Tactics/Gamesmanship Relating to Out of Order Play

Lawn Bowls Situation

In a pairs, triples, or fours game the most frequent irregularity is for a lead to deliver the first bowl of the end when his/her opposite should have done it. The Laws of the Sport of Bowls, Crystal Mark Fourth edition, states in this regard

29.1.1  If a player plays out of turn, the opposing skip can stop the bowl and return it to the player to play it in the proper order.

 
However, in serious competition, in the case where this is the first bowl of the end, this should never be done. Indeed, in this situation no member of a team should intervene to stop the opposition from bowling out of turn because the rules will penalize that delivery to your side’s advantage. 

What Happens?

Except for the less frequent occasion when that first bowl touches the jack(see Rule 29.1.3), the head will be undisturbed by this first bowl and Rule 29.1.2 will apply. 

29.1.2  If the bowl has come to rest and has not disturbed the head, the opposing skip must choose whether to:

29.1.2.1 Leave the head as it is and have their team play two bowls one after the other to get back to the proper order of play; or 

29.1.2.2 Return the bowl and get back to the proper order of play.

This rule gives the skip whose side has not improperly delivered, the choice to reject the delivery, if it is a good one, or accept the delivery, if it is a bad one. This is preferable to the skip stopping that delivery before finding out whether it is good or bad!

But there is an even better tactic. That is- Say nothing but rather get your own lead to deliver a second bowl and only after it has been played “discover” the mistake in the bowling order. In that instance, Rule 29.1.4 applies.

29.1.4 If a bowl has been played by each team or player in Singles before the players discover that one of them has played out of turn, play in that end must continue in that order.

By waiting until both leads deliver their first bowls before “discovering” that the order is wrong, your side gets to play behind your opponent for the entire end! In particular, your side gets to deliver the last bowl in the end.