A compilation of the Law Of The Week segment in our weekly updates.
| 13 April 2025 Delivering a jack or bowl Right-handers must bowl with their right foot on the mat. Left-handers must bowl with their left foot on the mat. Note: You cannot change hands during a game. Question: What if a bowler delivers a wood and does not have their foot on the mat? This happened recently at a Social. Answer: The bowl is returned to be played again. If it occurs a second time, the bowl is forfeited. References From the Laws Of The Game 5.3 A player’s foot must be placed on the footer when delivering either the jack or a bowl. A player placing the right foot on the footer must play the jack and bowls with the right hand, and a player placing the left foot on the footer must play jack and bowls with the left hand. Nothing in this Law shall apply to any player who suffers a permanent disability of a limb. The player must have a medical dispensation. 5.4 A player must bowl with the same hand throughout the game. Where disability or infirmity prevent a player from delivering jacks or bowls directly from hand than a mechanical aid, of a type approved by the Association, may be used to provide assistance. 5.5 Any bowl not played in accordance with Laws 5.3 and 5.4 may be stopped by the Referee and returned to be played again. If a player offends again during the course of the game, the bowl wrongly played shall be forfeited. |
| 6 April 2025 Striking D.11 A STRIKE is a bowl delivered at such a speed as to attempt to negate the bias. If you intend to strike, you must tell your opponent and make sure anyone on the green and any spectators are warned to move out of the path of your wood. If you strike more than once without giving a warning, it could cost you the game. Reference From the Laws Of The Game 5.6 Players are required to give a verbal warning to their opponent and to take every precaution before striking, to eliminate the possibility of causing injury to other players, Referee, Measurers or spectators by being struck with a jack or bowls. A player shall receive a caution for the first transgression of this Law. For a second offence, the game shall be awarded to the opponent(s). The offender(s) to receive no further score and the opponent(s) to receive the maximum score. |
| 30 March 2025 Setting A Mark 4.2 A mark is set when the jack having been bowled, does not go off the green, is not prevented from going off by resting against anything at the edge or in the channel or, after lawful objection, is proved by measurement, with a certified measure, to be at least 19 metres from the footer, with the footer at least 1 metre from the edge. Question Your opponent sends the jack and you both think it is not 19 metres. Do they get the jack back to try again? Answer They only get the jack (and any wood) back if you object before your opponent has bowled their first wood or while their first wood is still in motion. You have a chance to get the jack. You should wait until after your opponent has bowled their first wood and it has come to a stop and then call for long tapes. If it is less than 19 metres, you get the jack, but your opponent bowls the first wood. Question What if, after I call long tapes and get the jack, I fail to set a mark of 19 metres? Answer Your opponent must object before you bowl your first wood. If it is not 19 metres, they get the jack. It continues like that until someone sets a mark. Whichever of you ends up the setting the mark, your opponent gets to bowl the first wood. Question Do I have to call for long tapes? Answer No but be aware of where you are on the green and whether you will be able to set a mark if you win the end. The mat must be placed within one metre of the jack for the start of the next end. This naturally leads to the next question! Question Can you, by agreement, move the mat more than one metre? Answer There is no Law allowing the mat to be moved more than one metre from the jack in any direction. Captains and players do sometimes agree to do this but be aware that agreement is not guaranteed. I have played in at least one game where the Captain of the other team would not allow it. References From the Laws Of The Game D1a The LEADER Is the player who has the first attempt to set a mark and shall deliver the first bowl after any attempt to set a mark. 4.4a Objection to a mark set by the leader can only be made by the leader’s opponent after the first bowl has come to rest. If the opponent objects before the leader’s first bowl has come to rest, the leader may have the jack, and bowl if played, returned to have another attempt at setting a mark. Only the opponent can object to the mark. An opponent objecting to a mark must make a clear indication that an objection has been made. 4.5 If the leader fails to set a mark, the leader’s opponent is then entitled to an attempt at setting a mark. In pairs this will be the player waiting to follow the leader. 4.6 If the leader fails to set a mark, objection to an attempt by the opponent must be made by the leader before delivering the first bowl. 4.7 If the opponent then fails to set a mark, the leader shall have another attempt and so-on, alternately, until a mark has been set by one of them. The original leader to play the first bowl. 5.15 After each end is concluded, the footer shall be placed at the jack by the last player. The footer may only be repositioned by the leader of the next end and before the first attempt to set a mark, anywhere within a space of one metre from where the jack lay at the conclusion of the last end but at least one metre in from the edge of the green. The footer must not be moved after the first attempt to set a mark by either the leader or the opponent until the end is concluded. |