U.S. Domestic Regulations

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Just ask your club USLBA rep.

It contains a copy of the complete world bowls rules as well as the US Domestic regulations.

Plain English Campaign's Crystal Mark does not apply to these domestic regulations.

All greens built before 2003 approved by USLBA per Section 2.1.5.

USLBA recommends that all indoor and outdoor greens built after 2003 be designed and built per Sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4.

62 CONSTITUTED TEAM

62A Team

(1) When an event or tournament mandates an entry prior to the date of the event or Tournament, then the submitted entry will be considered " Constituted " unless a member becomes unavailable for any part of the event or Tournament in which case Law 63A will apply.

(2) When the correct number of Eligible Players are assembled into a Team and each member of the team has played their first bowl in turn in a game, the Team is Considered " Constituted " and each member thereof is a " Constituted Team Member " for the remainder of the competition in which the Team is entered, except when Law 62 (1) applies.

(3) After a Team is Constituted, no alteration in Team membership or order of play shall be permitted during the remainder of that game except as required should a substitute become necessary.

(4) A Constituted Team may change their playing positions between succeeding matches in the same competition, subject to the requirements of Law 63 (8) should a substitute become necessary.

63 RULES GOVERNING SUSTITUTION

63A Substitution

(1) All substitutes shall be specifically approved by the Controlling Body or their representative.

(2) Only one approved substitute shall be permitted on any Team at any one time. If two team members are absent or if an approved substitute is not available to replace a single absent Team Member, the game shall be forfeited.

(3) If, due to the conditions in Law 63A (2) or for other reasons a Team forfeits before the start of the first game in a competition, any available members of the Team so forfeiting shall be considered as fully Eligible Players and may play as substitutes in that competition,

(4) If an Eligible Player, entered as a Team member in a competition, plans to transfer to another Team as a substitute before play has started in the first game of the competition, they shall declare their intent to the Controlling Body, or their representative, and have their transfer officially approved, otherwise they normally would be considered to be a Constituted Member of the team on which they were originally entered.

(5) All members of a Constituted Team shall be ineligible to act as substitutes in the same competition even though the team has been defeated and is no longer playing in that competition.

(6) If a team is permitted a substitute, the substitute maybe changed at any time during the game, or between succeeding games in the same competition, or they may continue in the competition, if they remain eligible. See Law 63 (1) on page 59.

(7) A Constitute member of a Team, for whom a substitute was obtained , may, if still eligible, join or rejoin the Team at any time after the completion of an end in their original position, at which time the other Team members shall revert to their original positions.

(8) A substitute may play any position except skip. In the case of Triples and Fours, the skip may arrange the positions of the rest of the Team as desired.

(9) Failure to observe these substitution rules are grounds for the opponent to appeal to the Controlling Body for a decision to have the game awarded in their favor.

64 FORFEITED GAME

A game shall be forfeited to an opponent or opponents when:

(1) An ineligible player or a player who has been disqualified, in accordance with these laws, takes part in a game; or

(2) An umpire has noted specific infractions of these laws and after carefully warning the offending player or players, considers that the infractions are continuing and deliberate,or

(3) A team or Singles player has not arrived or is not ready for play within 30 minutes of the starting time for any round of an event.

65 POSSESSION OF THE RINK

The use of a cell phone or other electronic device not using the vibrating option during the progress of any game or being used to make or receive a call during the progress of a game, shall be considered a violation of rink possession and an umpire after having previously given the player a warning, may have any bowl played by the offender after the warning, declared dead per Law 35.

66 DECLING TO PLAY PROMPTLY

If a player fails to deliver their bowl within 1 minute of the coming to rest of their opponent's previously delivered bowl, they may receive a warning from an umpire who should inform the player that any succeeding infractions of this law may result in their bowl being stopped and removed from the rink. If a bowl is removed for an infraction of this law, the game shall proceed as though the offending player had accepted their turn. If the infractions continue by the offending playing after receiving a warning and after a bowl has been removed, then Law 64 ( 2 ) can be enforced.

67 MARKER DUTIES

The marker will carry out the duties as detailed in law 55 with the listed exceptions shown below. Only on the request of an umpire or both Singles players should the marker check:

1

• to make sure that all aspects of play are carried out in line with the Laws of the Sport of Bowls; or
• all bowls for legible date and serial number; or
• the rink of play is correct in line with law 5.1; or
• the pegs or discs on the side banks in the direction of play are correct distances in line with law 5.12
• that the jack is 23 meters from the mat line after it has been centered; and

2 Only on the request of either player and preferably both players should the marker measure any disputed shot or shots.

3 Only on the request of either player and preferably both players should the marker keep a player's scorecard.

68 PREMATURE MEASURING

If a player deliberately measures by using or placing any object or part of their body on the ground between the jack or any bowl before the completion of an end, the opposing skip or opponent in a Singles game shall have the option to: 1 continue play without penalty; or 2 declare dead all such improperly measured bowls which belong to the player or team making the improper measurements; and 3 remove such dead bowls from the rink; or 4 declare the end dead.

Note: On completion of an end, it is suggested that the Team or Singles player conceding the shot do the measuring and remove shot (s) when the count is clearly more than one shot.

69 RAKING THE BOWLS

The decision on which team or Singles player places the mat and delivers the jack on all ends after the first end should be made immediately the shot count has been agreed on. When an extra end is required to determine the result of a game, the coin toss winner will make their decision immediately on which team places the mat and delivers the jack and which team rakes the bowls. The team or Singles player raking the bowls should also mark the scoreboard when scoreboards are being used.

70 CHALLENGED BOWL

The Controlling Body for the competition should immediately refer a challenge to a neutral Umpire who shall investigate and render a decision before the start of the next regularly scheduled game. The decision of the Umpire shall be final for that competition. When a challenge is lodged a deposit of $25 is placed with the Tournament Committee. The disposition of the deposit will be determined by the result of the testing per Laws 8.4.6 or 8.5.1.

71 TESTING FOR BIAS

When the challenge is based on a claim of inadequate bias on a bowl, the Umpire ( Law 69 ) may resort to green testing of the challenged bowl versus a new or recently tested Bowl of the same bias or next adjacent size and same bias carrying an approved ALBA, IBB, WBB or WB stamp. Such testing should be carried out by or in the presence of the umpire over a distance of not less than than 23 meters on the most uniformly drawing green available. The owner of the offending bowls maybe present during the testing. If the test result is a fail, the offending set of bowls will not be permitted for use in any event that requires the bowls to be inspected.

72 APPEALS

72A Initial Appeal

The decision of the Umpire based on an interpretation of these Laws, or given upon a set of circumstances not herein provided for, maybe called in question by an appeal to the Controlling Body of the competition whose decision should be final and binding with respect to the appeal submitted.

72B Referral to a Rules Committee

If the appellant requests the Controlling Body involved should submit the case up through the Division to the Rules Committee of the USLBA Council for a final decision, which should be binding in all future competitions, but will not affect the results of the initial decision made under Law 71A.

73 LABELS ATTACHED TO BOWLS

The Controlling Body for any match can furnish and require the contestants to affix a single adhesive ( stick-on ) marking to each side of a bowl to improve identification of the Teams during a game. The large disc should be affixed central on the side of the larger center emblem ( non-bias side ) and the small disk to the opposite side and can be placed off center, but not on the running surface. The small disc should not cover either the date stamp or the serial number.

74 MISCELLANEOUS DEFINITIONS

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