Recent news release from Bowls Canada Boulingrin
Rule 23.5.1 of the new Laws of the Sport of Bowls, Crystal Mark 2nd Edition, 2011 gives
National Authorities the discretion to change the minimum jack length from 23 m to 21 m.
After careful consideration, Bowls Canada Boulingrin, the National Authority for Canada,
has decided to change the minimum jack length from 23 m to 21 m for all play in Canada.
This decision leads to a number of other changes to distances set out in the Laws,
as further detailed in rules 23.5.1 to 23.5.3, and will necessitate changes to the
positioning of "hog line markers" at clubs across the country.
For safety reasons in particular, an exemption will apply for the Pacific Indoor Bowls Club
and the Qualicum Indoor venue, which may continue to use a minimum jack length of 23 m.
March 2011
The following is a repeat of Observations on the Laws of the Sport by
Nick Watkins in the June 2011 newsletter.
Another rule change this year has affected the scorekeeping duties on a team. Where scorecards are in use,
the Skip is now responsible for keeping the scrore, and this is NOT a duty that can be delegated to another
player. The Seconds in Triples and Fours do not keep the scorecards. Where scoreboards are used, it is
advisable that the Skips should update the board when they are at that end, and the Seconds or Thirds
(whoever is in charge of the head) should look after the board in alternate ends.
Possession of the rink (law 35) and Position of players (law 36) are two long-standing laws that seem to
be overlooked by many bowlers. Law 35 states that "possession of the rink will belong to the player
or team whose bowl is being played." This means that players at the head-end who are not controlling play
should stand behind the jack (if they are on the team with possession) or behind the jack and away from
the head (if they are not in possession).
This means that when a bowl comes to rest, possession of the rink is transferred to the opposing team.
A player on the team whose bowl has just stopped should not step into the head to determine the
outcome of the shot--it is not their head.
Another example of this is where players are walking down to the head after they have played their bowls.
Only the team in possession has the option to stop and look at the head, and even then it should only be
the person who is controlling play who can stop at the jack--the others should walk on.
A third example is what I like to refer to as the "middle of the green huddle", where team members
often stop and converse in the middle of the rink. Only the team in possession of the rink has that option.