Duties of Lead, Vice and Skip
On being THE LEAD in a Lawn Bowls Game:
Being a LEAD (the first position for a novice
bowler) does not require knowledge of all facets of the Lawn
Bowls Game. Just these few.
1. A LEAD will sign in and place his/her name chip in the LEAD
area of the team assembly board.
2. Acquire his/her bowls and place outside awaiting team
selection.
3. Have coffee and doughnuts.
4. When the teams are to be selected, go to board when leads are
announced and select a chip. Place your name chip on roster
board.
5. Pick up bowls, go to assigned rink and sign in for team A or
B.
6. A coin will be flipped and a lead will be asked to chose
heads or tails. Whichever lead wins will ask their skip do we go
first or second.
7. If your team is first. Lay out mat in proper area. Deliver
JACK to distance the Skip has selected (where he or she is
standing). Center JACK by directing SKIP. If you deliver JACK too
short or too long (in the ditch) the JACK will be returned and
the your opponent's LEAD will deliver the JACK. The other Skip
may direct your opponent to change the mat. If both JACKS are
delivered incorrectly the Skip will place the Jack 6 feet from
the ditch. You still bowl first even if your opponent delivered
the Jack.
8. Select a bowl and deliver to the JACK. Generally a lead
should try and deliver two bowls near the jack and one behind the
(1- 3 feet if possible). It is better to be long than
short.
9. Leads may get directions from the Skip to deliver bowls left
or right. The Skip may indicate how far your bowl is from the
Jack so stay on mat and look at your skip until the bowl stops.
Exit the mat to your right. Remain 3 to 4 feet behind opponent
when he/she is bowling and remain quiet.
10. After Leads & Vices have bowled, walk to head of green
while Skips bowl. After all bowls have been delivered, Vices will
determine score and signal Skips.
11. Losing teams LEAD will then rake the bowls one or two feet
behind the mat, being laid by winning LEAD, two feet to right of
mat, looking toward the Skips.
12. Start new end.
On being THE VICE in a Lawn Bowls Game:
1. As with the LEAD, remember your SKIP is in
charge. You must try to follow the SKIPS instructions
on the delivery direction and placement of your bowls.
2. Possession of the rink: remember
when your teammate's bowl has come to rest, you should
immediately retire behind the head and make no observations of
the head, or relate any changes that might have taken place.
Remain quiet, your opponents now possess the rink.
3. After completing delivery and the exchange of
ends, your function is to report (signal) when asked by the SKIP
specific information regarding the position of the bowls in the
head.
4. Know your SKIP...ask him in advance if
he wants any special help.
5. Always use shoulder/thigh slaps rather than
fingers for up or down.
6. If what you consider to be a dangerous
situation has developed in the head, do not hesitate to motion
your SKIP to come take a look.
7. All players at the head end are to stand at
least 6 feet behind the jack, except the director in possession
of the rink. All players at the head end of the rink shall remain
motionless until the bowl has been delivered.
8. You will chalk-mark all touchers either before
the next bowl is delivered or before the next bowl in course
comes to rest. You will remove chalk from your opponents bowl
when it is not a toucher. Remove any bowls from the Ditch which
are non-touchers and guard the Front Ditch to prevent entry of a
non-toucher bowl which may disturb the position of the Jack or
one or more touchers in the ditch.
9. You must prevent any disturbance of the head
by an outside object or by a dead bowl from another rink.
10. When an end is completed with all bowls
delivered, it is the responsibility of both VICES to determine
the score count of that particular end. Never signal the
resulting score to your SKIP until all measurements needed have
been made and you and your opponent have mutually agreed. When
measuring for a multiple count, it can be helpful to place the
bowls already measured on a wiping cloth to avoid confusion or
possible re-count of a bowl previously measured.
11. The score should be kept by both teams. Tthe SKIP keeps the score. If no cards are kept in a
local game, the director or the SKIP who is at the end where the
scoreboard is should mark the score.
12. Both VICES will aid the LEAD raking
the bowls at the conclusion of an end by kicking in bowls to more
or less group them so as to make raking easier on both the LEAD
and the green.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR VICES
I. THOU SHALT
NOT BE IGNORANT ABOUT WHICH BOWLS BELONG TO THY TEAM MEMBERS.
II. THOU SHALT NOT BEGIN TO BOWL
BEFORE THY SKIP HAS TOLD THEE WHAT HE OR SHE WANTS
THEE TO
ATTEMPT.
