COVELEIGH CLUB - 2013 LAWN BOWLING GUIDELINES DUTIES OF THE CHAIRPERSONS: 1. In January/February, update the Lawn Bowling plaques with prior year award winners. 2. In March, Chairpersons prepare and send a letter to all Coveleigh members encouraging them to participate in lawn bowling. The Chairpersons and the rest of the Lawn Bowling Committee) will also recruit and encourage new lawn bowlers to participate in lawn bowling activities throughout the year. 3. In April, Chairpersons and committee will select teams for League play, changing teams from the prior year and balancing them in terms of skill levels to ensure competitive league play. 4. In May, the list of teams and the schedule of League matches will be sent to league bowlers and alternates. 5. Day of Play: a. Arrive early enough to set up greens, check equipment, assign lanes and take attendance. b. Oversee selection and assignment of Alternates. c. Settle disputes if Captains cannot agree during play of game. 6. Organize, publicize and direct play. 7. Resolve disputes as necessary. 8. Organize, publicize and direct holiday tournaments and luncheons. 9. Organize end of season awards dinner and prizes. 10. A Chairperson will contact (by phone and email) the Team Captains if a game is being cancelled because of inclement weather. Team Captains will then call their members. Bowlers and Alternates can also check email from Club's tennis pro (if tennis is cancelled so is lawn bowling) or call the club if in doubt about the weather (914-967-5900). 11. If the weather becomes uncomfortable or dangerous while matches are in progress, the Chairperson(s) will decide if and when to delay and/or call the games. Matches will be delayed no longer than 30 minutes without the agreement of the Team Captains. If a game is called, it shall be continued from the last completed end on the next playable date. A Chairperson will collect scorecards from the Captains.
LAWN BOWLING ATTIRE- 1. All bowlers, when on the green, whether for league, tournament or social bowling, are required to wear flat smooth-soled foot-wear without heels (for the protection of the green). 1. At times of league games, all bowlers on the green, whether involved in league or social games, are to wear whites. This means white shirts, shorts or slacks for the men and white shirts, skirts, shorts or slacks for the women. 2. Exceptions will be announced at special times such as when the wearing of red, pink or blue will be encouraged. LAWN BOWLING ETIQUETTE- All Coveleigh Club Rules will apply to Lawn Bowling. Other bowlers and spectators should make every attempt not to disturb those that are bowling. 1. A player warming up for a league or tournament match shall not practice on any lane which will be used in the competition, so as not to obtain an advantage in understanding how the lane is playing on that day. 2. A player about to bowl may not be interfered with, annoyed or have his or her attention distracted in any way. 3. Spectators and social bowlers nearby will refrain from loud conversation during the playing of the game. They will also observe the rules of courtesy and remain quiet while a bowl is being delivered. They will also refrain from sudden movements. 4. Other bowlers and spectators should be at least 6 feet away from the bowler at the mat. 5. Smoking on and around the green will be governed by the general club rules. 6. Person directing play will not walk up the rink when bowler is bowling or about to bowl. 7. Both persons directing play on the rink will speak softly or use hand directions. 8. Person directing will not make sudden movements that might distract bowler at the mat. 9. Players should pay attention to the match and not mingle with the spectators or converse freely with them. 10. At the end of the game, players should shake hands and thank the other team.
LEAGUE PLAY DUTIES OF CAPTAINS: Teams will consist of three or four members. The Chairperson will designate the Skip or Captain. 1. The Captain shall have sole charge of his team, and his instructions shall be obeyed by his players. 2. Each skip or captain shall advise designated Chairperson of the game dates for which his team will be missing a player or players as soon as they become aware of the need. This notification will aid the designated Chairperson in his effort to assure that a sufficient number of alternates are available to minimize defaults and mismatches of numbers of bowlers on teams bowling against each other. 3. During a match, when there are complaints or disputes over infractions, team members noting the infraction should report the infraction to their Team Captain. The Team Captain, with the opposing Captain, shall decide any disputed points. When both agree, the resolution of dispute shall be final. If both Captains cannot agree, the point in dispute shall be referred to and considered by the Chairpersons, whose decision shall be final. 4. The Captain may direct the team from behind the jack or may remain at the mat end from which his team is bowling. Any substitute for the Captain must be specifically designated by the Captain. 5. The Captain may change a line-up at the start of any given end, provided that the change is announced to the other team Captain before the jack is thrown for that end. 6. When the Chairperson notifies Team Captains that a game is being postponed due to inclement weather or other conditions, each Captain will call members of his team. 7. The Captain will decide positions for team members. 8. The Captain will keep score, measure and direct or designate a teammate to perform one or more of these functions. 9. Teammates should inform the Captain when leaving the green momentarily for coffee, etc.
