What to Do About a Downpour of Rain During Lawn Bowls

Lawn bowls is a recreation and is played for pleasure. If a social roll-up is stopped suddenly by heavy rain everyone just runs for the clubhouse or scrambles to get one’s woods and heads home.

In a tournament, the same can’t happen.The Laws of the Sport of Bowls Fourth Edition set rules for what can and what cannot be done. In this blog, I will consider the best course of action for different situations so that your team will be well served while the rules are adhered to.

Downpour During but Not Close to the Finish of an End

The rules concerning Game Stoppages apply.

33.1 If a game is stopped because of darkness, weather conditions or any other valid reason by: 

• 33.1.1  the Controlling Body (or authorized person in the absence of the Controlling Body) (Greenbowler- this can be the event convener or the greenskeeper);
  
• 33.1.2  the umpire (Greenbowler- often there is no umpire) after an appeal has been made by the players; or
  
• 33.1.3  agreement between the players (Greenbowler- meaning the 2 skips since the preposition ‘between’ is used) when an umpire or a representative of the Controlling Body is not present;
  

the game must be continued either on the same day or on a different day. The scores will be as they were when the game was stopped. 

Suppose two teams are playing an end when the downpour occurs. The skips quickly agree to stop play. This means that according to Rule 33.2, the end is declared dead and will need to be replayed completely when bowling resumes. The moment the skips agree to stop play one of them, most appropriately whoever does not have the shot, should pick up the jack and fling it back towards the mat. By doing this there can be no later illegitimate argument that the end should be continued from where it was stopped. Doing so would be a violation of the rules so this action makes it de facto impossible!

Downpour During Skips’ Bowls

When the downpour comes the skip who has the mat has two choices: ask for a 10-minute delay or ask if the opposing skip would agree to stop the match. The skip on the mat does not need to explain the alternatives to the other skip but can propose the choice most beneficial to his team. If it seems likely that his team can win points in the end— 

he should ask for a 10-minute delay whereupon if the weather has moderated, the end can continue, or

If it seems that his team will lose points in the end, he can propose a stoppage of play which if accepted will make the end dead. If a stoppage is agreed he should pick up the jack so that no dispute about continuation is possible later.

If a 10-minute delay has been granted by the opposing skip but the time expires, but it is still raining, the Controlling body will, by then, have called a stoppage in play probably with a further delay. whereupon the end that had been delayed by agreement between skips becomes a dead end and will need to be completely replayed.

 

Downpour Just Before the Very Last Bowl is Played

If a skip is holding the last bowl of the end and has the mat when the torrential downpour arrives. He has the two choices above, plus one more choice:

• He can tell the opposing skip that he will not deliver the last bowl and pick up the mat. The end is consequently complete and the score must be tallied and the end counted.

Downpour After the Last Bowl is Played

Anyone can ask for and get agreement for a stoppage but the end must be counted and the score added to the scorecards of both skips. The two players responsible for scoring must agree while they are on the green. They may be both running towards the clubhouse already, but they must agree and record a score!