Proposal B -  16/9/26 from H&D Committee

​Proposal of two options for the H&DBA AGM regarding practicing prior to any match that where one of the teams has an artificial (non-grass) surface and to be adopted as Competition Rule No 22:​

 

Option B(1) New Rule 

When any game involving a team that has an artificial surface (currently as Century does) the AWAY TEAM ONLY shall be granted 30 minutes practice on a rink or rinks that are not being used for the actual match

 

To clarify, if Century are at home the visiting team are allowed the 30 minutes practice and Century are not.

If Century are the visiting team then they are allowed 30 minutes practice with the Home team not.

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Option B(2) New Rule  

Regardless of the green to be played on (either the state or type of green) the only practice permitted by either side will be the usual trial ends for the relevant competition/match.

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Additional Information

This would not be the case if Century were to be used as a neutral green for Association Competitions as in that situation the green is being handed over to the Association for use to which the Association would decide.

In this case there would be no need for a new Rule.

For information purposes only please see below the rules from the Laws of the Sport concerning this:

 

4             Practice

4.1         If a player or team that has not yet played is due to meet a player or team that has already played on the same day, the player or team that has not yet played can practice as long as:

4.1.1     the Controlling Body gives approval;

4.1.2     there is enough time available without delaying the competition; and

4.1.3     another rink is available apart from that on which the player or team has been drawn to play later that day.

4.2         If a player or team has already played on the same green on the same day, that player or team can practice in line with law 4.1 if they have a ‘bye’. (A player or team has a ‘bye’ in any round of a competition if they don’t have an opponent in that round.)

4.3         The Controlling Body must allocate the rink on which a player or team can practice.

4.4         If two players or two teams are entitled to practice:

4.4.1     they can practice together; and

4.4.2     the format of the practice and the number of bowls used must be decided by the players concerned.

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5             Starting the game

5.1         Trial ends

5.1.1     Before the start of play in any game, or before continuing an unfinished game on another day, one trial end must be played in each direction. At the discretion of the Controlling Body, trial ends may also be permitted when an interrupted game has been moved between a vegetation surface and a synthetic or indoor surface.

5.1.2     For domestic play, the Controlling Body can limit the number of trial ends to be played (no trial ends or one trial end in one direction). It can also decide whether the trial ends are played immediately before or immediately after the scheduled start time for the game.

5.1.3     Trial ends must be played on the same rink that the game will be played on.

5.1.4     Each player must not use more than the number of bowls being used during the game. If a player or an umpire notices that a player is using more than the permitted number of bowls, the defaulting player will lose the right to play any bowls remaining to be played in the trial ends.

5.1.5     Each player can use any combination of bowls taken from different sets of bowls.

5.1.6     The opponents of the team which started the first trial end must start the second trial end.

5.1.7     The team which starts the trial end must place the mat, deliver the jack and place the jack on the center line of the rink at a distance they choose from the mat line (the distance must not be changed during the course of the trial end).

5.1.8     When each bowl comes to rest, any player or the marker can remove it and place it towards the front ditch.

5.1.9     If a bowl moves the jack, the jack must be put back to its former position

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