LOCAL RULES FOR PURLEY SHORT MAT BOWLS

• General guidance on playing Short Mat Bowls at Purley Sports Centre are listed below. These are refered to as LOCAL RULES.
• Where not specifically listed below the rules for Short Mat Bowls can be found in the English Short Mat Bowls Association Rules Book at ESMBA Rule Book Note: This will download a copy of the PDF to your device which you can then open.

Playing sessions

Player Attendance Issues

All matches must start within 15 minutes of the allotted period for the match to ensure a full match can be played in the time allowed.

Starting the match

• The selection of which Bowling mat each match will take place on is decided by drawing a token using the wooden chips provided: ‘1’ (for bar side); ‘2’ (for corridor side)
• A coin toss should be used to determine the ownership of the foot mat for the first end, with the winner of the toss choosing whether to take the foot mat or give it to the opponent(s).

Impact of a team/player not showing up

Singles games

• a walkover can be claimed if 15 minutes have elapsed after the scheduled start time. In this instance the present player will be awarded a win and the missing player will be awarded a loss for the game. The game will be scored as 10-0 to the winning player.

Pairs and 2-4-2 Games

• a walkover can be claimed if 15 minutes have elapsed after the scheduled start time.
• In this instance the present team will be awarded a win and the team missing a player will be awarded a loss for the game.
• The game will be scored as 5-0 to the winning team.

Triples

• if at least 2 players have turned up for each side then the match can start with the available players. See below. “Playing triples with only 2 players on one side”
• If less than 2 players turn up for a triples team then a walkover can be claimed if 15 minutes have elapsed after the scheduled start time. In this instance the team with 2 or more players present will be awarded a win and the team missing players will be awarded a loss for the game.
• The game will be scored as 5-0 to the winning team.
• If both teams only have one player available then the game will be declared as played but both teams will receive zero points.

Playing Triples with only 2 players on one side

If a Triples team can only field two players and no reserve is available, then each player in “3-pl;ayer” team will play with 2 woods as normal and the “2-player” team will play with 3 woods each however at the end of the match 25% will be deducted from the 2-player team. Fractions must be rounded to the nearest whole number, with 0.5 rounded down.

Reserves

A reserve may be used if there is no designated member of the team available to play. No more than one reserve per game and the reserve should not be a member of another team in the same discipline. The reserve may not play as a skip. In Select Pairs, the reserve must have the same or lower handicap than the nominated player.

A Player is unable to continue

If a player starts a game but part way through a game is unable to continue then the game will be stopped and the result recorded as it stands if more than 50% of the alloted ends have been completed. If 50% of ends have not been played then the game will be declared void, marked as a draw and each team alloted 1 shot per end each in the table.

Impact of Slow Play

All players are encouraged to play at a good pace to complete the game within the time limit. If the full number of ends is unlikely to be completed within the allotted period, then the captains should agree to reduce the number of ends. The match must not overrun the allotted time period.

Issues Encountered During Play

Contact with the Centre Block

A bowl is dead and must be removed if it makes contact with the centre block or passes over it.

Running or Driving Bowls

Players must indicate both verbally and by raising their arm, to notify the players/marker and those on neighbouring mats, whenever they intend to play a running/driving bowl. This is to ensure everyone’s safety.

Foot faults

It is the duty of the players who are at the delivery end to call foot faults.

In 2-4-2 and Select Pairs one warning should be given and for subsequent infringements the bowl should be removed.

In Triples (as it is a less serious game and enjoyed by beginners) the Captains will only give warnings.

If a foot fault is observed during delivery of a bowl then players should stop the bowls before it enters the head if possible and if safe to do so. It miust then be removed from the mat.

If the bowl could not be stopped before it entered the head it should be removed and any bowls/jack that moved as a result of the foot fault delivery should be replaced in their original positions.

Dead Ends

In 2-4-2, Select Pairs and Triples matches, Captains will warn after one ‘Dead End’ that if the same team causes 2 more dead ends, they will forfeit the match (5 – 0). Dead ends will not count as ends played and will be replayed, time permitting.

In Singles matches 2 dead ends are allowed per player per match; the 3rd and any subsequent dead ends will be 3 shots away and the end will count except for the last end of a match where it will be 3 shots away and the end replayed. If a player causes a dead end during an extra end, then they will forfeit the match.

Scoring and Marking Matches

Scoring

Players will keep score of the match on the scoreboards which will be placed on the Short mat lockers at the windows end of the room.

Deciding on a draw

During “League matches” or “Singles Group stages” if the result is a draw after playing the alloted number of ends then this will be the recorded match score and players/teams will share the points. No extra ends will be played.

In the “Knockout rounds” of any competition if the result is a draw after playing the alloted number of ends then an extra end must be played to decide the winner. Possession of the mat for the extra end will be decided by the toss of a coin.

Recording Shots & Points Scored after the match

The Shot score should be entered by the skip in the appropriate column on the fixtures chart on the notice board. [The discipline organiser will allocate the league points with 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 point for a loss.] If a team does not field a squad, then a walkover is awarded with a Shot “score” of 5 for the “winner” and 0 for the defaulting team.

Marking a match

A marker is required for all singles matches.

All entrants to Singles/Plate competitions will be expected to mark and players are expected to mark the subsequent game of the winner after they have been knocked out.

All markers must observe the normal guidance on marking including those on impartiality and fair application of the Short Mat bowls rules.

Any queries on the Short Mat Rules or the Short Mat playing arrangements should be directed to the Short Mat Organiser or to a member of the Short Mat Committee.