About Us

Welcome note

"Welcome fellow carpet bowlers, past, present and future. I hope you find our brand new website useful.  
It’s a work in progress and we welcome your feedback.  If you have anything you’d like included please let us know.
Carpet bowling has been struggling since COVID.  We need to work together to bring it back.
It’s a great sport; one that challenges our brains and bodies but still accommodates people with disabilities.  
If you haven’t tried it yet, please do.  You won’t be disappointed!"
Linda V., President CBABC
2023 Board of Directors

2024-25 Volunteer Admin Team 

Left --> Right:   Back Row

  • Sue Pinkerton (100 Mile House) -  Zone 2 Rep

  • Louise Whitney (Fraser Valley) - Zone __ Rep

  • Dick Orman (Honeymoon Bay) - 2nd Vice & Promotion Director

  • Patti Randle (2019-2023- (100 Mile House) Past President

  • Cindy Shillito (Duncan) - Zone 6 Rep

Front Row:

  • Louise Phoenix (Kamloops) - Vice President

  • Linda Verhoeven (Little Fort) - President

  • Anne Orman (Honeymoon Bay) - Secretary/Treasurer

  Photo taken at 2024 Provincial Tournament in Lake Cowichan

Absent from the photo:

  • Shirley Levesque (Kootenays) - Zone 1 Rep

  • Wayne Murray (Delta) - Zone 3 Rep.

  •  <currently vacation> - Zone 4 Rep.

  •  <currently vacation> - Zone 5 Rep.

  • Bob Currie (Telkwa) - Zone 7 Rep.   (temp.)

  • <currently vacation>  - Zone 3 Rep.

Zones info

2023 Board of Directors

2023-24 Volunteer Admin Team 

Left --> Right:   Back Row

  • Dick Orman (Honeymoon Bay) - 2nd Vice & Promotion Director

  • Anne Orman (Honeymoon Bay) - Secretary/Treasurer

  • Louise Phoenix (Kamloops) - Vice President

  • Linda Verhoeven (Little Fort) - President

  • Sue Pinkerton (100 Mile House) -  Zone 2 Rep

  • John Thiessen (Fraser Lake) -  Zone 7 Rep. (resigned position in 2023)

  • Edd Andrews (Prince George) -  Zone 8 Rep

Front Row:

  • Cindy Shillito (Duncan) - Zone 6 Rep

  • Patti Randle (100 Mile House) -  Past President

  • Marie Lewis (Kamloops) -  Past 2nd Vice.

  Photo taken at 2023 Provincial Tournament in 100 Mile House

Absent from the photo:

Zones info

Who we are

Carpet Bowling Association of British Columbia, Canada.   The Association has made tournament play successful by working very hard with many volunteers dedicated to the sport over the years. 
To manage our large province, we follow the BC Provincial Games and their Zone breakdown. 
Each Zone has a volunteer representative who will work to communicate Provincial Carpet Bowling information to member clubs in a timely manner.   This can be challenging with changing admins per club and access to their contact information.   That is one of the main reasons we wanted to get this website up and running.   As we develop, our hope is to have these details available to everyone on the zone page.  Stay tuned.
Do you have questions regarding current Zone Reps for your area?  CONTACT US using the online form.  

*********************************

  • This site is in a development stage.  (February 2024). 

  • If you find something that needs attention, please use the Contact Us form.   All Contact Us emails will be managed by the current president.

  • The site is created under the direction of the BC Provincial Carpet Bowling current President.  (February 2024)

Societies Act

Constitution

1.  The name of the society is Carpet Bowling Association of British Columbia

2.  The purpose of the society is:

  1.   To foster and promote the game of carpet bowling in the Province of British Columbia

  2.   To co-operate and hold friendly relationships with other carpet bowling associations and clubs;

  3.   To adopt, make available uniform rules and regulations governing the manner and method of playing the game of carpet bowling in the Province of British Columbia;

  4.   To encourage among carpet bowlers that spirit of friendly rivalry and personal consideration which shall best preserve the finer traditions of the game;

  5.   To conduct competitions, tournaments and championships in British Columbia.

3.     The society is a member-funded society. 

  • It is funded primarily by its members to carry on the activities for the benefit of its members. 

  • On its liquidation or dissolution, the society may distribute its money and other property to its members.

  • Add more detail about this feature, such as benefits, appearance, components

BC Provincial Carpet Bowling Application Form

Become a member.  Click here for the application FORM

About the Game

The game is played indoors on carpets that are purposely  built for the sport.   Same for the BOWLS and the jack.   These are the consistent tools from club to club.  Makers of the equipment are in England and Australia.  (If interested about the details of the equipment, see the 'Rules and Tools' section for links to supplier of  the equipment.)

