Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club - Short Mat Section
Short
Mat bowling will be available again this winter from October 6th, 2008
You can go directly to Information on this page by clicking the heading below:
The 2008-9 Season
Where: Costin Hall, Lantzville (across from the Legion, on the main street)You can go directly to Information on this page by clicking the heading below:
The 2008-9 Season
When: Monday 12.45 - 4 pm
Thursday 6.45 - 10 pm
Friday 12.45 - 4 pm
It would be helpful if 1 or 2 people showed up 15 minutes early to help set up the mats.
Cost: $3.25 each time - that includes coffee and snacks. Plus one-time $12 in January for Lantzville Association membership.
Format: We usually bowl one game, break for coffee and snacks, then bowl a second game. If there are more players than the three mats can accommodate, we will bowl 3 games, with a few people sitting out one of the three games each time. Use your own outdoor lawn bowls, or arrange to borrow a set for the winter from NLBC.
Contact: Julie Hustwick 758-3048 or email here.
_______________________
We had 30 plus enthusiasts out on Mondays and Thursdays - all having a lot of fun. There were a couple of 'away games' in Parksville and Qualicum Beach. And there were UK guests, too.
Julie Hustwick was once again our organizer and we are fortunate to have her. She has volunteered her time for six years now, looking after our needs to keep this group going all winter.
 Checking the head | Julie
and Kate re-painted the mat markings  |
| Ralph Wilson on the
Short mat  |
What is Short Mat? Played on 3 foam-backed rink mats, marked with the required lines, about 45 feet long. The width is 6ft.
The game is played in broadly the same way, and provides the same enjoyment and has the same attractions as outdoor bowls and, indeed, many players participate in both games.
The object is for each player in a singles game or each team in a pairs, triples or fours to gain as many shots as possible by getting their bowls nearer to the jack than their opponents, an so outscore them. The bowls themselves are the same as those used outdoors.
The main differences in the playing conditions are the size of the playing area, the block that occupies the mid-position of the rink mat, and the ditch that is actually a defined area of the mat surface. The intimidating presence of the block, which prevents players from playing with force directly towards an opponents bowl in order to knock it out of a scoring position, and the narrow playing area, requires players to develop a skill in using the natural bias on the bowls to bowl round the block. Bowls that touch the block and those which come to rest in the dead area or in the ditch (other than those which touch the jack before going into the ditch) are declared "dead" and removed from the mat before the next bowl is delivered.
(BTW, in the NLBC version it costs you a nickel each time you touch the block and make the bells ring. Don't worry, it all make sense when you play - and the nickels mean prizes at the season end!)
The game is played in broadly the same way, and provides the same enjoyment and has the same attractions as outdoor bowls and, indeed, many players participate in both games.
The object is for each player in a singles game or each team in a pairs, triples or fours to gain as many shots as possible by getting their bowls nearer to the jack than their opponents, an so outscore them. The bowls themselves are the same as those used outdoors.
The main differences in the playing conditions are the size of the playing area, the block that occupies the mid-position of the rink mat, and the ditch that is actually a defined area of the mat surface. The intimidating presence of the block, which prevents players from playing with force directly towards an opponents bowl in order to knock it out of a scoring position, and the narrow playing area, requires players to develop a skill in using the natural bias on the bowls to bowl round the block. Bowls that touch the block and those which come to rest in the dead area or in the ditch (other than those which touch the jack before going into the ditch) are declared "dead" and removed from the mat before the next bowl is delivered.
(BTW, in the NLBC version it costs you a nickel each time you touch the block and make the bells ring. Don't worry, it all make sense when you play - and the nickels mean prizes at the season end!)
Copyright © 2008 NLBC. All Rights Reserved.