III. THOU SHALT NOT MEASURE IMPROPERLY.
IV. THOU SHALT NOT WANDER OFF DURING
PLAY SO THAT THOU KNOWEST NOT THE SITUATION WHEN
IT IS
THY TURN TO BOWL.
V. THOU SHALT NOT FORGET TO
COMMUNICATE WTH THY SKIP WHEN THE HEAD HAS BEEN CHANGED.
VI. THOU SHALT NOT BE MOVING OR IN THE
HEAD WHEN THY TEAM HATH NOT POSSESSION OF THE MAT AND RINK.
VII. THOU SHALT NOT SIGNAL TO THY SKIP THE
NUMBER OF POINTS BEFORE CONSULTING WITH
THE OPPOSING
VICE.
VIII. THOU SHALT NOT KICK BOWLS THAT HAVE BEEN
COUNTED AS POINTS RATHER THAN PUT THEM ON A TOWEL.
IX. THOU SHALT NOT TELL THY SKIP HOW OR
WHAT TO PLAY NOR GIVE HIM
OR HER INFORMATION
THAT HE OR
SHE HAS NOT REQUESTED.
X. THOU SHALT NOT ATTEMPT TO MEASURE
NOR CHANGE THE COUNT OF POINTS AFTER A TOTAL
HAS BEEN
AGREED UPON BY B0TH VICES.
SOME DoS AND DON'TS FOR
PLAYING THE POSITION OF VICE
DoS
1. Become
familiar with the bowls of the people on your team even before
the first bowl
is delivered.
2. Inform
your skip if a change takes place in the count of the head, but
only when you
have control of the
mat and the rink.
3. Call
your skip to the head when you are in control of the rink if
there is a special
circumstance that he
should be aware of.
4. If
your opponent is measuring for a point, watch carefully to see
that it is being done
correctly with the
proper angle, no sagging of the tape, without moving the jack or
the
bowl, etc.
5. Get
the permission of your opponent before you move any bowl that you
are claiming
as a point. When you
do remove a point bowl, place it on a towel to make the final
count
more accurate.
6. If you
are claiming a point but your opponent does not agree,
don’t argue, just have
him/her measure
immediately.
7. Before
you signal your skip on the point count, be sure your opponent
has agreed to
the same
number.
8. If
your team has won the end, pick up the jack and give it to your
lead before the bowls
are raked.
9. After
each end, help kick the bowls into line to make it easier for the
lead to rake.
10. If your
team has lost the end, record the score after helping kick the
bowls into line.
DON’TS
1. Do not
move when any player is on the mat and is ready to bowl.
2. When
the opposing team has control of the mat and rink and one of the
opposing team
members is on the
mat, do not approach the head or try to communicate with your
skip.
3. Do not
tell your skip what to do. If your skip wants advice or
information, he/she
should ask for
it.
4. Do not volunteer
to your opposing vice how many points his/her team has.
He/she
should state the number of points
he/she thinks his/her team has, then you either agree or
disagree with his/her claim.
5. Do not move any
bowl or the jack until you are sure the last bowl has been
delivered
and the final count of points
has been agreed upon. A good way to tell that all bowls
have
been delivered is to watch for
the skips picking up the mat at the other end of the rink.
6. Do not socialize
or wander off while the game is being played. A good team
player
stays focused on the play of everyone
on his or her rink.
2. You are in charge of your team as director. You must
decide, with your opponent, any dispute or refer it to the
umpire. Sign both score sheets at the end of a match, and act as
scorer in a pairs match.
3. It is part of your job to instruct your LEAD and VICE as to
how you want them to play their shots with the best chance of
producing a score for your team. Should one of your teammates
fail to make the shot called for, don't be critical. Remember,
the player knows without being told that it was a bad shot.
4. Stand still, don't move around the head. This can be quite
distracting to other players.
5. When your opponent delivers the last bowl at the conclusion
of an end, it is your responsibility to remove the mat.
6. It is important to remember that as the director of your
team, your attitude towards your teammates and the game will
often make the difference between a loss or win. The purpose of
the game is to enjoy yourself, make it enjoyable for others and
win if you can. But, when your team is down and the breaks seem
to be all going against you, even the most naive should recognize
that encouragement of your team may accomplish what caustic
criticism or languishing on the bench when the LEAD or VICE
is on the mat can never, never accomplish. You may not win the
game, but your popularity will increase immeasurably.