Section 1- Definitions: control, players, play & bowls

Definitions

1.1    Control
Controlling Body: the body with immediate control over the
Conditions of Play (see Law 17.2) under which a game is played.
The order is:
    o    World Bowls (WB);:
    o    a National Bowling Authority that is a member of WB (‘Member National Authority’) or a group of Member National Authorities;
    o    divisions within Member National Authorities; and
    o    the club on whose green the game is being played.

1.2    Players
1    Side: any agreed number of teams or Singles players (or a combination of teams and Singles players) whose combined scores decide the result of a competition.
2    Skip: the player who is in charge of the team.
3    Team play
    Team:    a Pair, a Triple or a Four
    Pair:    a team of two players whose positions, in order of play, are ‘lead’ and ‘skip’.
    Triple:    a team of three players whose positions, in order of play, are ‘lead’, ‘second’ and ‘skip’.
    Four:    a team of four players whose positions, in order of play, are ‘lead’, ‘second’, ‘third’ and ‘skip’.

1.3    Play
1    Centering the jack: placing the jack on the centre line of the rink, at the same distance from the mat line as it was when it came to rest.
2    Delivery: deliberately releasing a jack or bowl from the hand using an underarm movement. If the jack or bowl accidentally slips from a player’s hand during delivery, the player can pick it up and start the delivery again.
3    Defaulting player, team or side: the player, team or side that does not meet the requirements of any specific law or laws.
4    Displaced jack or bowl: a jack or bowl which is moved in a way that is not approved within the Laws of the Sport of Bowls.
5    Disturbing the head: altering the position of the jack or a bowl in the head
6    Domestic play: any play under the direct control of a Member National Authority, a division within a Member National Authority or a club.
7    End: delivery of the jack, delivery of all bowls required to be played by all of the opponents in the same direction on the rink, and deciding the number of shots scored.
8    End ditches
    Front ditch: the ditch at the end of the green which is directly in front of a player when they stand on the mat.
    Rear ditch: the ditch at the end of the green which is directly behind a player when they stand on the mat.
9    Face of the bank: the surface of the bank from the surface of the ditch up to the top of any surround or edging.
10    Forfeited game: a game that is awarded to an opponent as a penalty for the defaulting player, team, or side not meeting the requirements of one or more laws.
11    Former position: the position of a jack or bowl at rest within the rink of play immediately before it is displaced. If a law says that a jack or a bowl should be put back to its former position, the person replacing the jack or bowl in this way should decide where that position is. If this person cannot accurately identify the former position, they should put the jack or bowl as near as possible to its former position.
12    Groundsheet: a rectangular piece of canvas or other suitable fabric placed temporarily on the surface of the green to protect it from any damage caused by the result of a player delivering the jack or a bowl. The rear edge of the groundsheet should be placed at least 2 meters from the rear ditch and at least 25 meters from the front ditch (in line with the requirements for placing the mat described in Laws 19.1 1 and 19.1 5).
13    Head: the jack and any bowls which have come to rest within the boundaries of the rink of play and are not dead. Law 30.1 describes a dead jack and Law 27.1 describes a dead bowl.
14    Holding surface: a natural or synthetic material that will prevent the jack or a bowl from running along the ditch.
15    Jack or bowl in its original course: a jack or bowl from its delivery until it comes to rest, no matter how many times (for a bowl ) it comes into contact with the jack or other bowls before it comes to rest or becomes dead.
16    Jack or bowl in motion: a jack or a bowl which is moving during play after it has been at rest as part of the head.
17    Licensed Manufacturer: person or company licensed by WB to make bowls in line with the standards laid down in World Bowls Regulations.
18    Licensed tester: person or company licensed by WB to test bowls to make sure they meet the standards laid down in World Bowls Regulations and the Laws of the Sport of bowls.
19    Line jack or bowl: a jack or bowl which has come to rest partly inside and partly outside the side boundary of the rink of play.
20    Mat line: the edge of the mat nearest the front ditch.
All measurements involving the mat and a jack or a bowl will be taken from the centre of the mat line.
21    Net total of set points: the total number of set points a player or team scores minus the total number of set points scored against them.
22    Net total of shots: the total number of shots a player, team or side scores minus the total number of set points scored against them.
23    Neutral
    Neutral person: a person who is not a player on the rink of play.
    This includes the marker and the umpire.
    Neutral object:
    o    a jack, bowl or other object not belonging to any player on the rink of play.
    o    a line jack or a line bowl belonging to a player on a neighboring rink, or
    o    a dead bowl that is at rest and has not been removed from the rink of play.
24    Open tournaments: competitions in which both members and non-members of the club hosting the event are eligible to take part and in which more than one round can be played on the same day.
25    Pace of the green: the number of seconds taken by a bowl from its delivery to the moment it comes to rest approximately 27 meters from the mat line. The higher the number of seconds taken, the faster the pace of the green.
26    Position of bowl in relation to jack
    Jack high or jack level: the nearest part of a bowl is in line with and at the same distance from the mat line as the nearest part of the jack.
27    Rink and its boundaries
    Rink: the section of the green on which a game is played. Rink of play: the section of the green and the corresponding sections of the end ditches on which a game is played. Side boundaries of the rink of play: the imaginary straight lines connecting the centers of the boundary pegs on opposite banks that show the limits of the rink of play.
    End boundaries of the rink of play: the faces of the banks which are within the side boundaries of the rink of play.
28    Set: a pre-determined number of shots or ends forming part of a game.
29    Shot indicators (also known as lollipops or paddles): thin pieces of plastic or other suitable material, shaped, for example, like oars. The heads of the indicators match the colors of the adhesive markings on each player’s bowls (see Law 8. 1 8 ). During play, the marker holds up the appropriate number of indicators, in the appropriate color, to signal to players and spectators which player’s bowl or bowls the marker considers to be shot.
30    Visiting skips: either
    o    the skips of teams other than those playing on their own green or
    o    the skips of the second-named team in each pair of competing teams when games are being played at a neutral venue.

