The bowls game is a sport opposing :

- 3 players against 3 players

It can also oppose :

- 2 players against 2 players

- 1 player against 1 player.

In 3 vs 3 game, each player has 2 bowls.

In 2 vs 2 or 1 vs 1 game, each players has 3 bowls.

Any other configuration is forbidden.

The bowls game is played with bowls agreed by FIPJP and having the following characteristics :

1) Beeing metallic

2) Their diameter must be between 7.05 and 8.00 centimeters.

3) Their weight must be between 650 and 800 grams. The manufacturer label such as the weight must be engraved on the bowls and remain readable.

4) Not to be leaded or sanded. Generally speaking, they must not having been faked, transformed or modified after manufacturing. It is forbidden to recook them to modify their hardness.

However, player's first and last name may be engraved such as logos and initials, in conformity with bowls manufacturing regulations.

Article 2 bis - Penalties for illegal bowls

Every player declared guilty of an infringement to the 4th alinea of previous article has to be immediately excluded from the competition, such as his teammates.

If his bowls are faked or recooked, the players may have his licence suspended for a period fixed by the disciplinary code. Other penalties may be inflicted by the disciplinary commission of the federation where the player is affiliated.

If the bowls have been lended and their owner identified, the owner may be suspended for a period fixed by the disciplinary code of the federation where the player is affiliated.

If a non-faked but used of defectively manufactured bowl does not pass the controls or does not comply with the standards of 1st, 2nd and 3rd alineas of previous article, the player has to change it. He can also change game.

Complaints concerning these 3 alineas and carried by players are only admissible before the game has begun. Consequently, the players are invited to ensure that thier bowls and those of their opponents comply with the standards.

Complaints concerning aliena 4 are admissible during the whole game, but can be carried only between two rounds. However, since the 3rd round, if an unfounded complaint is carried against opponent bowls, 3 points will be added to its score.

If the bowls have to be opened, the responsability of complainer is engaged. He will have to refund or replace the bowls if they comply with the standards. However, damages may not be claimed.

Goals are made of wood or synthetics material having manufacturer label and having been approved by FIPJP according to specific standards.

Their diameter has to be between 25 and 35 millimeters.

Painted goals - with any colour - are allowed.

Article 3 – Licences

Each licence has to be established according to the federation administrative regulations and comport a photograph and the owner's signature.

Before beginning a competition, the player has to show its licence. He has also to show it if asked by the referee of its opponent, expected if it has been given to the score table.

Article 4 - Goal or bowl replacement

The players are not allowed to change the goal or any bowl during a game, excepted in the following cases:

1) It is lost. Before, it has to be searched during 5 minutes.

2) It is broken. In this case, the bigger piece is taken in consideration. If there are still bowls to play, it is immediately replaced, after measure if necessary, by a bowl or a goal having a identical or near diameter.

At the next round, the player is allowed to take a new set of bowls.

The bowls game can be played on every field. However, as decided by the organisation comity or the referee, the teams may have to play on a restricted area. In this case, for national championships and international competitions, the field must be at least 4 meters large and 15 meters long.

For other competitions, federation may allow exemptions relative to those minimas to their local subdivisions. However, the dimensions must not be inferior to 3 x 12 meters.

When the fields are restricted by barriers, the barriers must be located over the lost limit and with a minimal distance of 40 centimeters to it. The lost limits will delimit the game fields with a maximal distance of 4 meters.

This dispositions apply to honour squares.

Games are played in 13 points. However, qualifying rounds may be played in 11 points.

Players have to proceed to a toss to determine which team will chose the field and launch the goal first.

If the field has been delimited by the organisation, the goals has to be launched on the delimited field. The playing teams may not go to another field without beeing allowed by the referee.

Any player from the toss winning team chooses the starting point and draws a circle on the ground, bid enough to contain the feet of every players. However, its diamter must not be under 35 centimeters or over 50 centimeters. It must be drawn  more than 1 meter far fron any obstacle of any limit of a forbidden field. In free field competitions, it must not be drawn nearer than 2 meters of any existing launching circle.

The team which has to launch the goal has to erase every circle near the one it will use.

The circle may be fully cleaned during the round but has to be given in state before the end of the round or, at least, before launching the first bowl of the following round.

The circle is not considered as forbidden area.

The player's feet must be fully at the inside of the circle and may not cut it. Their are only allowed to leave the circle or the ground when to bowl has hit the ground. Leg-mutilated people are allowed to place only one foot in the circle.

The player who launches the goal has not necesserarily to play first.

In order to have the goal launch valid, the following conditions has to be respected :

1) The distance from the goal to the launch circle must be between :

- 4 and 8 meters for minimes players,

- 5 and 9 meters for cadets players,

- 6 and 10 meters for junior and senior players.

