​Back Bowl  —  A bowl that comes to rest beyond the jack and can serve as a strategic position if the jack is displaced backward.

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Backhand  —  Backhand bowls for right-handed bowlers are delivered to the left of the jack with the bias curving the bowl to the right. Left-handed bowlers will deliver to the right of the jack with the bias curving the bowl to the left.

 

Bias  —  The built-in curve of a bowl, causing it to curve toward the side marked with a smaller ring or symbol.

 

Dead Bowl  —  A bowl that comes to rest outside the boundaries of the rink or fails to pass the hog line.

 

Ditch  —  The boundary depression at each end of the rink. Bowls or jacks that fall into the ditch are usually out of play unless they are touchers.

 

Draw Shot  —  A gentle and precise delivery aimed at positioning the bowl close to the jack without disturbing other bowls.

 

Drive  —  A forceful shot aimed at moving other bowls or the jack out of position.

 

End  —  A single sequence of play where all players deliver their bowls and scoring is determined before resetting for the next round. Practice play is often 10 or 12 ends. Tournament play can be 18 to 21 ends depending on team size and tournament type.

 

Forehand  —  Forehand bowls for right-handed bowlers are delivered to the right of the jack with the bias curving the bowl to the left. Left-handed bowlers will deliver to the left of the jack with the bias curving the bowl to the right.

 

Head  —  The collection of bowls and the jack at one end of the rink after all deliveries.

 

Hog Line  —  Markers on the rink borders indicating the minimum distance the jack or bowl must travel to remain in play.

 

Jack  —  The small white (or yellow) target ball that players aim to get their bowls closest to.

 

Jack High  —  When a bowl's front edge is level with the front edge of the jack.

 

Lead  —  The first players on a team to deliver bowls in an end. The winning Lead of an end is responsible for setting the mat and delivering the jack. The losing Lead of an end is responsible for raking the bowls after an end has been scored.

 

Marker  —  An official who oversees singles matches, marking touchers and assisting with measurements when requested. These functions can be performed by Skips and Vices in the absence of a Marker, which is common in practice play.

 

Mat  —  A rubber rectangular mat (14 x 24 inches) placed at the start of each end. Players must keep at least one foot on it to deliver the jack and their bowls.

 

Resting Toucher  —  A bowl that comes to rest against the jack, often considered a strong strategic position.

 

Rink  —  The designated playing area on the green, measuring 120 feet in length and 20 feet in width. There are often multiple rinks in a single green.

 

Shot Bowl  —  The bowl closest to the jack during an end.

 

Skip  —  The team captain who directs their team's strategy and delivers bowls last in an end. The losing Skip of an end will mark the scoreboard if the end finishes with them near where the scoreboard is located. During official play, Skips record the score on a card.

 

Toucher  —  A bowl that touches the jack during its delivery. It remains in play even if it lands in the ditch. It can be marked to distinguish it during the end, but must be wiped clean afterwards.

 

Trail Shot  —  A shot delivered with enough weight to move the jack slightly while keeping it within bounds.

 

Vice  —  The second-in-command on a team, who assists the Skip and measures scores at the end of each round. The losing Skip of an end will mark the scoreboard if the end finishes with them near where the scoreboard is located. 

 

Weighted Shot  —  A delivery with extra force intended to displace bowls or move the jack strategically.

 

Wick  —  When a bowl glances off another bowl or obstacle, altering its trajectory toward the desired position.