Lawn Bowling Tactics; Moving the Ground Sheet- Moving the Mat

At some lawn bowling clubs in Canada, groundsheets are permanently put down at the mat end of the rink except for special championship matches. The Etobicoke Lawn Bowling Club, one of the clubs to which I belong, is one of these. I understand how this protects the greens and avoids embarrassment for those bowlers who would otherwise make regular divots in the surface. It is not too heavy a price to pay. It respects the diligent work of the volunteer greens tenders.

It should not, however, discourage skips who believe that a strategic advantage can be had by moving the mat. There is a rule that the front edge of the mat must slightly overlap the back edge of the groundsheet, meaning that mat and groundsheet must move together. In Canada, because groundsheets are not just put down when it is necessary to protect particular damaged areas of the rink, there is a national rule that groundsheets may be moved, without the greenskeeper’s permission, up and down the green as required to position it-- so that the mat will go where the skip who controls the mat wants it. 

Nevertheless, the inconvenience of moving both groundsheet and mat before starting every end is a real disincentive to adopting this tactic. It should not be. It is not necessary to move mat and groundsheet a big distance to obtain a benefit from this tactic. Just moving them together one or two mat lengths forward will change the path the bowl follows. Furthermore, by making this change your side is asserting itself, taking charge of the end, and increasing respect for your team vis-a-vis ordinary social bowlers. If the opposition wonders aloud whether what you are doing is legal, all the better. Whatever authority is in charge will confirm your right in the matter. If there is a referee invite the objectors to consult him or her.

When the end is finished, do not offer to move the groundsheet back to the two-meter mark. Leave it to the skips to decide; besides, you expect to win the next end and use the same mat position in the one subsequent as you continue to win ends!

Many skips are accustomed to playing over the groundsheet at the head end of the rink. Other skips will want to take up this groundsheet and then relay it when the end is complete. Accommodate the opposing skip in whatever suits him or her.

 It is not a requirement to pick up the groundsheet at the skips' end of the rink simply because the jack is being delivered past it and closer to the forward ditch. In fact, this is routinely accepted when the groundsheet is in its standard location and the jack has been rolled to within 2 meters of the forward ditch even though it is this configuration that most often causes visible interference with good draws to the jack. If the groundsheet at the skips' end is up nearer the hog line and the jack has been delivered long there is actually less chance of groundsheet contact with a normal draw shot. Nevertheless, many opposing skips will want to take the groundsheet up in this situation. If it makes them more comfortable, I suggest that you readily agree to this also.

When moving the groundsheet up the rink it may be useful to mark where its corners sit with chalk. This way returning the groundsheet to the same location will be simplified for subsequent ends. But even if you don't do this, remember that it is not actually necessary that the groundsheet be either completely straight or perfectly centered so long as the mat itself is properly centered with respect to the rink's center-line. 

Those club players who play open tournaments infrequently, typically bowl varying-length jacks all from a mat at the T.  For some reason, it is my experience that women club bowlers are the most easily disturbed by mat/groundsheet movement. To give your team the greatest legal advantage you should choose any configuration different from the one with which they are most comfortable. Don't let groundsheets take away this valuable tactic that is totally within the rules.