The Lawman – Dec 23
By John Roberts – Bowls Victoria Umpiring Committee Chairman
Jack On Jack
I have just spent an enjoyable two weeks umpiring and marking at the World Bowls Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.
It was here I observed a very unusual event. I was marking a semi-final of the men’s singles – Ryan Bester (Canada) v Darren Burnett (Scotland) when the jack from my rink driven by Bester flew across to the next rink and displaced the centred jack from the other semi-final between Shannon McIlroy of NZ and Aron Sherriff of Australia.
The marker from the second rink re-spotted the jack on the T. Both Sherriff and McIlroy protested. What should happen in this instance and what laws apply?
My rink was an easy call. The jack went out of bounds and was re-spotted according to the Conditions of Play.
The jack on the other rink was originally about one metre short of the T when it was struck. Clearly this jack was displaced by a neutral object – the jack did not belong on the rink of play, (Law C.23.2).
The displaced jack was at rest and was disturbed by a neutral object. Therefore the jack had to be placed in its former position. If the players disagreed on its former position the end would have been declared dead. (Law 38.3.3).
The players eventually accepted where the jack was repositioned and play continued. Bester and McIlroy won their respective matches and played off in the final.
Wishing you all a happy and safe festive season.
Keep enjoying your bowls and your officiating.
Previous The Lawman columns
The Lawman – Dec 9
The Lawman – Nov 25
The Lawman – Oct 28
The Lawman – Oct 14
The Lawman – Sept 29
The Lawman – Sept 16
Bowls Victoria’s Umpiring Section