ALTERNATES: Alternates will be needed, from time to time, to take the place of absent team members in league play. 1. Bowlers should not sign up as an Alternate if they cannot be available for the majority of league game dates. 2. Alternates must sign in with the Chairperson on day of play prior to the start of the games to be assigned randomly. 3. If more than one alternate is required on a given day, a Chairperson will supervise the selection of Alternates. The names of Alternates will be drawn from a hat by the Team Captain or their designated alternate. Men draw at 10:30am and ladies at 10:00am. The Captain of the team with the least number of regulars will draw first. 4. An Alternate will not be permitted to direct play. 5. An alternate may not bowl as his or her team s anchor (be the last member of his or her team to bowl). 6. An Alternate may not bowl an extra bowl (in the case of a team having fewer bowlers than their opponents) except where the team has only 2 bowlers (including the Alternate). In this situation, the Alternate may bowl a fourth bowl. 7. An Alternate can play any number of regular league games each season. Alternates are not assigned to bowl in league play-off games. 8. Alternates not chosen to play in a league game are encouraged to bowl in a social game when other bowlers are available. Alternates are also encouraged to participate in end-of-season tournaments. PLAY OF THE GAME: 1. Men s League matches will start at 10:30am, generally on Sundays. Ladies matches will start at 10:00am or 10:30am generally on Tuesdays and at direction of Chairperson. Alternates will be picked at those times prior to play. No regular shall displace an Alternate chosen unless regular has come in sight before the game has started. If a regular bowler notifies either his Captain or the Chairperson that he or she will be delayed, but will be present, no Alternate will be chosen for them. That match will be delayed up to 15 minutes, after which the game will proceed according to #4 below. 2. Scoring in these matches will be counted as follows: the team with the ball closest to the jack is the only team to score on a single end; the winning team will receive a point for each of its team s bowls that is closer to the jack than the closest bowl of the opposing team. In other words, if the winning team has the 3 closest bowls, and the opposing team is fourth closest, it receives 3 points on that end.
a. If, at the conclusion of play in any end, the nearest bowl of each team is touching the jack, or is deemed after measuring to be equidistant from the jack those two bowls shall be removed from the rink, and the next nearest bowl shall be declared the only point for that end. 3. Matches will be played through fifteen ends or twenty-one points, whichever is reached first. Winners will be decided by a one or greater point advantage. All bowls must be played on each end. Captains may decide to play fewer than fifteen ends, when the difference in the score is too great for the disadvantaged team to even theoretically tie the score. (For example, in men's threes, if one team is down by ten points at the end of fourteen ends, playing the fifteenth end could not change the outcome.) 4. Teams of four must have a minimum of two regular members present to enter competition. Teams of three must have at least one member present plus an alternate. a. If only one team member is available for a scheduled league game, and there is no available Alternate, that team has two options to avoid forfeiture. All options require mutual consent of the other Team Captain. i. Reschedule game ii. Forfeit the match. 5. If any member of a team leaves permanently during play, his team will forfeit the game. 6. To start match, Captains will toss a coin. The winner shall decide which team will deliver the jack first. Afterwards, the first bowler from the team winning the prior end delivers the jack. 7. For women's league matches, the jack will always be played to wherever it lands. During men s matches, if the jack ends up within 3 feet of the sideline, it is moved to a spot three feet in from the sideline. The jack must come to rest at least halfway down the rink, but no more than three quarters of the way (usually marked by flags). If not, the opposing team then throws the jack; but the lead bowler remains the lead bowler. If the jack is knocked off either side of the playing rink or reaches the far sidewalk during play, the end will be started over. 8. The jack, then, becomes the target for all the bowlers for that end. The objective of the game is to roll the bowl so that it ends up, at the completion of the end, closer to the jack than anyone else. During play it is acceptable to hit opponent s bowls away from the jack as well as trying to place your bowl closer to the jack than anyone else. 9. For a four-person team competition, if one team has four bowlers and the opposing team has only three and no more alternates are available; any two bowlers on the three-bowler team will each roll an extra bowl; but no more than two bowls in succession. If one team has two bowlers and the opposing team has four, with no alternates available, the both players on the two bowler team will each roll four bowls.
