Rules

Entry Conditions
Definitions used in this policy not otherwise defined have the same meaning as given in the World Bowls Laws of the Sport of Bowls (“Laws”).
1. Eligibility
  1. All players must be nominated prior to play.
  2. Teams must have fully paid up any entry fee before the start of play.
  3. Players within teams do not have to be affiliated with the same club.
2. Team Structure
  1. Each team shall comprise of 3 players.
  2. Playing positions between the three (3) players may be altered at any time in accordance with section 3.4. of these conditions of play .
Competition Format
1. Game format
  1. The game format during set 1 and set 2 shall be three-bowl pairs.
    1. There will be three (3) bowls per player for each end.
    2. No one player can deliver more than 3 bowls in an end.
    3. All players must play a minimum of 1 set per game (not including the tiebreaker).
  2. Should a match proceed into a tie-breaker (as per section 2.5), the game format will revert to two-bowl triples.
    1. There will be two (2) bowls per player for the tie-breaker end.
    2. At the beginning of a tie-breaker end, the substitute at the conclusion of the second set will automatically enter the match. Teams may adjust the positions of their team as they wish at the beginning of a tie-breaker end.
2. Draw format
  1. The Marcus Craig Trophy will be played as a sectional based competition in the preliminary rounds and convert to the format described in section 2.9.2 for all finals.
3. Format of play
  1. The event will be played under sets play format as outlined in Law 56 of the Laws, subject to a number of variations as outlined.
    1. Each game will be played over two (2) sets, with each set consisting of five (5) ends.
    2. The winner of a set will be the team with the highest number of shots when the fifth end is completed.
    3. If the number of shots is tied after the fifth end of a set, the set will be a draw.
4. Situations where sets cannot be won
  1. In situations where a team is unable to mathematically tie or win a set or specifically win the second set if it has lost the first set (taking into account remaining PowerPlay allocations), the following arrangements will apply:
    1. Sectional play: All five ends of each set will be completed due to the impact of each shot on the ladder;
    2. Finals play, first set: If a team is mathematically unable to tie the first set, the set will conclude immediately.
    3. Finals play, second set: If a team is mathematically unable to tie the second set, or in the case they have lost the first set, win the second set, the set will conclude immediately. If the game is tied at one set a piece the tie-breaker will commence.
5. Tie-breaker
  1. If a game is tied after the two sets have been completed (each team having won one set or both sets having been drawn), a one end tie-breaker should be played to decide the winner. The tie-breaker will be played as per the format noted in section 2.1.2.
  2. The winner of the tie-breaker will be awarded the game.
  3. If the one end tie breaker is a tied end, the teams will play further tie-breaker ends until a winner is found.
6. First to play
  1. First set: the teams shall toss a coin and the winner of the toss can choose whether their team places the mat, nominates the length of jack, and then delivers the first bowl or tells the opposing team to place the mat, nominate the length of jack, and then deliver the first bowl (the opposing player cannot refuse).
  2. Second set: the winner of the first set shall place the mat and advise the length of jack and then deliver the first bowl. If the first set is a draw, the winner of the last scoring end in that set shall place the mat, advise the marker the length of jack and then deliver the first bowl.
  3. The first and any further ends of a tie-breaker: the teams should toss a coin and the winner of the toss has the options as described in 2.6.1 above.
  4. In all ends after the first end of each set, the winner of the previous scoring end shall place the mat, nominate the length of jack and then deliver the first bowl. If, however, the first end of the first set is a tied end, the first to play in that end shall also play first in the second end of the first set.
7. Re-spotting the jack
  1. If a jack in motion passes completely outside the boundaries of the rink of play (left, right or over the face of the bank), comes to rest in any hollow in the face of the bank, or rebounds to a distance of less than 21 metres from the mat line, the end shall be declared dead and the end replayed provided the player has nominated their intention for a dead jack before they deliver their bowl (see 3.3).
  2. If the player does not nominate their intention for a dead jack before they deliver their bowl and the jack finishes in a position described in 2.7.1 above, then the jack should be placed on the respective re-spot or “T” depending on where the jack left the confines of the rink and play should continue.
  3. If the spot mentioned in 2.7.2 is partly or completely covered by a bowl, the jack should be placed as close as possible to the covered spot, in line with and between that spot and the corresponding spot at the opposite side of the rink, without touching a bowl.
8. Scoring – Sectional play
  1. Sectional play will comprise 3 matches with each team playing each other once in each group.
  2. Three (3) game points will be awarded for each game won. No game points are awarded for any game lost.
  3. One (1) set point will be awarded for each set won. A half set point (0.5) will be awarded for each set drawn. No set points are awarded for any set lost (the tie-breaker is not a set).
  4. If a game is forfeited, the non-offending team will be awarded three points for win, two set points and a net total of 2 shots.
  5. Table rankings will be determined as follows:
    1. Highest number of game points scored.
    2. If game points are equal, the team with the highest net total of set points (total set points for – total set points against) shall be ranked higher.
    3. If game points and net set points are equal, the team with the highest number of sets won shall be ranked higher.
    4. If game points, net set points and sets won are equal, the team with the highest net total shots (total shots for – total shots against) over all games in the section (not including tie-breaker ends) shall be ranked higher.
    5. If game points, net set points, sets won and net total shots are equal, the team that won the most games between the teams that are equal shall be ranked higher.
    6. If game points, net set points, sets won and net total shots are all equal, and the teams have both won an equal amount of games in matches between the two teams, the team with the most total shots for across all matches within the section (not including tiebreaker ends) shall be ranked higher.
