Marker's Guide

Clothing

Club or mainly white top, navy shorts.

Setting up

Find out which rinks are free and offer the players a selection to choose from, then remove that rink number so it isn't chosen by other players. Write up the score card: the challenger goes on the left, and also as the Home player on the score board. Set up the rink with the score board, mats, jack, pushers and 2m sticks.

Competition rules

Different competitions have their own scoring rules and marker's instructions — such as handicap scoring, or the Veterans and Two Wood variations. Check the Competition Rules (opens in new tab) page and make sure you and the players are familiar with what applies before you start.

Before the trial ends

Agree with the players:

• If they would like you to mark any touchers, and remove any non-touchers from the ditch, before the next bowl is delivered.
• On the trial ends, ask whether they would like the jack repositioned when it is delivered.
• Whether they would mind changing the score on the scoreboard when they are at the scoreboard end. For Vets, they may want you to change both ends.
• Remind them they may visit the head after the third and fourth bowls have been delivered only.

The mat

For all ends, the front of the mat must be a minimum of 2 metres from the ditch. Ensure the mat is central before the jack is delivered — players are allowed to use the stick as a guide for this.

If the opposing player questions the mat's distance from the ditch before the jack is centred, and it is not the required 2 metres, the mat is corrected and the jack goes back to the original player to centre and deliver. If it is questioned after the jack has already been centred, it instead goes back to the opposing player, who may move the mat and deliver the jack.

The jack

At the beginning of each end, centre the jack when it comes to rest. If you remember, place the jack with its emblem facing upwards — this helps you see if the jack has been touched by a bowl on its natural course. Ensure the jack is a minimum of 23 metres from the front of the mat and past the yellow markers, and no less than 2 metres from the ditch. Reposition the jack 2 metres out as necessary. It is the player's and marker's responsibility to ensure the jack is a legal length; if there is any doubt, centre the jack and measure.

If the jack is delivered improperly, the opposing player may reposition the mat and shall re-deliver the jack, but the original player shall bowl first. If both players improperly deliver the jack once, place the jack at full length, 2 metres from the ditch; the original player may then place the mat, align the jack and shall bowl first.

The ditch

If the jack goes into the ditch, unless it goes outside the rink markers, it is still in play and the end continues. Mark the jack's position with the white bank marker so the players can see its location.

If a wood touches the jack and comes to rest in the ditch, it remains in play as a toucher and should not be moved. Mark it with chalk and put the coloured bank marker out so the players can see its position. Once the jack is in the ditch, no further wood can become a toucher for the rest of that end, even if it touches the jack there.

If a wood comes to rest in the ditch without having touched the jack, it is out of play. Remove it from the ditch and place it on the bank.

With the jack in the ditch, if a bowl enters the ditch and moves the jack, the bowl is removed and the jack is replaced in its original position.

With the jack in the ditch, if a marked toucher is knocked into the ditch and disturbs the jack, the jack stays in its new position — move the bank marker to match, and mark the bowl with a coloured bank marker.

Out of play

If a wood goes outside the rink markers — whether bowled out or knocked out — it is out of play, even if it was a toucher.

If the jack goes outside the rink markers, whether driven out deliberately or knocked out accidentally, it is a dead end and must be replayed in the same direction, unless the skips or players agree to play it in the opposite direction to speed up the match. If they don't both agree, it reverts to the original direction. The end is not recorded, and the mat stays with the same player or team who played it first.

It's the players' decision, not the marker's, whether a bowl or the jack is out of play — the marker should check and ask for confirmation. If it's obviously out of play, though, the marker can signal to the players and pick it up.

Where to stand

Stand approximately one and a half metres behind the jack and one metre to the side. Make sure you do not cast a shadow over or close to the jack, and stand still whenever a player is on the mat.

• Be aware of the other rinks and protect your rink's head — stop and remove any bowls played by players on the adjacent rinks.
• When a bowl is coming into the head and could be a toucher, position yourself so that if the jack is touched you can see it and be ready to mark the bowl.
• When a bowl is played with weight or firing, position yourself in front of the head and to the side, so you can watch the bowl in and judge what happens after any contact.
• Do not engage in conversation with the spectators — it is a distraction from your duties as a marker.

Touchers

Mark all touchers immediately as soon as they come to rest, or as agreed with the players.

Answering questions

Only the player in possession of the mat may ask questions about the head — once the bowl in motion comes to rest, possession passes to the other player. Answer questions clearly: indicate the shot bowl by pointing with a flat hand, and if asked who is holding, indicate up or down using a shoulder or thigh tap.

Do not offer advice — only tell the players how you see the state of the head. If you are unsure which bowl is shot, call it a measure. And if a player is walking back to the mat while still looking at the head, stay still until they turn away.

Result of the end

When the end is complete, look at the head. If no measure is required, move up the rink three or four metres and wait for the players to tell you the score — this helps to speed up the match.

The marker must not be involved in the players discussion for shots unless the marker is asked to measure. If a measure is required, ask the players to remove the bowls that are not in the measure, then:

1. 1Wedge any leaning bowl, or any bowl on its running edge, so it cannot topple.
2. 2Measure the bowls that need to be done.
3. 3Determine the shot bowl or bowls — there could be more than one.
4. 4Do not move a measured bowl away, in case the players want the head re-measured by an umpire or another competent person.
5. 5If there is a toucher in the ditch, measure that as normal.
6. 6If the jack is in the ditch and you don't have access to a proper ditch measure, it may be easier to measure from the wood to the jack rather than from the jack to the wood.

Once the players have agreed the result, pick up your wedges and move to the other end of the rink.

Do not remove any bowls you have measured — the players may require a second opinion.

Score

Update the score card with the result immediately at the end of each end, before you walk away from the head. If you are walking up to the end where the scoreboard is, you update the scoreboard; otherwise the players will update it.

To keep the game moving, once you get to the other end, centre the mat and jack first, then move to the scoreboard (if you are at the scoreboard end). You can update the totals on the score card and the score board while a bowl is in motion or while the players are changing over — but keep still when a player is preparing to deliver, and keep an eye on the jack as each bowl comes in, so you can tell if it becomes a toucher. Make sure that the score card and scoreboard tally at the end of each end.

At the end of the game

Keep an eye on the score and remaining points available as the game nears the end. If there are insufficient points available to change the final result, you can declare the lead player the winner.

Ask the players to sign the card, then place the card in the clubhouse “Completed Competitions Box”.