Defining a ‘Team’
I often get asked by bowlers, especially new bowlers to explain what is meant by the terms ‘side’ and ‘team,’ so this month I thought we would look at the ‘Definitions’ for the sport. As we are playing indoor at the moment, I have used Section 1 –‘Definitions of the World Indoor Bowls Council’s Laws of the Sport for Indoor Bowls’ (green book). For those of you playing under the World Bowls Laws of the Sport of Bowls (pink book) – those definitions can be found in Section 1 – ‘Definitions: control, players, play and bowls.’
Section 1 – Definitions
1A CONTROL
Controlling Body means the body having immediate control of the conditions under which a game is played.
The order shall be:
(i). The World Indoor Bowls Council (W.I.B.C.)
(ii). A Member National Bowling Authority or grouping of Member National Authorities.
NOTE: For example, a Member National Authority could be the English Indoor Bowling Association (EIBA) and a grouping could be the British Isles Indoor Bowls Council (BIIBC).
(iii) Divisions within Member National Bowling Authorities
This could be a county association, district or area.
(iv). The club on whose green the game is played.
NOTE: As an umpire it is most important that you find out who the Controlling Body is before you commence umpiring and find out if they have any domestic ruling in place for that particular tournament.
1B PLAYERS
(i). Side means any agreed number of teams and/or singles players, whose
combined scores determine the results of the match.
NOTE: So, a side typically consists of 16 or 24 players. As an example, this can be a ‘side’ that represents your club or stadium on a Saturday afternoon.
(ii). Team means – either a four, a triple or a pair
(iii). Four means a team of four players, whose positions in order of play are named lead, second, third and skip.
(iv). Triple means a team of three players, whose positions in order of play are named lead, second and skip
(v). Pair means a team of two players, whose positions in order of play are named lead and skip.
(vi). Skip means the player who is in charge of the team.
(vii). Player in possession of the mat means the player who is about to or is in the process of delivering a bowl.
(viii). Wheelchair Bowler means a player who uses an approved “Purpose Designed Bowls Wheelchair” (PDBW).
1C PLAY
(i). Delivery means when the jack or bowl is intentionally released in the process of play.
(ii). Displaced, as applied to a jack or a bowl, means moved by an agency that is not sanctioned by these Laws.
(iii). Domestic means any play under the control of a Controlling Body other than the World Indoor Bowls Council.
(iv). End means the delivery of the jack and the playing of all the required bowls of all the opponents in the same direction on a rink and the determination of the number of shots scored.
(v) Former position means the location of a jack or bowl at rest on the rink of play or in the ditch immediately prior to being displaced.
(vi). Head means the jack and such bowls as have come to rest within the boundary of the rink and are not dead (See Laws 30 & 35)
(vii) Holding surface means a material designed to prevent the jack or bowl from running along the ditch.
(viii). Jack or bowl in its original course means a jack or bowl from the time of its delivery until it comes to rest regardless of how many times on the case of a bowl it may be deflected before it comes to rest or becomes dead.
(ix). Jack or bowl in motion means a jack or bowl which is moving as result of play after it has been at rest as part of the head.
(x). Mat line means the edge of the mat which is nearest to the front ditch. All necessary measurements to jack or bowl shall be taken from the centre of the mat line.
(xi) ‘Neutral’ means:
(a). any jack, bowl or other object not being used on the rink concerned or not belonging to any player thereon,
(b). a person who is not a player on the rink concerned. This includes the Marker in a singles game.
(c ). a dead bowl not removed from the rink concerned
(xii). Pace of the green means the number of seconds taken by a bowl from the time of its delivery to the moment it comes to rest, approximately 27 metres from the mat line.
(xiii). Position of bowl in relation to jack.
Jack High – means the nearest portion of the bowl referred to is in line with and at the same distance from the mat line as the nearest portion of the jack
(xiv). Set means a pre determined number of shots or ends forming part of the game.
(xv). National Event means any event organised and controlled by a Member National Bowling Authority.
NOTE: Hopefully these definitions are self explanatory. If you would still like clarification on a particular matter, please e-mail the editor and he will forward it to me: patrick.hulbert@keypublishing.com