Bowls Stamping
As we start the new year many sets of bowls may require to be re-tested and stamped accordingly. The stamping of bowls remains a grey area because of the differing requirements of each National Governing Body. If, after this article, you still feel unsure about the laws of bowls stamping, I would suggest you contact your local county or umpires official or your National Governing Body Secretary for clairification.
I am not going to go into detail about bowl specifications or objections to bowls โ I am just going to see what the laws are in respect to โ โBias of bowls,โ โBowls failing test,โ โAlteration to biasโ and the โWorld Bowls Stamp Details.โ
I am going to refer to both law books, and World Indoor Bowls Council (WIBC) Laws of the Sport of Indoor Bowls First Edition revised 2010 (green book), and World Bowls(WB) Laws of the Sport of Bowls Crystal Mark Second Edition (yellow book) as they do differ slightly.
First, I shall study the WIBC handbook and compare it to the WB book. The WIBC laws are coloured in green, whilst the WB laws are coloured in yellow to ensure clarity.
WIBC Law 9B Bias of bowls
The Working Reference Bowl shall have a bias approved by World Bowls. All bowls shall have a bias of not less than that of the Working Reference Bowl, and shall bear the imprint of the stamp of World Bowls.
Bowls shall only require to be re-tested and re-stamped if the date of the stamp is not clearly legible or if a Member National Bowling Authority so requires for its National events under the provisions of Law 9F.
The W.I.B.C. and other Indoor Controlling Bodies reserve the right to test bowls intended for play in any indoor bowls event under their direct control.
B Law 8.2 Bias of bowls
8.2.1 A Working Reference Bowl will have a bias approved by WB. All bowls should
have a bias that is not less than that of a Working Reference Bowl and should be
imprinted with the registered World Bowls Stamp.
8.2.2 To check the accuracy of the bias and the visibility of the World Bowls Stamp, all
bowls should be re-tested and restamped at least once every 10 years, or earlier if
the date of the stamp is not clearly legible.
8.2.3 For domestic play, Member National Authorities can decide the requirements for
re-testing and re-stamping bowls.
WIBC Law 9C Bowls failing test
(i) If a bowl in the hands of a Licensed Tester is declared as not complying with
Law 9A or 9B it shall be altered, if possible, so as to comply, before being
returned.
(ii) The owner of the bowls shall be responsible for the expense involved.
(iii) If the bowl cannot be altered to comply with Laws 9A and 9B, any current official
stamp appearing thereon shall be cancelled prior to its return.
(iv) The stamp shall be cancelled by the Licensed Tester stamping an X over any
current official stamp.
(v) Bowls submitted for testing must be in sets of four.
WB Law 8.6 Bowls failing a test
8.6.1 FAILING A TEST AS A RESULT OF A CHALLENGE BEING LODGED (see law 8.4)
8.6.1.1 If a Licensed Tester finds that a bowl does not meet the requirements of
laws 8.1 or 8.2, they should alter the bowl as necessary before returning it.
8.6.1.2 If a Licensed Tester cannot alter a bowl to meet the requirement of laws
8.1 and 8.2, they should cancel any current stamp imprinted on the bowl
by stamping an โXโ over it before returning it.
8.6.1.3 If a Licensed Tester tests a challenged set of bowls and finds that they do
not meet the requirements of laws 8.1 and 8.2:
8.6.1.3.1 the game in which they were used should be forfeited to the
opponent;
8.6.1.3.2 the deposit should be returned to the person who lodged the
challenge; and
8.6.1.3.3 the user or owner of the set of bowls should pay the
Controlling Body for all expenses in having the tests done.
8.6.2 FAILING A TEST AS A RESULT OF A ROUTINE RE-TESTING (see law 8.2.2)
8.6.2.1 If a Licensed Tester finds that a bowl does not meet the requirements of
laws 8.1 or 8.2, the user or owner of the set of bowls can choose whether
to:
8.6.2.1.1 have the Licensed Tester alter the bowl as necessary before
returning it: or
8.6.2.1.2 leave the bowl unaltered and have the Licensed Tester
cancel any current stamp imprinted on the bowl by
stamping an โXโ over it before returning it.
