UMPIRES NEWSLETTER

Dear National Umpires

These snippets of information are going to be issued regularly by Bowls Tasmania.   If there is a topic that you would like covered, please let us know.

Myths and Misconceptions

You made a mistake determining the head and you moved bowls you should not have – the opposition claim that is an eight to us.

Fanciful nonsense.   There are very few instances when an eight can be awarded in a game of bowls.  Disturbance of the head by an opposition player is NOT one of them.   The non-offending player must put the bowls/jack back to their former position, (Appendix C).   It cannot be declared a dead end and cannot be replayed.

Markers Duties

Marking is a very large part of the game, and all Markers and Umpires should be aware of the many duties that the job entails.

Page 16 of the Officiating Manual has a list of the Marker’s duties, and these are also listed in the Law Book (Law 42.1 and Law 42.2).   There are twenty of them!

One of the misconceptions in the Markers duties is the need to make sure the jack is centred and is the legal distance of 21 metres from the mat line.   The marker is allowed and should call for the jack to be measured if they consider it is too short.   The players cannot agree to play to a short jack.

Page 32 of the Officiating Manual has a quick check box of the Do’s and Do Not’s of marking and one of the most important is “Do not tell the players who has shot or how many when they arrive at the head at the end of the end “.    Do not mark the score card until the players have decided on the result.

 Kind regards

Leonie Price  I  Officiating, Coaching and Bowling Arm Director