Officiating Offerings – March 2024
These snippets of information are issued regularly by Bowls Tasmania and republished to the BTS website with the permission of the author.
Possession of the Rink – Law 13
There have been many complaints about the misuse of this Law, mostly regarding the fact that as the third plays their last bowl the opposing team will walk down the rink in front of the third who is trying to observe the line taken by their bowl.
The possession of the rink remains with the player until their bowl comes to rest. Not only is it contrary to the Law but it is also not etiquette to walk in front of the player who is in possession of the rink. Players should remain behind or beside the player in possession of the rink.
Law 13.3 A player must not deliver a bowl before the previous bowl comes to rest and the possession of the rink has transferred to the opposing player or team.
Law 13.4 Umpires, either by their own observation OR on appeal by one of the skips or opponents in singles, decides that a player has delivered a bowl before the previous bowl has come to rest, or the players in possession of the rink are being interfered with, annoyed or distracted in any way by their opponents,
13.4.1 the first time this happens the umpire MUST
13.4.1.1 warn the offending player, while the skip is present and;
13.4.1.2 tell the coach, if they are present, that the player has received a warning.13.4.2 on each occasion after this the umpire MUST have the last bowl played by the offending player or team declared dead.
A dead bowl must be removed from the rink!
NOTE: In Conventions page 8 of the Law Book “References to MUST and WILL within these Laws mean that the action is compulsory.
Leonie Price
Officiating, Coaching and Bowling Arm Director
Bowls Tasmania