2) The launch circle must be at least 1 meter away from any obstacle and any limit of any forbidden area.

3) The goal must be at least 1 meter away from any obstacle and the nearest limit of any forbidden area.

4) The goal has to be visible from a player whose feet are placed to the extremities of the circle an whose body is straight. If there is a dispute, the referee has to decide if the goal is visible and his decision may not be appealed.

At the next round, the goal is launched from a circle drawn around the place where it was to the previous round, exepted in the following cases :

- The circle would be nearest than 1 meter from an obstacle or the limit of a forbidden area.

- Players could not launch the goal any legal distance.

In the first case, the player has to draw the circle to the legal limit from the obstacle or forbidden area.

In the second case, the player may move back in the alignment of previous round, as far as he may launch the goal to the maximal distance, but not further. This possibility is allowed only if the goal may not be launched, in any direction, to the maximal distance.

If, after 3 consecutive launches done by the same team, the goal has not been launched in the legal conditions previously defined, it is given to the adverse team which has alos 3 tries and may move the circle back in the condition defined by the previous alinea. In this case, the circle may be moved only if the team misses its 3 launches.

In each case, the team which has lost the goal after the 3 first launches keeps the priority to launch the first bowl.

Article 8 - Goal launch validity

If the goal is stopped by the referee, a player, a spectator, an animal or any moving object, it is not valid and must be launched again. The launch is not considering as beeing part of the 3 launches allowed to the player.

If a bowl has been played after the goal has been launched, the opponent is still allowed to contest the goal position. If the complaint is valid, the goal and the bowl are played again.

If the opponent has played a bowl, the goal is considered as valid an not complaint may be acceptable.

In order to have the goal launched again, the two teams have to accept that that the launch was not valid or the referre has to decide so. If a team prceeds deferently, it looses the benefit of launching the goal.

The goal is not valid in the 6 following cases :

1) When it is not in the limited defined by article 7.

2) When, during a round, it has been moved into a forbidden area, even if it has come back to an allowed area. If the goal stays at the limit of the allowed area, it is considered as valid. Is is considered as invalid only if it has entirely crossed the limit of allowed area or the lost line, that means when it is fully over the limit. A pool where the goal is entirely floating is considered as forbidden area.

3) When the moved goal is in allowed area but is not visible anymore from the circle in the conditions of article 7. However, is the goal is masked by a bowl, it is valid. Tha referee may provisionnaly remove the bowl to see is the goal is valid or not.

4) When the goal has been moved more than 20 meters (for junior and senior players) or 15 meters (cadets and minimes) or less than 3 meters from the launch circle.

5) When the goal is lost after beeing moved. It can only be searched during 5 minutes.

6) When a forbidden area is located between the goal and the launch circle/

It is stricly forbidden for players to remove, move or crush any obstacle on the field. However, the player lauchnig the goal is allowed to test the field with one of its bowls without hitting the groun more than 3 times. Moreover, the player going to play or one of its teammates may fill the hole made by the previously thrown bowl.

For the violation of those previous reules, the players incur the following penalties:

1) Warning

2) Cancellation of the bowl to play or the played bowl

3) Player exclusion for the round

4) Player exclusion for the game

5) Team disqualification

6) Both teams disqualification in case of complicity

Article 10 – Déplacements des obstacles – Sanctions

If, during a round, the goal is masked by a tree leaf of a piece of paper, the objects are removed.

If the goal, after beeing stopped, moves because of the wind of field inclination, it is moved back to its initial position if it has been marked.

The same rule applies if the goal has been accidentaly moved by the referee, a player, a spectator, a bowl or a goal coming from another game, an animal or any moving object.

If the goal is moved by a bowl played in this game, it is valid. To avoid any contestation, the playars have to mark the goal. Every complaint concerning non-marked bowls of goal will not be admissible.

Article 12 - Bowl moved in another game

If, during a rounf, the goal is moved in another playfield, restricted or not, the goal is valid, if it respects the dispositions of article 9.

The players using this goal will have to wait, if necessary, the end of the round begun by the players being on the other field, before finishing their own round.

Players concenned by this article have to be patient and couteous.

To the next rounf, team continue the game to their initial field.

If, during a round, the goal is unvalid, 3 cases may apply :

1) There are other bowls to play in each team : the round is drawn.

2) Only one team has bowls remaining: this teams score as many points as it has bowls remaining.

3) Both teams have no bowls remaining: the round is drawn.

1) If the goal, after being hit, is stopped by a spectator or the referee, its position is kept.

2) If the goal, after being hit, is stopped by a player, his opponent has the choice between :

a) Keeping the goal to its new position

b) Bring back the goal to its initial position

c) Place the goal on the prolongation of a line going to its initial position to the new position, with a miximal distance of 20 meters (15 meters for cadets and minimes). In this case, the goal has to remain visible.

