Instructions for New Vices and Skips
First, have a basic knowledge of the Rules and Regulations. Everyone should read the WBB Laws of the Game.
At the beginning of the game, identify and remember the bowls of the players on your team.
When first arriving at the head, note the position of the jack and bowls and which bowl or bowls are shot.
Always stand back of the head, behind the jack. Do not move when bowls are being delivered. When the opposing skip is delivering, stand behind the opposing vice. Indicate clearly any change in the head: one up – one down - or a measure.
NOTE: Signals are better than words. To show jack high – swing one arm across in front of you. To show distance, long or short of the jack, hold open palms apart, indicating the approximate distance. To show a longer distance, extend one arm, palm down, horizontal to the green, at shoulder height or above your head. This is our bowl – point to the bowl or bowls and then to yourself. Opponents bowl – swing hand in a brushing motion over the bowl. It’s a measure – join thumbs and index fingers in front of you, then pull hands apart and together again. Here is the jack – cup hand on the green, just behind the jack.
Reporting the score: One shoulder slap for each point up One thigh slap for each point down during or after the completion of the end.
If asked by your skip the position of the jack or bowls or the head, you may only respond when your skip has possession of the mat, prior to bowling the bowl.
When the bowl has come to rest, possession of the mat reverts to the opposing skip.
Make sure the last bowl has been delivered before counting or disturbing the head. The skip delivering the last bowl shall pick up the mat indicating the end is finished.
NOTE VICES: Always help the leads in raking the bowls .
MEASURING
Measurements shall be made from the nearest point of the jack and the bowl. Always measure from the jack to the bowl.
Calipers are used when the space between the jack and the bowl does not permit the flexible measure being used. Use the calipers from the top down.
At the completion of the end, the two vices count the shots. If your team is shot, the opposing vice removes the shot bowl or bowls agreed upon, placing the bowls away from the head on a towel. If measuring is required for the balance of the shots, this is done by the opposing vice who has already removed the shot bowls.
When an end is completed and a measure is immediately required to determine the shot bowl, either vice may measure, but must measure to their own bowl first and then to the opponent’s bowl.
Where one bowl of Team A is in contention with two bowls of Team B, measure to the bowl of Team A first, then measure the other two bowls.
If bowls are more than an arm’s length apart ask the opposing vice to assist by holding the measure against the jack.
The skip is in charge of the game at all times and may question the measure or the count before the head is raked.
Once the head is disturbed after the count has been decided, the end is considered played and cannot be disputed, even if the skip has neglected to play the last bowl.
IMPORTANT LAWS TO REMEMBER
Read these laws carefully in “Laws of the Sport of Bowls”.
Law 24: Touchers
Law 25: Marking a Toucher
Law 26: Movement of Touchers
Law 28: Bowl Displacement
Law 29: Live Jack in the Ditch
Law 30: Dead Jack
Law 31: Dead End
Law 32: Rebounding Jack
Law 33: Jack Displaced by “non toucher”
Law 35: Possession of the Rink
At the beginning of the game, identify and remember the bowls of the players on your team.
When first arriving at the head, note the position of the jack and bowls and which bowl or bowls are shot.
Always stand back of the head, behind the jack. Do not move when bowls are being delivered. When the opposing skip is delivering, stand behind the opposing vice. Indicate clearly any change in the head: one up – one down - or a measure.
NOTE: Signals are better than words. To show jack high – swing one arm across in front of you. To show distance, long or short of the jack, hold open palms apart, indicating the approximate distance. To show a longer distance, extend one arm, palm down, horizontal to the green, at shoulder height or above your head. This is our bowl – point to the bowl or bowls and then to yourself. Opponents bowl – swing hand in a brushing motion over the bowl. It’s a measure – join thumbs and index fingers in front of you, then pull hands apart and together again. Here is the jack – cup hand on the green, just behind the jack.
Reporting the score: One shoulder slap for each point up One thigh slap for each point down during or after the completion of the end.
If asked by your skip the position of the jack or bowls or the head, you may only respond when your skip has possession of the mat, prior to bowling the bowl.
When the bowl has come to rest, possession of the mat reverts to the opposing skip.
Make sure the last bowl has been delivered before counting or disturbing the head. The skip delivering the last bowl shall pick up the mat indicating the end is finished.
NOTE VICES: Always help the leads in raking the bowls .
MEASURING
Measurements shall be made from the nearest point of the jack and the bowl. Always measure from the jack to the bowl.
Calipers are used when the space between the jack and the bowl does not permit the flexible measure being used. Use the calipers from the top down.
At the completion of the end, the two vices count the shots. If your team is shot, the opposing vice removes the shot bowl or bowls agreed upon, placing the bowls away from the head on a towel. If measuring is required for the balance of the shots, this is done by the opposing vice who has already removed the shot bowls.
When an end is completed and a measure is immediately required to determine the shot bowl, either vice may measure, but must measure to their own bowl first and then to the opponent’s bowl.
Where one bowl of Team A is in contention with two bowls of Team B, measure to the bowl of Team A first, then measure the other two bowls.
If bowls are more than an arm’s length apart ask the opposing vice to assist by holding the measure against the jack.
The skip is in charge of the game at all times and may question the measure or the count before the head is raked.
Once the head is disturbed after the count has been decided, the end is considered played and cannot be disputed, even if the skip has neglected to play the last bowl.
IMPORTANT LAWS TO REMEMBER
Read these laws carefully in “Laws of the Sport of Bowls”.
Law 24: Touchers
Law 25: Marking a Toucher
Law 26: Movement of Touchers
Law 28: Bowl Displacement
Law 29: Live Jack in the Ditch
Law 30: Dead Jack
Law 31: Dead End
Law 32: Rebounding Jack
Law 33: Jack Displaced by “non toucher”
Law 35: Possession of the Rink
