Bowls vs. Boules — What's the Difference?

A lawn game where players roll biased balls towards a smaller ball (jack).

A collective term for games involving throwing or rolling metal balls towards a target.

Competitions range from casual club play to international tournaments.

Popular in Europe, especially France, played on various surfaces.

Equipment includes biased balls and a jack.

Can be played in public spaces, requiring minimal setup.

Played on flat, smooth surfaces for precision rolling.

Precision and strategy in throwing are key.

Involves strategy in ball placement and use of bias.

Equipment includes metal balls and a small target ball.

Bowls, or lawn bowls, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-green bowls") or convex or uneven (for "crown green bowls").

Boules (French pronunciation: ​[bul]) is a collective name for a wide range of games similar to bowls and bocce (In French: jeu or jeux, in Italian: gioco or giochi) in which the objective is to throw or roll heavy balls (called boules in France, and bocce in Italy) as close as possible to a small target ball, called the jack in English. Boules-type games are traditional and popular in many European countries and are also popular in some former French colonies in Africa and Asia.

A hemispherical vessel, wider than it is deep, used for holding food or fluids.

The lower house of the modern Greek legislature.

The contents of such a vessel.

The senate of 400 founded by Solon in ancient Athens.

A drinking goblet.

A legislative assembly in any one of the ancient Greek states.

A bowl-shaped part, as of a spoon or pipe.

Often boules (bl) Any of several related bowling games, such as bocce or pétanque, traditionally played on an outdoor court.

A bowl-shaped topographic depression.

The ball used in one of these games.

A bowl-shaped stadium or outdoor theater.

A round loaf of bread.

(Football) Any of various postseason games played between specially selected teams, especially at the college level.

A pear-shaped synthetic sapphire, ruby, or other alumina-based gem, produced by fusing and tinting alumina.

A ball, traditionally made of wood, that is weighted or slightly flattened so as to roll with a bias, used in lawn bowling.

Plural of boule

A roll or throw of a ball in lawn bowling and other bowling games.

Bowls; a game played with metal balls.

Bowls(used with a sing. verb) See lawn bowling.

A revolving cylinder or drum in a machine.

To participate in a game of bowling

To throw or roll a ball in a game of bowling

To hurl a cricket ball from one end of the pitch toward the batsman at the other, keeping the arm straight throughout the delivery.

To move quickly and smoothly, especially by rolling

To throw or roll (a ball).

To make (a specified score) in bowling

To perform (a specified amount, as a string or game) in bowling

To move quickly and smoothly by or as if by rolling

To meet or strike with or as if with the force of a rapidly rolling object

Plural of bowl

A precision sport where the goal is to roll biased balls (weighted on one side, and called bowls) closer to a smaller white ball (the jack or kitty) than one's opponent is able to do.

A ball used in the game of bowls

See Bowl, a ball, a game.

Lawn bowling at a jack using biased wooden balls

Boules requires metal balls and a smaller target ball, known as a jack or cochonnet.

You need biased balls and a jack to play Bowls.

Yes, both are played worldwide but have varying degrees of popularity, with Bowls more common in the English-speaking world and Boules in France and Southern Europe.

Precision and skill are more important than strength in Boules.

Yes, both games are suitable for children, though Boules may be easier for them to pick up due to the simpler concept of throwing.

By having more of your balls closer to the jack than your opponent's closest ball at the end of a round.

Ideally, it should be played on a smooth, well-maintained lawn for accuracy.

Bowls is played on a flat surface with biased balls aimed at a jack, focusing on the curve of the ball, while Boules involves throwing metal balls straight towards a target on varied surfaces.

Bowls can be played indoors on specially designed surfaces, whereas Boules is typically played outdoors but can be adapted for indoor play.

Yes, flat-soled shoes are typically required to protect the lawn.

Boules can be played individually or in teams, typically with two to four players on each side.

Yes, there are professional and amateur leagues and tournaments for both sports.

Practicing throwing for accuracy and control, ideally on different surfaces, is the best way to improve at Boules.

The surface can significantly affect the roll and strategy, with players needing to adjust their throws accordingly.

Points are awarded for each ball that is closer to the cochonnet than the opponent's closest ball.