ireland, matches (called scores) are more commonly singles competition, or two person teams. We will have teams of two to four persons for our competition.

The Start

A chalk line is drawn across the road. The thrower stands behind this line and his/her teammates (called road showers) go at least 20 to 30 yards down the road to mark the desired path of the bowl. They stand like human croquet wickets, feet apart, straddling the “perfect path" to be taken to achieve maximum distance. One of the road showers lays a scud of grass (the sop) in the road where the bowl should first strike the pavement. An experienced bowler can consistently “split the sop."

The Grip

The bowl should be held in a C formed by the thumb and the index and/or middle fingers. The bowl should be thrown from the fingers, not from the palm of the hand.

The Throw

The bowler should back up 10 to 15 yards and take a running start to gain momentum to the throwing line (the butt). For many people, however, taking two or three steps is sufficient.

As the thrower runs to the throwing mark, in the Northern or County Armagh style, he extends the arm and bowl behind him as he runs. At the throwing line the arm is snapped forward by arching the back and shoulders, releasing the bowl underhand before stepping over the mark. In the southern or County Cork style, as the thrower runs to the mark, the arm and bowl are lifted up and back, then whirled downward into an underhand throw, releasing the bowl before stepping over the mark. Note that in both methods, the bowl is thrown UNDERHAND.

The bullet (ball) should fly through the air a few yards before striking the sop rather than being thrown immediately into the road surface. The bowl, striking on or near the sop, will then grab the road, with heavy topspin, rolling on following its path to glory.

Topspin is imparted as the bowl comes off the tip of the index and/or middle fingers. Remember; throw from the fingers not from the palm of the hand.

The bowl should be released before the thrower steps over the line (i.e., before "breaking butt"), this in not strictly enforced in casual matches.

Safety

It is the responsibility of the thrower to ensure that everyone in the road ahead is facing him/her and paying attention. Do not be shy about shouting out "Rolling!" before throwing. It is the responsibility of the thrower's teammates, the road showers, to “Clear the way!” (Faugh a Ballach!), of all spectators for a safe distance (at least 50 yards) in front of the thrower before every shot.

The Shot

The shot is made from wherever the bowl stops, NOT from where it leaves the road surface, the bowl is taken directly to the nearest point on the road. A chalk mark is made at that point, and the next throw is taken from behind that mark by the next teammate in rotation, and so on to the finish line. Scorecards and pencils will be available to keep track of the team's score.

The Finish

The final shot to the finish line should be thrown as far as possible past the line. If two or more teams have an equal number of shots crossing the finish line, the winner is decided by which shot goes the farthest distance past the finish line. A long "run-out" or straightaway beyond the finish line should available.

Irish Bowling Tips in General

Stroke --- A smooth Irish bowling "stroke"' imparting accuracy and topspin often gains more distance than a more powerful but less accurate throw.
Bowling a curve --- A shot can be played around the outer edge of a curve, but often it is more effective to shoot deep into the curve and let the bowl's momentum bring it back out. It is important to get through most curves in only two shots. The first shot, into the curve, must "get sight," i.e., allow the next thrower a clear shot out of the curve.
Lost bowls --- Beginner's throws often out pace the relatively inexperienced road showers, who must chase and spot the bowl for the thrower. Watch carefully where the last weed moved, or the exact spot where the bowl plunged into the stream. Then leap in gleefully and plunge those arms into the weeds or mud! If all else fails, bring along a metal detector. Real Irishmen never lose their bowls!
Stopping the bullet --- Never stop the bullet with your foot. Use a jacket, a piece of cloth or rug, or a garbage can lid. Sore toes and ankles, or worse, will surely result if you stick your toe out.

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Safety must always be the highest priority in organizing and conducting an Irish road bowling match. The organizers of this event and any and all other persons, volunteers and organizers disclaim any and all liability for any damages to persons or property as a result of participating in a game of Irish road bowling, or in using the bowls or any other materials in the Irish road bowling competition, in any manner whatsoever.

Obviously, danger is inherent when playing a game that sometimes shares public roads with vehicles, bicyclist, spectators and other pedestrians. We have cautioned against situations that our experience has warned us to avoid, but we cannot foresee unknown dangers. Keep in mind, road bowls, or bullets, originally were small cannonballs designed for mortal combat. Never take alcoholic beverages onto the road or to a road bowling match. It makes much better sport to meet in a pub afterwards. Be careful out there!

Most of the information above regarding Irish Road Bowling was taken from http://www.nesdcelticfaire.com/downloads/rbrules2010.pdf