The b) and c) alineas my be only applied if the goal has been previously marked. Otherwise, the goal will stay to its new position.

If, after being hit, the goal goes through a forbidden area and comes back to the field, it is considered as unvalid and the article 13 applies.

When, during a round, the goal has moved out of the selected field, it is launched again, to the next round, from the point it has moved from, if :

1) The circle may be drawn one meter far from any obstacle or the limit of a forbidden area.

2) The goal launch may be carried out to any legal distance.

The first bowl of a round is launched by a player of the team who has won the toss or who was the last to score points. After that, the team who is not winning the point has to play.

The player must not use any object to carry his bowl. When he hisp laying its last bowl, he may not carry another bowl in his other hand.

The bowls have to be played separately.

Every bowls which has been launched may not be played again. However, the bowls deviated accidentaly between the launch and the goal by a bowl or the goal from another game, an animal or any moving object (ball...) in the case discribed by article 8 paragraph 2 must be played again.

It is forbidden to wet the bowls or the goal.

If the first bowl finishes in forbidden area, the opponent has to play, and so on alternatively while there is no bowl in allowed area.

If there are no bowls in allowed area after a shoot or a targeting, the article 29 regulations relative to drawn round apply.

Durig the legal time allowed to the player to launch his bowl, spectators and players must remain silent.

Opponent are not allowed to walk, move or do anything which could disturb the player. Only his teammates may stay between the goal and the launch circle.

The opponent may stay over the goal or behind the player. In both case, they must stay away from the game direction and be 2 meters far one to the other.

Players who do not respect those obligations may be excluded from the competition if, after a warning from the referee, they persist violating the regulations.

Is is forbidden to launch the bowl in the game to practice. Players violating the rules invur penalties described on article 10.

During a round, bowls going out the field are valid (excepted application of article 19).

Each bowl going through forbidden area is unvalid, excepted in the case explained by article 24 ter alinea 3. A bowl placed on the limit of an allowed area is valid. It is unvalid only when having crossed entirely the allowed area limit of the list line, that mean when it is entirely located ogver this limit.

If the bowl goes back to the playfield, by the means of the ground slope or an mobile or motionless obstacle, it is immediately removed from the game. Anything which have been moved by the bowl after it has passed through forbidden area has to go back to its initial position.

Every unvalid bowl has to be immediately removed from the game. Otherwise, it will be considered as valid as soon as another bowl will have been played by the opposing team.

Every played bowl stopped by a spectator or the referee keeps the position it had when stopped.

Every played bowl stopped by a player of its team is unvalid.

Every targeted bowl stopped by an opponent may be, as the player decides, be replayed or kept to its stopping point.

If a shooted bowl is stopped by a player, its opponent may :

1) Keep it to its stopping point.

2) Place it to the prolongation of a line going to its initial position to its new position, but only in allowed field and if marked.

Any player stopping delibarately a moving bowl is immediately disqualified such as its team, for the current game.

As soon as the goal has been launched, each player has one minute to launch its bowl. This delay begins as soon as the goal or the previous bowl has stopped, or, if a measure has proved necessary, as soon as it has been made.

Those regulations apply for the goal launch after each round.

Any player not respecting this delay incurs the penalties defined in article 10.

If a motionless bowl moves by the means of the wind or ground inclination, it is moved bakc to its position. The same rule applies for a bowl moved accidentaly by a player, a referee, a spectator, an animal or any moving object.

To avoid any contestation, the players have to mark the bowls. Any complaint concernind a non-marked bowl may be admitted. The referee mau only take a decision taking in account the bowls position on the field.

If a bowl is moved by another bowl played in the game, it stays valid.

A player launching a bowl which does not belong to him receives a warning. The bowl remains valid but has to be immediately replaced after any necessary measure has been carried out.

If the players repeats the foul in the same game, his bowl is cancelled and anything it has moved is moved back to its ititial place.

Before launching his bowl, the player has to remove any mud trace from it, otherwise he incurs the sanctions described in article 10.

The players are not allowed to collect the played bowls before the end of the round.

Any bowl launched in non-reglementary conditions is invalid and everything it has moved in its course is moved back to its initial place, if it has been marked. The same rule applies for a bowl played from a circle different from which the goal has been launched.

However, the opponent is allowed to make the advantage rule apply and to declare it valid. In this case, the bowl remains valid and everything it has moved stays in place.

Article 25 - Provisionnal bowls removing

In order to measure a pont, it is allowed to remove provisionnally, after having marked them, the bowls located between the goal and the bowls to measure. After the measure, removed bowls and obstacles are moved  back to their initial place. If the obstacle can not be removed, the measure is carried out by the means of a compass.

