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BOWLER ETIQUETTE

Everyone likes to enjoy their game of bowls in a competitive but friendly manner.  In order to help to achieve this the following etiquette rules are listed here.  If you do your best to follow these you will make many friends on the Bowling Green,

BOWLER ETIQUETTE

Bowls should be played in a spirit of good sportsmanship and with good manners.

Players should make every effort to win but should treat their opponents with courtesy.

As soon as each bowl shall have come to rest, possession of the rink shall be transferred to the other team.  By the time a player’s bowl comes to rest they should be behind the mat or behind the head – not between the two.

Players of each team not in the act of playing or controlling play shall stand well behind the head or a yard behind the mat.

A player on the mat should not be interfered with, annoyed or have their attention distracted in any way by an opponent.

Players at or behind the head should not move while a player is on the mat.

Players behind the mat should not talk while a player is on the mat.

Skips or thirds decide the number of shots – leads or seconds should not interfere.

No bowls whatsoever should be disturbed or kicked away without the agreement of both of the thirds or skips.

Do not waste time by dwelling too long on the mat or in protracted conferences.

Do not follow bowls to the head unnecessarily.

All bowlers should have a working knowledge of the WBB laws of the game and the bye-laws of their governing body e.g. The ILB.

Players must not make comments about an opposition bowl before it comes to rest eg, ‘go into the ditch’ or ‘hit my bowl’.

IMPORTANT RULE – Marking the Card

The skip should enter the shots scored and total score cards each end and check this with the opposing skip each end.  Before leaving the green at the conclusion of the final end the two skips must agree the final scores.