Lesson 2: About Bowls & The Lead Position

 Placing the Mat

The mat provides a base for delivering the jack and bowls. It provides some protection against local wear and tear of the green surface. Its front edge (or 'mat line') provides a mark for measuring distances to bowls, to the jack, or to a ditch, as necessary.

The skips decide which team will begin play on the toss of a coin. The lead player begins the first end by placing the mat aligned with the centre line of the rink, and with its front edge 2 metres from the rear ditch. Leads may place the mat further from the rear ditch on subsequent ends, but may not place it nearer than 23 metres from the front ditch. White markers on the side bank indicate that alignment. Following a tied or dead end, the team that was first to play in the previous end again plays first. Players may not relocate the mat during an end, but may straighten it, or temporarily lift it to allow a bowl from an adjacent rink to pass.

Once the mat is in position, players can 'kick' bowls to a collection area safely to the rear of it. Kicking is the act of moving a bowl with the sole of a shoe so that it rolls a short distance. A bowler places the instep of the sole lightly on the bowl and either rakes it backward, whereby the point of contact moves towards the toe, or rolls it forward, whereby the point of contact moves towards the heel. This method of kicking avoids discolouration of either shoes or bowls by transfer of polish.

 Delivery Action

Bowlers should move so that they bring their shoulders to within an arm's length of the playing surface, enabling smooth grassing of a bowl free of any dumping. They bend their legs to lower their centre of gravity, thereby providing bodily stability. They advance one leg, normally the one opposite the bowling arm, to extend their base of support, thereby enhancing stability. Their advancing of one leg creates the concept of a leading foot and a trailing foot. The trailing or the 'anchor' foot should remain in contact with the mat to preserve the bowler's orientation of the required delivery line. The bowler should position the toe of the trailing foot approximately 10cm behind the mat line. There it Is far enough forward to ensure that the heel of the leading foot will always clear the mat, and it is far enough back to avoid any risk of foot faulting. The centre point of the heel of the trailing foot should be over the mat centre line.

 Foot Faulting

Unless a player has at least one foot wholly on or over the mat at the moment of delivery, a foot fault occurs. Players who position their feet almost touching the mat line commonly foot fault. At the moment of delivery, the leverage of the horizontal trailing leg causes the shoe to flex. The back of the shoe may then not only overhang the toe but also overhang the mat line, thereby producing a foot fault. If an opponent draws the umpire's attention to foot faulting, the umpire must apply the penalties provided in the laws. Beginners should adopt a routine that avoids any risk of infringing. This will avoid incurring unsettling penalties at crucial times in important games.

 Jack Delivery

Recommended techniques for delivery of jacks and bowls have many features in common. This section describes only those features peculiar to delivery of the jack, which mainly occur in the preparation for the delivery. The movement and follow through phases of delivery of each have no significant differences.

The jack serves as a focal point for the building of a head, which opposing players consolidate by alternately delivering into it the allowable number of their bowls. Provided it stops in bounds, any drift off line of a jack in course causes no disadvantage because players centre it before delivering their bowls. Nevertheless, bowlers should always try to make the jack follow the centre line as closely as possible. The centre line is the aiming line to a centred jack. The delivery is valid provided the centred jack is at least 21 metres from the mat.