The player who has played last of one of his teammates is responsible for measuring the point. Their opponents are allowed to make another measure after them. Whatever the rank of the bowls to measure is and the moment of the round, the referee may be consulted and his decision may not be appealed.

The measures must be carried out with appropriate material. Each team must possess some. It is forbidden to carry out the measures using the feet. Players violating this rule may be sanctionned with article 10 penalties, if they persist after a referee warning.

After a round, any bowl removed before the points have been counted is unvalid if not marked. Not complaints will be admitted concerning this point.

The point is lost for a team if one of its players moves the goal or a litigious bowl during a measure.

If, during a point measure, the referee moves the goal of a bowl and if, after a new measure, the points remains to the bowl which was initially estimated as the nearest to the goal, the referee has to take a decision. The same rule applies if, after the new measure, the point does not belong anymore to the bowl which was initially estimated as the nearest.

If the two nearest bowls from the goal, belonging the to different teams, are at the same distance, they may be 3 different cases :

1) If neither of the teams have bowls, the round is drawn and the goals belong to the team which has won the previous round.

2) If only one team has bowls, it has to play and will score as much points at it will have bowls nearest to the goal than the nearest opponent bowl.

3) If both teams have still bowls, the team which played last plays again, then their opponent play and so on alternatively while the point has not been won by any of the teams. When only one team has bown, the disposition of the previous alinea apply.

If, at the end of round, no bowl is on allowed field, the round is drawn.

Any element stuck to a bowl or the goal must be removed before any measure.

To be admitted, any complaint must be made to the referee. If it has been done after the game result has been officiel, it may not be taken in consideration.

Each team is responsible for controlling the oppising team (licences, category, gamefield, bowls...)

When the matchs drawing is done and proclaimed, the players have to be present at the control table. 15 minutes after the proclamation, any missing team will get 1 point penalty. This point wil be added to the opposing team score.

After this delay, the penalty will increase of 1 point for 5 additionnal minutes.

The same penalties apply during the competition after every drawing of when the games begin again after an interruption for any reason.

Any team which has not come to the field 1 hour after the drawing results proclamation will be declared beaten by forfaith.

An uncomplete team is allowed to begin the game without the missing player. However, it can not dispose from its bowls.

If a player who was absent at the beginning of a round arrives during the round, he may not take part to the round. He only takes part to the game at since de next round.

If the players does not arrive during the hour following the beginning of the game, he is not allowed to take part to it.

If his teammate(s) win the game, he may take part to the following if the names of the players have been correctly subscribed.

If this is a groups competition, he may take part to the second game whatever the result of the first game is.

A round is considered as having begun as soon as the goal has been launch on the field according to the regulations.

The substitution of 1 player in 2 vs 2 game or of 1 or 2 players in 3 vs 3 game is allowed until the official annoncement of the competition beginning. However, the substitutes must not have registered in the competition in another team.

Article 35 – Bad weather

In case of rain, each round which has begun has to be finished, excepted if the refery and the jury decide to interrupt or to cancel it for case of absolute necessity.

If, after the announcement of another competition face (2nd or 3rd leg...), some games are not finished, the referee, afting having consulted the organisation comitee, may take any necessary decisions to preserve the good running of the competition.

The players may not leave the game without having been allowed by the referee. If they leave without authorisation, articles 32 and 33 apply.

It is stricly forbidden to divide the rewards.

Teams taking part to the final games or any other games and lacking fair-play or respect to the spectators, staff and referees will be excluded from the competition. This exclusion may imply the results not to be homologated and the application of article 37 penalties.

Any player lacking of correction or being, moreover, violent with a staff member, a referee, another player or a spectator incurs on or several penalties depending on the foul gravity :

1) Exclusion from the competition

2) Licence suspension

3) Rewards restitution

The penalties takebn against a player may be applied to its teammates.

Penalties 1 and 2 are given by the referee.

Penalty 3 is applied by the organisation comitee which, in 48 hours, sends a report and the confiscated rewards to the federation which decides of their usage.

In every cas, the federal comitee takes a decision in last resort.

The referee who are choosen to arbitrate the competitions have to take care of the strict application of the game and administrative regulations. They have the authority to exclude from the competition any player or team refusing to conform with their decision.

Licenced or suspended spectators which, through their behaviours, would cause incidents on the playfield, will have a report made from the referee to the federation. The federation will convoke the troublemaker(s) to the competent discipliny commission which will take necessary sanctions.

Each case which is not envisaged by the regulations has to be decided by the referee which can refer to the competition jury. This jury has between 3 and 5 members. Decisions taken by the jury in application of this article may not be appealed. If there is the same amount of votes, the vote of the jury president is taken in account.

The players have to be correctly dressed (naked chest or feet are not allowed). Each player not complying with this regulation may be excluded from the competition after a warning from the referee.