The laws of the sport of bowls – a refresher – touchers
Umpire with Joan Brotherton
I would like to remind members that it is important that we all play by the laws of the sport of bowls. I recommend that you read the full laws as I have only noted the important points:
Touchers
Section 1.4 – Pages 30 – 31
Law 14: Touchers
14.1 A bowl in its original course which touches the jack, even though it comes to rest in the ditch within the boundaries of the rink of play, is a live bowl and is called a toucher. If a bowl in its original course does not touch the jack, it is called a non-toucher.
14.2 A bowl is also a toucher if, after having come to rest:
14.2.1 It falls and touches the jack before the next bowl is delivered or
14.2.2 In the case of the last bowl of an end, it falls and touches the jack within the period of 30 seconds that applies under Law 23.1.
The main problem regarding the touchers, is that on many occasions, I observed that the toucher was not marked and the following applies: MUST BE MARKED AS A TOUCHER IMMEDIATELY IT COMES TO REST AND BEFORE THE NEXT DELIVERED BOWL COMES TO REST OR IT IS NO LONGER A TOUCHER as per the following:
Law 15: Marking a Toucher
15.1 A toucher must be marked with chalk by a member of the team that delivered the bowl or the marker as soon as it comes to rest.
15.2 If, in the opinion of either skip or opponent or the marker, a toucher comes to rest in a position in which marking it would be likely to move the bowl or alter the head, the bowl must not be marked but nominated as a toucher instead.
15.3 If, before the next delivered bowl comes to rest or, in the case of the last bowl of an end, before a period of 30 seconds that applies under Law 23.1, a bowl is neither marked or nominated, it is no longer a toucher.