It's a  game of skill and strategy.   Decide on a game of PAIRS, TRIPLES or FOURS.  Eight ends are played and players alternate shots against their opponent.  A coin is tossed to decide who goes first; the winner of the coin toss will choose their bowls colour.   Once that is decided, the game starts.    Example:  Lead yellow bowls,  Lead black bowls, lead yellow bowls, lead black bowls....etc.   Winner of that END will start the next end.

The Rule book is available for purchase.  See the  'Rules & Tools' section of the website.  We encourage all clubs and players to become familiar with them and play by these standards.  (BC 55+ Games, Vancouver Island, and Provincial Tournament play are bound by this book.)

Mobility.  If you can walk 100 feet eight times and deliver the bowl, you can play carpet bowling.  There have been 'bowl delivery tools' built to assist with rolling the bowl down the carpet.  Players with a walker or a cane are welcome to participate.   Most clubs have enough space to accommodate the walkers in-between carpets.   Contact us for specs if you wish to build your own bowl delivery tool.  (We're working on adding the specs to the 'tool and rules section.'  Stay tuned)

Teams are mixed.   There are no restrictions for choosing playing partners.   Age is not a consideration either.  (Some of the best players are the ones that have been playing the longest.)

For tournament play, teams apply with their preferred players.  They learn each others playing strengths and use that in their strategy to win medals.  Just like any sport, you put your best team forward. 

For home club play, a more social event may be in order.  Many find that random team selection works best to keep the fun going and to accommodate the ups and downs of who shows up on a given day.  The added value of this is that players get to experience the value of different positions. 

An example of game play in triples.  The lead will set the bowls.  (one in front, one behind and one 'right on' the jack.)  The second will set up more points and place bowl blockers to stop the opponent from getting in and the skip will maximize points.   Of course, your opponent is doing the same.  It's a strategic game.  Exciting when good shots are made, frustrating when they don't go where you intend them to.

The jack must stay on the carpet.  Once a team knocks it off the carpet, the opponent wins the assigned points for a 'knocked off' jack.  See the rule book for the break down of these points.   It is different depending on pairs, triples and four team play.

Good etiquette.  Players are not to move around during bowl delivery.  It is like putting in golf. Don't move.  It distracts the line of site of the person delivering the bowl.  That is why they use chairs in games.  Keeps people seated if it isn't their turn.

Spectators are welcome.  However, during tournaments, spectators are NOT allowed to talk to players.  The reason is that they may coach the game and that is unfair.  Just like pro tennis, the players are not permitted to get direction from their support box.  Coaching from a third party doesn't work.  Umpires will look for this.

Umpires are trained to look for etiquette infractions as well as help decide scoring.


Psychology and Etiquette

Psychology of Bowling

Bowling is a science, the study of a lifetime in which you may exhaust yourself, but never your subject.  It’s a contest, a duel calling for courage, skill, strategy and self control.  It is a test of temper, a trial of honour, a revealer of character. 
A sweeping away of mental cobwebs, genuine reaction of the tired tissues.

The Etiquette of Bowling

The most expressive definition of Etiquette is “conventional decorum.” It is those little acts that help make our game such a wonderful creator of sociability and friendship.
Etiquette is not an explanation of the duties of the various players in the team; but it is those little extras that give to the Royal, Ancient and, Agreeable Past time, its great charm; that makes the loser feel he has not lost in vain; that lead one to believe these are the unwritten laws of the game.
There is an etiquette to be observed towards our opponents; there is an Etiquette obligatory to and from markers and umpires; there is an etiquette observable between players ands spectators.

One’s Opponent

It is a nice gesture to comment on a good bowl of your opponent, and of a player in your own team; you will find that he/she will do the same to you. 
It is etiquette to admit a fluke in good spirit, with a remark such as, ‘We all get them, and they are very welcome when they come.”
FYI

Similar sport but not the same...

This section shares other sports that are similar to indoor carpet bowling; they are not the same game.  We are not affiliated with any of these sports.
There are so many clubs out there.   Some are regional, some are national and also, some are international.  All have their own rules, board of governors, equipment, etc.   Some have specific qualifying requirements to join in tournaments.  Being aware helps when  searching for Carpet Bowling clubs in your Zone.  
Samples links:

Lawn Bowling:   https://www.nvlbc.com/

Indoor Bowls:  https://www.nvlbc.com/

Bocci:  https://www.kelownaitalianclub.com/bocce.html

Keep moving and have some fun out there!