9. Scoring – Finals
  1. Finals will comprise of the top two (2) teams denoted by table position at the conclusion of sectional matches.
  2. Finals will be conducted as follows:
    1. Quarter Final 1: ladder position A1 versus ladder position B2
    2. Quarter Final 2: ladder position B1 versus ladder position A2
    3. Quarter Final 3: ladder position C1 versus ladder position D2
    4. Quarter Final 4: ladder position D1 versus ladder position C2
    5. Semi Final 1: winner of Quarter Final 1 versus winner of Quarter Final 3
    6. Semi Final 2: winner of Quarter Final 2 versus winner of Quarter Final 4
    7. Final: winner of Semi Final 1 versus winner of Semi Final 2
10. Scoring – Plate Finals
  1. Plate Finals will comprise of the 3rd & 4th placed teams (2) denoted by table position at the conclusion of sectional matches.
  2. Finals will be conducted as follows:
    1. Plate Quarter Final 1: ladder position A3 versus ladder position B4
    2. Plate Quarter Final 2: ladder position B3 versus ladder position A4
    3. Plate Quarter Final 3: ladder position C3 versus ladder position D4
    4. Plate Quarter Final 4: ladder position D3 versus ladder position C4
    5. Plate Semi Final 1: winner of Plate Quarter Final 1 versus winner of Plate Quarter Final 3
    6. Plate Semi Final 2: winner of Plate Quarter Final 2 versus winner of Plate Quarter Final 4
    7. Plate Final: winner of Plate Semi Final 1 versus winner of Plate Semi Final 2
11. Forfeit
  1. If a team is unable to complete any game already commenced during the competition, then their opponents shall win on forfeit. Points shall be awarded to the winning team in accordance with clause 2.8.4.
Game Variations
1. PowerPlay
  1. A PowerPlay enables a team to earn double the shots scored (by that team) in any nominated end. A Power Play can be used in the following circumstances.
  2. Teams will be allowed one Power Play end per set as nominated by the team.
  3. To nominate that the next end will be a PowerPlay, the opposition team must acknowledge the intention of the team calling the PowerPlay, prior to placing the jack for that end. An orange coloured jack will be used in all PowerPlay ends on the TV rink.
  4. Both teams can nominate to use the PowerPlay in the same end of a set.
  5. If a Team does not nominate to use its PowerPlay end in a set, that PowerPlay is lost. PowerPlays may not be carried over into the next set. There are no PowerPlays in a tiebreak.
  6. If a team calls a PowerPlay end and the same team nominates to declare the end dead and is successful, the PowerPlay is not carried over to the replayed end. Only the team who calls the PowerPlay where the opposition is successful in declaring the end dead will have their PowerPlay carried over to the replayed end.
2. Placing the mat and jack
  1. The centre line of the rink will be marked by 3 fixed nominated lengths at each end of the green by different coloured markings. The mat and jack will be placed separately at two of these points to define the length of end to be played.
  2. The lead to play first in the end will place the front of the mat at one of the nominated lengths along the centre line at their end. The skip from that team should then communicate verbally to the marker the nominated length to place the jack at the opposite end. The jack will not be delivered in any end.
  3. All fixed nominated lengths are of a legal distance of 21 metres or greater as per the Domestic Regulations of Bowls Australia.
3. Nomination of a dead jack
  1. It is permissible for a player to nominate that their intention is to make the jack dead before they deliver their bowl. By nominating and becoming successful as described above in clause 2.7.1 the end is declared dead and the end is replayed.
  2. If a player does not nominate their intention to make the jack dead before they deliver their bowl and the jack subsequently goes dead, then the jack shall be placed on an appropriate spot as described above in clause 2.7.2 and play should continue.
  3. Players will nominate to the opposition team (the opposition team must acknowledge the intent) when a player wishes to play a shot that may make the jack leave the rink of play and render the end dead.
  4. Any end declared dead, either by nomination of a dead jack or by other circumstances (displacement laws), the end will be replayed from the end that it was declared dead (i.e. the end will not be replayed in the same direction at the time the end was declared dead – any remaining bowls will be carried to the opposite end).
  5. A “Dead Jack” may only be nominated once per set by each team, and once per team during any “tie break” end.
  6. If a “Dead Jack” is nominated and successful all bowls played during that end will not count towards a players minimum set requirement.
4. Substitutions
  The third member of the team is the substitute player for the start of the match. However, during the game, a substitute player is any member of the team currently sitting on the sidelines.
  1. The substitute is automatically injected into the match at the conclusion of the first set if they have not previously been involved in the match in order to satisfy section 2.1.1.3.
  2. During the change of ends, the team may adjust the positions of all players should they wish.
Restricting Movement of Players During Play
1. During sets 1 and 2
  Players will be able to follow their bowls up to the head under the following circumstances:
  - Lead: after delivery of their third bowl.
  - Skip: after delivery of their second bowl.
  - Skips will change ends together.
2. During tie-breaker
  Prior to the start of the tie-breaker, the lead and second will take their position at the mat end of the green.
  Players will be able to follow their bowls up to the head under the following circumstances:
  - Lead: after delivery of their second bowl.
  - Second: after delivery of their second bowl.
  - Skip: after the delivery of both of their bowls.
  - Skips will change ends together.
Practice
1. Trial ends
  There will be no trial ends before the commencement of any game.
2. Allocated practice
  Teams will be allowed to practice on rinks assigned by the Controlling Body starting one hour prior to the commencement of the first game each day. Practice must cease 10 minutes before the scheduled start of play or as directed by the controlling body.
Alterations to the Format and Length of Games
The Controlling Body reserves the right to alter the format, times of play and allocated rinks and greens to suit local unforeseen circumstances, giving as much notice as practical.