SHORT MAT BOWLS SEASON 2024-25

Where do we play?

  • All games are played on special bowls mats that are laid out in the Cowen Suite on the days of play.

Do I need to be a member of the Bowls club to play Short Mat Bowls?

  • No, all members of Purley Sports Club regardless of what other section they are members of can sign up to Short Mat. It’s a great way to play a sport, meet new people and maintain your relationship with the sports club over the winter months.

I’m not a member of Purley Sports Club, can I still join the Short Mat Bowls?

  • Yes you can. You will need to join Purley sports club as part of signing up to the Short mat for which there is a sports club membership fee. Sports club membership fees are available here or call the sports club reception.

Do I need my own bowls to play Short Mat Bowls?

  • We encourage all players of Short Mat to purchase their own bowls, however for a period of time we are able to provide bowls for loan on the day of play. The organisers can provide assistance with accessing loan bowls.

How often do we play?

  • Since the Cowen Suite is used for many different functions we do not have the flexibility or capacity to accommodate “turn up and play” so all sessions are pre-arranged.
  • From October to March, except for a short break over Christmas, the club short mat sessions are held all day on Mondays and Tuesdays and also Friday afternoons.

What formats of Short Mat Bowls games are available to play?

We play a number of different leagues throughout the winter including

  • Triples league (Played on Monday and Friday Afternoons – 3 players per team with 2 bowls per player – teams are drawn using a handicapping system)
  • 2-4-2 league (Played on Monday all day and Friday Afternoons – 2 players per team with 4 bowls each – teams are drawn using a handicapping system)
  • Select Pairs (Played mainly on Tuesdays – 2 players per team with 4 bowls each – choose your own partner)
  • Singles/Plate (Starts in January and played mainly on Tuesdays – Player versus player with 4 bowls each)

Is Short Mat Bowls competitive or social?

  • We arrange the Short Mat members into teams and play internal leagues only. Inevitably there is some competitiveness when playing each other but our focus is on fun, social interaction and friendship.
  • Like any sport, short mat has it’s own rules and etiquette to observe and adhere to.
  • As a member of one or more league teams there is a level of commitment required when you are selected to play for your league team.
  • An important element of short mat bowls is that players often socialise in the Purley Sports club bar after they have played.
  • Occasionally we will organise a match against another club and, of course, those games will have a more competitive edge but we still focus on enjoying the experience.

Do I need to enter all leagues or can I pick and choose what I play in?

  • You can choose to join as many or as few leagues as you want.
  • The Organisers like everyone to select the disciplines they wish to play, but a word of caution; the more you enter the more chance there is you may be asked sometimes to play twice in a day and/or on two or perhaps three days a week.
  • When joining a league you will be put into a team and the team captain will select who will play each week on a rotational basis so everyone on a team should end up playing the same number of matches for that league.

How much does it cost to play Short Mat bowls?

  • Charges for 2025-2026 are under review. Charges for 2024-25 consist of a Short Mat Membership fee of £24 and a charge per discipline/league that you sign up for: See Charges Information for more detail.

Important note: Please don’t enter the singles competition if you are not available on finals day. Finals day date for 2026 to follow soon.