Bedford Lawn Bowls Club  

BLBC Rules Review (Outdoor Game)

Terms;

Rink – section of the green on which the game is played.

Front Ditch – ditch at end of green directly in front of the players when they stand on the mat.

Rear Ditch - ditch at end of green directly behind of the players when they stand on the mat.

Face of the Bank – the surface of the bank from the surface of the ditch to the top of any surround or edging.

Ground Sheet – rectangular piece of canvas or other suitable fabric placed temporarily on the surface of the green to protect it from damage from delivery of the jack or bowls. The rear edge of the mat must be placed at least 2 m from the rear ditch and least 23 m from the front ditch.

Mat Line – the edge of the mat nearest to the front ditch. All measurements involving the mat and a jack or bowl will be taken from the centre of the mat line.

Centering the Jack – placing the Jack on the centre line of the rink, at the same distance from the mat line as it was when it came to rest.

Head – the Jack and any Bowls which have come to rest within the boundaries of the rink of play.

Bias – the curved path along which a bowl travels from delivery until it comes to rest.

Bias Side of a Bowl – the side of the bowl that is the more rounded of the two sides, which is identified by the small grooved rings surrounding its centre. Non-Bias side has large grooves.

Rules

Starting the Game - Trial Ends (Conditions of Play) 5.1 – before the start of play in any game, or before continuing an unfinished game on another day, one                                                                                                                   trial end must be played in each direction.

Toss of Coin                                                                   5.2 – Skips in a team game or opponents in Singles must flip a coin.

Start of Play                                                                   5.3.1 - In any game the start of play is the delivery of the jack by the first player to play in the first end.

Placing the Mat - Before Start of Play 6.1.1/6.1.4 – Before start of play in each end, the player to play first must place the centre line of the mat lengthwise along the centre line of the rink, with the mat at least 2 m from the rear ditch and at least 23 m from the front ditch.

During each End 6.2 – After start of play in any end, the mat must not be moved from its original position. Except in the following - 6.2.1 - 6.2.7 page 22 & 23

Position on the Mat - 7.1 – Before delivery a player must be standing on the mat with all or part of at least one foot on the mat. At the moment they deliver the jack or bowl, the player must have all or part of one foot on or above the mat.

Foot Faulting 8.1 – First offence is a warning.

Delivering the Jack - 9.1 – The player to play first must deliver the jack and make sure it is centred.

9.2 – If the jack in its original course comes to rest less than 2 m from the front ditch, it must be placed on the centre line of the rink with the nearest point of the jack to the mat line being 2 m from the front ditch.

Improperly Delivery of Jack - 10.1 – The jack has been improperly delivered if it comes to rest:

a) in the ditch

b) completely outside the boundaries of the rink

c) less than 23 m from the mat line

d) on the rink after contact with the face of the bank

e) on the rink after contact with any object or person completely outside the boundaries of the rink.

10.2 – if a player improperly delivers the jack, the opposing player must place the mat as described in law 6.1.1 and re-deliver the jack, make sure it is centred, but the opposing player must not play first.

Order of Play - 11.2.1 – the leads must play their bowls in turn, followed by each player`s in their order of play.

Possession of Rink

Position of Players - 12.1.1 – Players who are at the mat-end of the rink who are not delivering a bowl must stand at least 1 m behind the mat.

12.1.2 – Players at the head-end of the rink and who are not controlling play must stand – see book page 28

Possession of the Rink - 13.1– Possession of the rink will belong to the player or team whose bowl is being played.

13.1.2 – As soon as each bowl comes to rest, possession of the rink will transfer to opposing player or team after allowing time for marking a toucher as soon as it comes to rest.

Touchers - 14.1 – A bowl that in its original course which touches the jack, even though it comes to rest in the ditch within the boundaries of the rink of play, is a live bowl and is a Toucher. Other wise it is considered a non-toucher. See 14.2.1/14.2.2

Marking a Toucher - 15.1 – A toucher must be marked with chalk by a member of the team that delivered the bowl or marker as soon as it comes to rest. See 15.2

Dead Bowl - 17.1.2/3/4/5/6 See book page 32

Live Jack in the Ditch - 18.1 & 18.2 – A jack that is moved by a bowl in play into the front ditch within the side boundaries of the rink of play is a live jack. It must be marked by a white indicator. See book page34

Dead Jack - If the jack is moved by a bowl in play, it is a dead jack if it: see book 19.1/.2/.3/.4 page 35

Dead End - 20.1 – See book page 36

The Shot 22.1 – A shot or shots refers to the bowl or bowls which is or are nearer to the jack then the nearest bowl played by the opposing team or opponent in singles. 22.2 – No bowl must be moved until the opponents have agreed whether it is shot or not.

No Shot Scored - Tied End 24.1 – see book page 38

Playing Out of Turn - 29.1 – If a player plays out of turn, the opposing skip can stop the bowl and return it to the player to play it in the proper order. See 29.1.2

Playing Another Players Bowls - 29.2.1 – If a player plays another player`s bowl instead of their own, the other player`s bowl must be replaced with the player`s own bowl. See 29.2.2

Players Duties - 40.1/40.2/40.3 See book pages 58,59,60

Footwear - Appendix 2.1 - page 96