GB2154452A

GB2154452A - Bowls game

Info

Publication number: GB2154452A
Application number: GB08404753A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Allan Milburn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-02-23
Filing date: 1984-02-23
Publication date: 1985-09-11
Also published as: GB8404753D0

Abstract

In a game of bowls, each player has a set of woods and the woods of each set are of different colours. Each wood of a particular colour is allotted a points value which is respective to that particular colour only. In the game, each player bowls his woods at a jack, and after all of the woods have been bowled, each player is awarded points in dependence upon both the proximity of his woods to the jack and the points value of his woods.

Description

SPECIFICATION Games This invention relates to games, and is concerned particularly with the game of bowls.

Bowls is a game which has been played in England for many years. The essence of the game is that each player bowls a set of woods at a jack, and points are awarded in dependence upon the proximity of each player's woods to the jack.

A "wood" is a ball which, although round, contains an eccentric weight or "bias", which can cause the wood to roll in a curved, rather than a straight path. Woods are traditionally made of high quality wood although, in the context of this specification, they may be made of any other suitable material. A "jack" is a ball which is usually somewhat smaller than a wood and usually has no bias although, in the context of this specification, a jack may be any other suitable marker.

Although officiai rules of play are laid down by, for example, the English Bowls Association, variations on these are sometimes made to add some variety two the basic game. However, the basic elements of the game have remained largely unchanged for centuries and, despite the high level of skill with which the game can be played, there is limited scope for tactical play. Moreover, bowls is not one of the most interesting of games for spectators.

The present invention aims to provide games of bowls which may be improved in these respects.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a game of bowls comprising a set of woods for each player, the woods of each set being of different colours, the game being played in accordance with the following rules: a) each wood of a particular colour is given a points value which is respective to that particular colour; b) each player bowls his woods at a jack; and c) after all of the woods have been bowled, each player is awarded points in dependence upon both the proximity of his woods to the jack and the points values of his woods.

It will be appreciated that such a game immediately adds a whole new dimension to the conventional game of bowls. In the conventional game, each player has a set of virtually identical woods, which are either black or dark brown in colour. No consideration is required as to which wood should be played at any given time - generally speaking, any wood of the set will do as well as another one.

By contrast, however, the new game played with differently coloured woods of different points values gives greatly enhanced strategy to the game. It now becomes very much a matter of tactics for a player to decide which of his woods he should play at any given time. For example, a player may tend to use his higher scoring woods to get nearer to the jack, whilst using his lower scoring woods to block his opponents play.

The game thus becomes of considerably more interest not only to the players, but also to the spectators. Apart from the game being more colourful to watch, the spectators are readily able to follow the tactical progress of the game, as woods of different colours are progressively played.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a set of woods for use in a game according to the first aspect of the invention, the woods being of different colours at least one of which is other than brown or black.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of converting a set of conventional woods to a set of woods according to the second aspect of the invention, including the steps of stripping the outer surface from the conventional woods and applying die or paint to the stripped surface to colour the woods.

Such stripping may be effected by chemical action. The method may include the step of masking name plates or the like on the woods, to prevent stripping andlor dying or painting thereof.

Further optional features of the new game will become apparent from the following description.

The rules of the new game may be such that, after all of the woods have been bowled, points are awarded only to the player whose wood is ciosest to the jack. That player may receive the appropriate number of points for each of his woods which is closer to the jack than any other player's woods.

Just as in conventional bowls, the new game may be played as a singles game, between two single players. Then, each player may have a set of either two orfourwoods.

Alternatively, the new game may be played between two teams of players. For example, each team may have two players, each of whom has a set of four woods. Alternatively, each team may have three players, each of whom has a set of three woods, or each team may have four players, each of whom has a set of two woods.

The winner may be the first player or team to reach a predetermined number of points. For example, if each player has a set of four woods each valued at 1, 2, 3 and 4 points respectively, a singles match may be won by the first player to reach 45 points. Thus, the game is played repeatedly until this total is reached. Bowls players will know that, traditionally, each stage of the game at which each player plays his woods at the jack, is known as an "end". Traditionally, each end commences with one of the players (e.g. the winner of the previous end) rolling the jack.

Alternatively, the winner of a match may be the player or team which wins the greater of a predetermined number of successive games, or "ends". For example, for pairs and fours, the winning team may be that which has the best of 21 ends, and for triples, the winning team may be that which has the best of 18 ends.

There are numerous choices for the colours of the woods and their points values. However, I envisage the following would be a particularly useful choice, both as regards distinctiveness of colours and facility of scoring.

A full set of woods may comprise a black (or brown) wood, a blue wood, a yellow wood and a pink wood. These woods carry the points values 1, 2,3 and 4, respectively. Where a game requires a playerto use less than four woods, these are selected from the set of four. For example, for a game of singles with each player having two woods, the yellow and pink woods may be disregarded. For a game of triples with each player having three woods, the pink woods may be discarded.

It will be appreciated that more sophisticated arrangements of colours and scoring may be employed. One interesting feature of the new game is that, for the first time, it affords a handicap system for bowls. Thus, for example, the points values that are assigned to a particular players woods may depend on the players handicap.

As another possibility, woods may be provided in a full set of eight different colours, having points values of 1 to 8 respectively. Normally, a player would still play with no more than four woods, but the woods with which he was allowed to play would be determined by the piayer's handicap. The better the player, the lower would be the points values of his woods.