10. If any bowler bowls out of turn by mistake (out of order or too many bowls consecutively), there are two possible results. If the bowl does not hit the jack or any other bowl, the bowl is retrieved and the proper order is restored. If the bowl hits other bowls or the jack, the end is nullified, and it is played over with the same team delivering the jack. 11. For a three-person team competition, if one team has three bowlers and the opposing team has only two and no more alternates are available; both players on the two-bowler team will each roll four bowls; but no more than two bowls in succession. 12. One bowler from each team may direct their team s bowling on the rink. When the opposing team is bowling, the other director must stand back out of the way. 13. No more than one member from each team may stand on the rink near the jack when a bowler is bowling. The director must stand behind the jack and shall remain motionless while play is in progress. Those directing play must move carefully away from the area of the head as soon as the bowl has left the player s hand. 14. Bowls should be rolled smoothly off the hand, not lofted or heaved. Bend down, so that the bowl comes off the hand at green level. A release at any higher level will dent and possibly take a divot out of the green. This not only hurts the green, but also challenges the control of all bowlers yet to bowl. When bowlers carry bowls off the rinks, they should set them down, rather than dropping them. 15. Bowl retriever rakes should be used whenever practical in league play, social bowling and tournaments. A retriever is not only a convenience; it eliminates the possibility of bowls being dropped. 16. The bowler may clear from the rink any leaves or other debris that may affect his or her bowl but must not carry their bowl down the rink. 17. The bowler may decide to inspect the head before bowling; but must not carry a bowl to the head. If a teammate is directing, both the bowler and their director may be at the head during the inspection. 18. If a bowl touches the sideline and continues out of the rink, it is dead. However, if the bowl touches the sideline but stays in, it shall be considered "live". If a bowl touches the far end sidewalk, it is dead. A bowl hitting a mid-lane flag, if any, is dead. All dead bowls must be removed immediately from the active part of the playing rink. 19. No measuring of any kind is permitted until the last bowl of an end has been played.
Infractions 20. Playing Out of Sequence: a. If a player delivers a bowl out of turn, when & where practical play should be stopped and bowls should be rolled in correct order. b. If the bowl is not stopped and comes to rest without having touched any other bowl or the jack, it shall be returned to the mat and replayed in its correct order. c. If the bowl is not stopped and while in course, touches any other bowl or the jack, the opponent shall immediately decide whether the bowl and jack shall remain as disturbed or whether the end shall be considered dead. If the bowls and jack remain as disturbed, the bowlers shall roll successive bowls to restore the correct sequence. d. If, before the mistake is noticed, a bowl has been delivered out of turn, bowlers shall then play successive bowls to restore the correct sequence. 21. Moving or Picking Up Live Bowls a. If a player picks-up or moves (inadvertently) one or more "live" bowls prematurely before the end has been finished and before points have been counted, his team is penalized the number of bowls that have been picked-up. The Captains will then replace the bowls to the best of their ability and the end will be finished. OR b. If a player picks-up or moves (inadvertently) one or more "live" bowls prematurely before the end has been finished and before points have been counted, both captains will attempt to replace the bowls moved to the best of their ability. A second similar infraction by the same individual in the same match will result in a penalty equal to the number of bowls that have been picked-up or moved. The Captains will then replace the bowls to the best of their ability and the end will be finished. 22. Foot-Faults a. The mat may be centered by the lead-off bowler at the start of any end; subsequent bowlers may straighten the mat. Other bowlers must be five to six feet from the bowler at the mat. A bowler must have one foot on or above the mat when the bowl is released. To fail to do so is considered a foot-fault. b. If any member of a team should observe what they believe is a foot-fault, they should immediately report it to their Team Captain, who should immediately report it to the opposing Team Captain. The bowler should, then, be given a warning, but the bowl shall be allowed. Upon any subsequent foot-fault by the same bowler, the bowler will be penalized. The opposing Team Captain shall have the choice of any one of the following options: i. Move all bowls (and the jack) to their original positions, with the help of the other Captain, to the best of their ability, ii. Leave the bowls (and jack) where they ended up, or iii. Declare the end dead and start it over. 23. If teams are tied at the end of the league season, the winner and second place team will be determined by playoff(s) among tied teams.