1.4    Bowls    
1    Bias: the curved path along which a bowl travels from delivery until it comes to rest. (The shape of the bowl gives it its bias).
2    Bias side of the bowl: the side of the bowl that is more rounded of the two sides which is identified by the small grooved rings surrounding its center. (the non-bias side is identified by the large grooved rings surrounding its center).
3    Set of bowls: four bowls all of which are
    o    of a matched set.
    o    of the same make and model.
    o    of the same size, weight, color, bias, serial number and engraving.
In all games, each player should play with the appropriate number of bowls from the same set.
4    Working reference bowl: a bowl approved by WB as:
        o having the minimum bias required, and
        o in all other respects, following the Laws of the Sport of Bowls.
          Each Working Reference Bowl is engraved with the words
          Working Reference Bowl’ and WB makes sure that each
          Licensed Tester is given a Working Reference Bowl.

Section 2 - The green, ditch and banks

2    The green
    1    The green should be either rectangular or square.
    2    The length of the green in the direction of play should be between 31 meters and 40 meters.
    3    The green should have a suitable level playing surface.
    4    The playing surface should be either vegetation or a synthetic surface approved by a Member National Authority.
    5    For domestic play, Member National Authorities can decide the standards for greens constructed in line with previous versions of this law.
3 The ditch
    1   The green should be surrounded by a ditch.
    2    The ditch should be:
        o    between 200 millimeters and 380 millimeters wide; and
        o    between 50 millimeters and 200 millimeters deep.
    3    The ditch should have a holding surface which is free from obstacles and made of a material which will not damage the jack or bowls.
    4    For indoor greens, only the end ditches in the direction of play should meet the standards mentioned in paragraphs 2 & 3 above.
4     The bank
    1    The ditch should have a bank against its outer edge.
    2    The top of the bank should be at least 230 millimeters above the surface level of the green.
    3    The bank should be vertical and set at a right angle (90 degrees) to the surface of the green, or sloped at an angle of 35 degrees from the vertical. (see diagrams 1, 2 and 3 in appendix B.1).
    4    The surface of the face of the bank should be made of, or be covered with, a material which will not damage the jack or bowls.
    5    There should be no steps that could interfere with play either cut into or positioned against the face of the bank.
5     Division of the green
The green should be divided into sections called rinks
    1 The rinks should be
        o    between 4.3 meters and 5.8 meters wide for outdoor play, and
        o    between 4.6 meters and 5.8 meters wide for indoor play.
Whenever possible, all rinks on a green should be the same width.
For domestic play, Member National Authorities can decide the standard for the minimum width of a rink.
    2    The rinks should be numbered in order, with the center of each rink being marked on the bank at each end by a peg, disc or other suitable device that has the number on it and is fixed vertically.
        o    on the face of the bank and flat against it; or
        o    on the top of the bank not more than 100 mm. back from its face, or
        o    on the wall behind the bank (for indoor play only)
    3    The four corners of the rink should be marked by white or brightly
colored boundary pegs that are fixed vertically:
        o    to the face of the bank and flat against it: or
        o on the top of the bank not more than 100 mm. back from its face.
