The Laws of the Sport – Crystal Mark Fourth Edition was approved at the Biennial World Bowls Council held in August, and will come in to force for outdoor play in England from 1st April 2023.
Bowls England have published this news – which details the changes involved, along with how to order your copy.
I would urge each club to look at this and order a copy – after all these are the Laws of the Sport!
The below is taken from the above BE NewsLaws Committee Clarification – Law 37.1 Deliberate Bowl Displacement
In response to questions being asked about the introduction of two new laws relating to the deliberate displacement by a player of their own bowl in its original course or bowl at rest, the World Bowls Laws Committee has issued the following clarification.
Laws Committee Clarification
In the Crystal Mark Fourth Edition, two new laws were approved and included within Law 37.1 Bowl Displacement by another player, to alleviate the situation of a player stopping one of their own team’s bowls from disturbing the head and gaining an advantage either by lifting a bowl at rest or stopping their bowl in its original course. These are:
Law 37.1.3 If a player deliberately stops or displaces one of their own team’s bowls in its original course; or
Law 37.1.5.3 if a player deliberately lifted a bowl at rest to allow their own bowl to continue on its original course.
Both laws state that the “defaulting team will forfeit the game to their opponent”. Where that team is part of a Side game, only that team will forfeit the game, not the entire side. We recommend that Controlling Bodies include details of how the scoring should be adjusted in their competition Conditions of Play.
The new laws were not introduced to ‘punish’ players that stop a bowl from entering the ditch that hasn’t disturbed the head. The Laws Committee understands this occurs on a regular basis but it is a timely reminder and a key message from the Laws Committee that no bowl belonging to the players on the rink of play should be lifted, stopped or displaced. Other laws are available to deal with situations where bowls displace other bowls and the jack and these should still be applied accordingly.