TOURNAMENT PLAY 1. League play takes precedence over tournament play. Matches should not be scheduled to overlap with league play regardless of whether the participants are participating in the league matches taking place. All tournament players must be off the greens15 minutes before League play begins. 2. All players must wear whites for tournament play regardless for when the matches are scheduled. 3. All matches are played to 15 ends or 21 points. In the case of a tie at the end of 15 ends, one additional sudden death round is bowled. 4. In all matches (singles and doubles), each player bowls with 4 bowls. 5. All relevant league rules will apply to both singles and doubles. 6. The Chairpersons establish the time limits for each round. 7. The individual participants/teams are responsible for scheduling their own matches. Once the match is completed, the winner is responsible for posting the outcome on the draw sheets posted on the Lawn Bowling Bulletin Board. 8. Matches will be scheduled within the established time limits by the participants. a. Any player/team who postpones the same scheduled match twice will forfeit the match. b. If the match is not completed by the round time limit, the players/teams must try to agree on who was most responsible for the failure, allowing their opponent to move on. If they are unable to agree, both players/teams will forfeit, and their opponent in the next round will receive a bye. This discussion must be completed in a timely manner (within 2 days of the deadline) to allow the next match to be scheduled with the appropriate amount of flexibility. Singles 1. A caddy may use the bowl retriever to assist one or both bowlers and to inform the bowlers of the positions of the bowls already played, but no coaching is permitted. Doubles 1. Team participants may bowl in any rotation, and may change that rotation as long as they inform the other team of any change before the beginning of the end in which they intend to change. 2. Any player may direct their teammate from a position behind the jack if they choose.
SOCIAL BOWLING Social bowling is considered any bowling which is not part of a league competition or a tournament. Organized social bowling is often scheduled Saturday mornings, Sunday mornings (anyone may bowl on lanes not being used for men s league matches) and may be announced and scheduled some weekday evenings. However, anyone who is familiar with lawn bowling may bowl any time the green conditions permit (where bowling will not damage the green). 1. All bowlers, when on the green, whether for league, tournament or social bowling, are required to wear flat smooth-soled foot-wear without heels (for the protection of the green). 2. At times of league games, all bowlers on the green, whether involved in league or social games, are to wear whites. At all other times, colored clothing is also appropriate for social bowling. 3. Social bowling s structure depends on the number of people who are bowling. Usually if there are enough participants to make up teams, social bowling is played under league rules. If it is decided that teams will not be formed, participants bowl together and compete with each other individually in one or more lanes. It is generally agreed beforehand whether the competition will consist of 12 or 15 ends. 4. Scoring for this form of competition is referred to a 4-3-2-1. In these matches, for each end, the bowler whose bowl is closest to the jack receives four points. The bowler whose bowl is the second closest to the jack receives three points. The bowler whose bowl is the third closest to the jack receives two points, and the bowler whose bowl is the fourth closest to the jack receives one point. No other points are awarded on that end. It is possible for the same bowler to have more than one bowl among the top four and, therefore, to receive more than four (up to all 10 points).
GLOSSARY OF LAWN BOWLING TERMS 1. Bowl the oval, weighted ball used in lawn bowling, or the physical act of rolling the ball down the lane. 2. Green the square area closely mowed and on which the ropes are laid to create the lanes on which the matches are played. 3. Lane or Rink the long and narrow rectangular alleys on which the matches are played. 4. Jack the small white round ball that is thrown down the lanes to start each end. 5. Wick when a bowl hits off another bowl, the jack or the ropes defining the lane or rink. The jack and all balls by the bowl will remain where they end up. 6. Head the area around the jack once it is thrown down the lane (including all the live bowls that have been rolled into play during that end). 7. Anchor the final bowler for each team (whose bowls will determine the final scoring on that end). 8. Whites Referring to lawn bowling attire, whites means white shirts, shorts or slacks for the men and white shirts, skirts, shorts or slacks for the women. It is the required dress for league and tournament bowling, and any bowling taking place during such matches.