    4 The boundary pegs should be:
        o not more than 50 mm. wide and not more than 100 mm. high if they are fixed to the face of the bank of an outdoor green; or
        o not more than 25 mm. wide and not less than 600 mm. high if they are fixed on the top of the bank of either an outdoor or an                 indoor green (although this height limitation does not apply to flexible boundary pegs containing a spring or similar mechanism             in their base that allows them to bend on contact with an object or person), or
        o    not more than 25 mm. wide and the center of the peg should be clearly marked by a thin black vertical line if they are fixed to             the face of the bank of an indoor green.
    5    For domestic play, Member National Authorities can decide:
        o    the standards for boundary pegs made in line with previous editions of this law, and
        o    the requirements for thin black vertical lines marking the centers of boundary pegs that are fixed to the face of the bank of an             outdoor green or fixed on the top of the bank of either an outdoor green or an indoor green.
    6    The boundary pegs of an outside rink should be:
        o    at least 600 mm. from the side ditch for outdoor play, and
        o    at least 460 mm. From the side ditch for indoor play.
    7    If a boundary peg is not vertical, it should be put so before a player or the umpire decides whether a jack or bowl is within the boundary.
    8    If a player or the umpire finds a boundary peg in the wrong position, they should not move it until the end has been completed on any rinks affected. The pegs should then be correctly positioned by the umpire or by agreement between the skips or opponents in Singles
    9    For outdoor play, the side boundary of the rink of play can be marked by connecting the boundary pegs with a green thread drawn tightly along the surface of the green, leaving enough loose thread to reach the corresponding pegs on the face or on top of the bank. For domestic outdoor play, Member National Authorities can decide not to use boundary threads.
    10    The boundary thread (see paragraph 9 above ) should not be lifted or held down when the jack or a bowl is in its original course or in motion
    11    Pegs, discs and other types of markers used to mark the center and corners of the rinks should be made of a material which will not damage the jack or bowls.
    12    White or brightly colored pegs or disks should be fixed vertically against the face of the side banks or on top of the side banks in the direction to mark distances of 2 meters and 25 meters from the end ditches (see diagram 1 in appendix B.4 ). Whenever possible, these should be the only pegs or discs visible on the side banks.
    13    The center line of each rink can be marked along the surface of the green starting 2 meters from each end ditch and finishing at any point up to, but not less than, 25 meters from the opposite end ditch (see diagram 1 in appendix B.2).
    14    The center line of the rink can be marked at a distance of 2 meters from each end ditch (see diagram 2 in appendix B.2 ). The mark can be:
        o    lines drawn in the form of a “ T”, or
        o    a small piece of suitable material inserted immediately below the surface of the green (for outdoor play only).
    15    If part of the green is used for spectators, side ditches do not have to be used, but the distance markers on the side banks should be brought forward and fixed appropriately. They should be clearly visible to the players.
    16    While there is temporary seating on the green, there should be a completely unrestricted area of the green that is at least 900 mm. wide between the seated area and the outside boundary of the nearest rink.