The feature of providing more different woods than are played with at any time affords the possibility of another variant to the game. This variant comprises the players initially selecting which woods they are going to play with. Of course, it may be decided that all players for a given game use exactly the same colours of woods. However, there may be played a preliminary game, by means of which a seiection is made as to those woods which each player will use in the main game.

For example, in a preliminary game, each player may bowl a predetermined number of woods at the jack. The wood which is closest to the jack is then selected for the respective player as one of his woods for the main game. This continues until the woods for each player have been selected. The rules may be such that the woods of each player must be bowled in a predetermined order of colour. The rules of the preliminary game may also be such that, if the winning player has more than one wood nearer to the jack than any other player's woods, then all of those nearest woods are selected for the winning player, for use in the main game.

The new game may be played on either a flat or crown green.

It is preferred that the woods and the jack are actually made of wood, although as mentioned earlier, they could be of any other suitable material.

The points value of each coloured wood may be shown on the respective wood. The woods may be coloured by means of coloured dies of by coloured paint.

It will be appreciated that the numbers of woods that may be provided in any set are given above only by way of example, and that any suitable number may be employed. In general terms, a full set of woods may comprise n woods, which are given respective integer points values 1 ton. Also in general terms, where a full set of woods comprises n woods and the game is played with x woods, where xis less than n, the game may include the preliminary step of each player selecting x woods from the respective full set of n.

Although it is preferred that the woods are coloured to make them distinctive from one another, they may alternatively be provided with different patterns, to distinguish them from one another.

It is preferred that sets of coloured woods be made to standards regulated by a controlling body, and that woods made to such standards be marked with a distinctive mark, by way of certification. Then, for example, competitions may be made open only to players using woods which carry the distinctive certifying mark, and are therefore to the required standards (e.g. as to shade of colour, or non-toxicity of paint or dye).

Claims

1. A game of bowls comprising a set of woods for each player, the woods of each set being of different colours, the game being played in accordance with the following rules: a) each wood of a particular colour is given a points value which is respective to that particular colour; b) each player bowls his woods at a jack; and c) after all of the woods have been bowled, each player is awarded points in dependence upon both the proximity of his woods to the jack and the points values of his woods.

2. A game as claimed in Claim 1, wherein after all of the woods have been bowled, points are awarded only to the player whose wood is closest to the jack.

3. A game as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the player whose wood is closest to the jack is awarded, for each of his woods which is closer to the Jack than any other player's woods, the points value of that wood.

4. A game as claimed in Claim 1,2 or 3, played between two single players.

5. A game as claimed in Claim 4, wherein each set comprises four woods.

6. A game as claimed in Claim 4, wherein each set comprises two woods.

7. A game as claimed in Claim 1,2 or 3, played between two teams of players.

8. A game as claimed in Claim 7, wherein each team has two players, each of whom has a set of four woods.

9. A game as claimed in Claim 7, wherein each team has three players, each of whom has a set of three woods.

10. A game as claimed in Claim 7, wherein each team has four players, each of whom has a set of two woods.

11. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the winner is the first player or team to reach a predetermined number of points.

12. A game as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the winner is the player or team which wins the greater of a predetermined number of successive games.

13. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one wood of each set is of a colour other than black or brown.

14. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a full set of woods comprises four woods and, where a game is played with less than four woods, these are selected from the full set of four woods.

15. A game as claimed in Claim 14, wherein each full set of woods comprises a black or brown wood, a blue wood, a yellow wood and a pink wood.

16. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a full set of woods comprises n woods, which are given respective integer points values 1 to n.

17. A game as claimed in Claim 16, wherein each full set of woods comprises woods of at least the following colours, which are given the following points values: black or brown = 1 blue =2 yellow =3 pink = 4.

18. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a full set of woods comprises n woods, the game is played with x woods, where xis less than n, and the game includes the preliminary step of each player selecting x woods from the respective full set ofn.

19. A game as claimed in Claim 18, wherein thex woods of each player are of the same colours as those of every other player.

20. A game as claimed in Claim 18, wherein thex woods for each player are selected on a handicap system.

21. A game as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the x woods of each player are selected by means of a preliminary game.

22. A game as claimed in Claim 21, wherein said preliminary game comprises the players bowling a predetermined number of woods at the jack, the wood closest to the jack being then selected as one ofthexwoods of the respective player, and the players repeating this until each has x woods thus selected.

23. A game as claimed in Claim 22, wherein in the said preliminary game, the woods of each player must be bowled in a predetermined order of colours.

24. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the points value of each wood is shown on the respective wood.

25. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said woods are of wood.

26. A game as claimed in Claim 25, wherein said woods are coloured by coloured dyes.

27. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said woods are coloured by coloured paint.

28. A game of bowls substantially as described herein.

29. A set of woods for use in a game as claimed in any preceding claim, the woods being of different colours at least one which is other than brown or black.

30. A method of converting a set of conventional woods to a set of woods as claimed in Claim 29, including the steps of stripping the outer surface from the conventional woods and applying dye or paint to the stripped surface to colour the woods.

31. A method as claimed in Claim 30, wherein said stripping is effected by chemical action.

32. A method as claimed in Claim 30 or 31, including the step of masking nameplates or the like on the woods, to prevent stripping and/or dyeing or painting thereof.