Officiating Offerings – February 2024
These snippets of information are issued regularly by Bowls Tasmania and republished to the BTS website with the permission of the author.
Umpires and Markers be alert to Coaches
There has been an incident of unethical behaviour by a coach during a singles competition leading up to a Grand Final. Both players had reported to the umpire and marker that coaches would be present, and they sat on the bank at the corners of the rink. The Marker spoke to the coaches and reminded them of the correct procedure, as noted in the Law Book, on how they were to communicate with their players.
After three ends one of the players, at the end furthest away from the coaches, stood on the mat and gesticulated with her arms. When asked by the marker what the player required the reply was: “I was not signalling to you but to the coach!” The coach (who is an umpire) had not responded having been reminded of the Laws.
The question is during how many games leading up to the Grand Final had this breech of the Law taken place. After talking to many players, it appears that this is a common practise across the state especially in pennant games.
Law 44 – The Coach
Either the coach of a player team or side or, in their absence, the coach’s delegated deputy, can give advice to a player during the course of play as long as:
- 44.1 the umpire is given the name of the coach or the coach’s delegated deputy as appropriate before the game starts;
- 44.2 only one person is present at the rink to give advice at any one time;
- 44.3 the person giving the advice does so when their team or side is in possession of the rink; and
- 44.4 the person giving the advice does so from outside the boundaries of the green.
- 44.5 If in the umpire’s opinion, this law has been broken, the umpire MUST ask the coach or delegated deputy concerned to stay within the Law. If they do not stay within the Law, the umpire must ask the Controlling Body to take immediate action to make sure the offender stops breaking the Law.
Leonie Price
Officiating, Coaching and Bowling Arm Director
Bowls Tasmania