8.6.2.2 If a Licensed Tester cannot alter a bowl to meet the requirements of laws
8.1 and 8.2, they should cancel any current stamp imprinted on the bowl
by stamping an โXโ over it before returning it.
WIBC Law 9E Alteration to bias
(i). A player shall not alter, or cause to be altered, other than by a Licensed Tester, the
bias of any bowl bearing the imprint of the official stamp of World Bowls under
penalty of suspension from playing for a period to be determined by the Member
National Bowling Authority of which his/her club is a member.
(ii). Such suspension shall be subject to confirmation by World Indoor Bowls Council
or a committee thereof appointed for that purpose, and shall be operative among
all Member National Bowling Authorities in membership of the W.I.B.C.
WB Law 8.3 Alteration to bias
8.3.1 A player should not alter, or cause to be altered other than by a Licensed Tester,
any bowl imprinted with the registered World Bowls Stamp in any way that would
alter the bias of the bowl
8.3.2 Any player breaking this law will be suspended from playing for as long as the
Member National Authority of which the playerโs club is a member decides.
8.3.3 The Member National Authority which suspended the player should give WB
details of the suspension, and the suspension will apply among all Member
National Authorities.
8.3.4 Players or owners who colour the grooved rings or dimples on a bowl for
decoration are not breaking this law.
PLEASE NOTE:
Although worded differently both law books are stating the same: โDO NOT ALTER OR CAUSE TO BE ALTEREDโ the bias of your bowl. If found out you will be suspended from playing the sport!
World Bowls goes out of its way to state that colouring the rings or dimples on the bowl is not breaking the law. The WIBC law book does not state this although I suspect they may not take any action should you do so.
WIBC Law 9F WORLD BOWLS STAMP DETAILS
Licensed Manufacturers and Testers will be entitled to use the registered World Bowls Stamp to facilitate the imprint between the inner and outer rings of bowls. Imprints on running surfaces should be avoided wherever possible.
WB World Bowls
A Denotes code letter of Manufacturer/Tester
Numerals Denotes year of expiry
R Denotes that the stamp is a registered trade mark
The World Bowls Stamp introduced on 1st April 2002 shall be used on all new and re-tested bowls from that date.
Either the I.B.B. or W.B.B. stamp on a bowl will remain valid until the existing stamp expires.
Member National Bowling Authorities or groupings of Member National Bowling Authorities shall set their own requirements for stamping of bowls for National Events provided such arrangements are in line with these Laws.
WB Law 9 Bowls: World Bowls Stamp
9.1 Licensed Manufacturers and Licensed Testers are entitled to imprint the registered World Bowls Stamp between the inner and outer rings of bowls. Imprints on the running surfaces of bowls should be avoided wherever possible.
WB World Bowls
A is the code letter of the Licensed Manufacturer or Licensed Tester
Numbers is the year that the stamp expires
R shows that the stamp is a registered trademark
9.2 The current World Bowls Stamp was introduced on 1st April 2002 and should be used on all new and re-tested bowls from that date.
9.3 Both the International Bowling Board (IBB) and the World Bowls Board (WBB) stamps, which were used before the current World Bowls Stamp, will be valid until the end of the year that the stamp expires. (For example, the stamp in the above illustration would not be valid after 31 December 2013).
9.4 If bowls are imprinted with the registered World Bowls Stamp and are in line with the Laws of the Sport in other ways, they can be used in all games under the control of WB or any Member National Authority.
9.5 For domestic play, Member National Authorities can decide the requirements for the stamps on bowls.
PLEASE NOTE:
I have included both sets of laws from the WIBC Law book (green book) and the World Bowls Law book (yellow book). Although they are worded slightly different in reality they mean the same.
To conclude, I must reiterate that if you are in any doubt then please contact your local county or umpires representative or your national Secretary. You should do this for both indoor and outdoor Play because they could be different.
