scoreboard

Use of the Scoreboard

Printable version: The use of a scoreboard (PDF)

Bowls Australia has recently released clarification of a law of the sport regarding the use of scoreboards: outlining that while both skips must complete the scorecard, anyone can be entrusted with updating the scoreboard.

By way of background and as per Law 17 in the Laws of the Sport of Bowls – Crystal Mark Second Edition, Member National Authorities (in this case Bowls Australia) have the opportunity to make domestic regulations (DR’s) on a range of Laws and Bowls Australia (BA) has included an explanation on each allowable Law in the DR’s.

Law 37.1.8 allows a domestic regulation regarding the use of a scoreboard instead of using one of the scorecards, which is very prevalent in South Africa; where they don’t require both skips to keep a scorecard and instead use one scorecard and one scoreboard. As BA doesn’t allow this way of scoring in Australia, in the domestic regulation (DR 3.4) BA reiterated our stance that: “A scorecard should be kept and completed by the skip of each team”.

The second sentence of DR 3.4 was added stating: “If there is no scoreboard attendant available, the skips between them should keep the scoreboard updated at least every second end.”

Although it is not mentioned anywhere in the Laws who can turn the scoreboard, this sentence was included to provide advice and guidance, typically for pennant matches, to ensure that the scoreboard would match the official recording of the game – the scorecard.

“The main message that we are trying to convey is that anyone can turn a scoreboard,” National officiating director Mark Cowan said.

“The wording previously used was debatable; it was unclear whether anyone or just the skip could change the scoreboard, so we changed the wording to reflect that.

“The scorecard is the official record of the game.

“Anyone can turn the scoreboard, so it cannot be used as the official indicator of results.”

After consultation with World Bowls on this matter, the wording of the DR will be reviewed at the next Law review.

In the interim, it is the national officiating committee’s determination that as the “scoreboard attendant” can be any person appointed by either the controlling body, team manager or the host venue, the scoreboard at the end of each rink or the ‘main board’ can be adjusted by any player whether they are involved in the game or a volunteer.

It is then up to the skips to ensure that the scorecards and the individual rink scoreboard are aligned at least every second end (when skips are at the scoreboard end).