Revised Restrictions: Metro Melbourne & Regional Victoria

by Team BV

UPDATE: Wednesday 28th October, 2020.

Bowls Victoria acknowledges the Victorian Premier’s recent announcements regarding the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, including a move to Step 3 for Metro Melbourne, and updates to Step 3A for Regional Victoria.

We must stress that the content below is current at the time of publication but is subject to change, as the situation is fluid.


Clubs located in Metropolitan Melbourne > STEP 3

Bowls Victoria is pleased to advise that from 11.59pm on 27th October restrictions have eased to allow outdoor non-contact sport to resume, limited to the minimum number of people required for the activity (e.g. players, necessary coaches and umpires). People must keep 1.5m apart at all times. This applies to outdoor greens only (covered greens with less than 50% walls are considered outdoor).

For example: This means that if your club has 2 x pennant teams of 16 players, then you can conduct bowls with 64 players at the venue (2 x 16 = 32 players from the Home team, and 32 from the Away team).

Clubs should consider how breaks will be managed given restrictions to clubhouse entry and may elect not to have a break. Additionally, staggered starting times should be considered to ease congestion of foot traffic.

There are no requirements on minimum space between rinks but clubs must set up their venue to ensure players can keep 1.5m apart at all times, the bank and surrounds can be used to assist this.

The 1.5m social distancing restriction must be adhered to between all patrons at all times.



Clubhouses can now also re-open under the following guidelines:

  • Groups of customers are limited to 10 people.
  • Businesses can serve customers outdoors. There is a cap of 50 people seated outdoors per venue, and the two square metre rule must be applied.
  • Businesses can serve customers indoors. Venues can open with a cap of one person per four square metre rule for indoor spaces, up to 10 people per space, and up to 20 per venue. Business owners should refer to the Hospitality Guidelines.
  • Groups must be spaced at least 1.5 metres apart, tables must be cleaned after every customer and the details of all customers must be kept.
  • Cleaning, signage and record keeping requirements apply.
  • Each indoor dining area must be separated by a permanent structure, or be a discrete area of the premises. Walls used as structures to separate areas should either reach from floor to ceiling, or be at least 2.1 metres high for the space to be considered sufficiently separate.

Clubs located in Regional Victoria > STEP 3A

For Regional clubs: Tuesday’s advice did not present any crucial changes for Regional Victorian’s clubs but please continue to review the Return to Play Guidelines frequently for updates.
The following guidelines are in place for clubs in Regional Victoria (Step 3A):

  • Clubs can have up to 70 people outdoors
  • Up to 10 people per indoor space, with a maximum of 40 people per venue indoors.
  • The two and four square metre rules apply to indoor and outdoor dining spaces.
  • Each indoor dining area must be separated by a permanent structure, or be a discrete area of the premises. Walls used as structures to separate areas should either reach from floor to ceiling, or be at least 2.1 metres high for the space to be considered sufficiently separate.
  • Businesses must continue to ensure people from metropolitan Melbourne do not eat-in.

General around-the-green hygiene:

  • Refrain from shaking hands, high-fives or any contact with others, and keep 1.5 metres apart.
  • Refrain from handling other people’s bowls.
  • Mats and jacks should be handled by one person only.
  • Please keep your hands clean by having sanitiser readily available at the club.
  • Wash your hands before and after play.
  • A mask is recommended to be worn. (Updated 30/10/2020)
  • Wear a clean uniform.
  • If you are feeling unwell then you should not attend the club under any circumstances.
  • Members in a high-risk category should strongly consider whether they should or should not be playing as per their own circumstances and/or medical advice.
  • If a member is sick or comes into contact with someone that may have tested positive to COVID-19, the club must let Bowls Victoria know immediately.

Additional Resources:

  • Guidelines and how they affect Bowls Clubs can be found here:
    Return to Play COVID Guidelines.
  • For the latest State Government COVID-19 update, please click here.
  • Links to the latest COVID-19 information and resources, including current restriction levels, are available from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) here.

As COVID-19 remains a rapidly changing and evolving global situation, we will continue to work with relevant government authorities to provide the Bowls community with new and updated information as it comes to hand.

Please stay safe and look after each other.

Kind regards,
Team BV.