Local Cultural Aspects of Lawn Bowling

As a novice first-year bowler with aspirations, I notice how regular club players bowl and still have some knowledge of the practices of champion bowlers. My club has many novice bowlers and a solid contingent of rather experienced substantially older bowlers.

There is a big difference between common practices and best practices. In an entire summer of social and tournament bowling on only a handful of occasions have I seen a skip call for the lead to move the mat from a standard position 6 feet from the rear ditch. Also, there is a stormy, dark, silent displeasure displayed towards anyone who drives to break up a head or blank an end. In fact, in the province of Ontario in Canada where I bowl, there is a regional rule that a team can only blank one end. There is a one shot penalty for every repeat. If you blank an end on a hot day, the reaction is not silent. Finally, foot faulting is ignored even at the club tournament level. When I mentioned chronic foot faulting to my skip I was cautioned that it would be poor form to even mention it.