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PURLEY SPORTS CLUB
INDOOR SHORT MAT BOWLS RULES
Short Mat Bowls is organised by the Bowls Section and is played indoors in the Cowen Suite during the outdoor bowls closed season (October – March). Short Mat Bowls is open to all members of Purley Sports Club. The following four disciplines are played:
a) Triples League
b) 2-4-2 Pairs League
c) Select Pairs League
d) Singles Knockout (including a Plate competition)
The rules to be applied are summarised below. Where silent, the rules and the etiquette applied on the Purley Bowls Club Green should be applied.
Playing sessions
Short Mat is usually played on Mondays, Tuesdays & Fridays, during four 1½ hour sessions:-
i) 10:15am – 11:45am
ii) 12:00pm – 1:30pm
iii) 1:45pm – 3:15pm
iv) 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Matches should not extend beyond the times specified above. Practice is allowed before the start time, but matches must start punctually.
Dress code
Casual, but shoes must be “Bowls” or similar flat shoes. Trainers are not permitted, as these and similar soled footwear cause damage to the mat surface.
Mat Choice
The selection of Bowling mats will be decided by drawing a token using the wooden chips provided: ‘1’ (for bar side); ‘2’ (for corridor side)
A coin toss should be used to determine the ownership of the foot mat for the first end, with the winner of the toss choosing whether to take the foot mat or give it to the opponent(s).
Bowl Delivery (Running or Driving Bowls)
A bowl is dead and must be removed if it makes contact with the centre block or passes over it. Players must indicate both verbally and by raising their arm, to notify the players/marker and those on neighbouring mats, whenever they intend to play a running/driving bowl. This is to ensure everyone’s safety.
TRIPLES, 2-4-2 AND SELECT PAIRS LEAGUE
The format of play is given in the following table:
Discipline |
Number of players |
Number of bowls per player |
Number of ends (a) |
Triples |
3 (or 2) (b) |
2 (or 3) (b) |
16 |
2-4-2 (c) |
2 |
4 |
14 |
Select Pairs |
2 |
4 |
14 |
a) All players are encouraged to play at a good pace to complete the game within the time limit. If the full number of ends is unlikely to be completed within the allotted period, then the captains should agree to reduce the number of ends.
b) If a Triples team can only field two players and no reserve is available, then each player in the “2-player” team will play with 3 woods each and at the end of the match 25% will be deducted from their score. Fractions must be rounded to the nearest whole number, with 0.5 rounded down.
c) The order of play for 2-4-2 matches can be found in the Appendix.
Reserves
A reserve may be used if there is no designated member of the team available to play. No more than one substitute per game and the reserve should not be a member of another team in the same discipline and may not play as a skip. In Select Pairs, the reserve must have the same or lower handicap than the nominated player.
Trial ends and visiting the head
There are no trial ends and visiting the head is not permitted.
Shots & Points Score
The Shot score should be entered by the skip in the appropriate column on the fixtures chart on the notice board. [The discipline organiser will allocate the league points with 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 point for a loss.] If a team does not field a squad, then a walkover is awarded with a Shot “score” of 5 for the “winner” and 0 for the defaulting team. A walkover can only be claimed 15 minutes after the scheduled start time.
Foot faults
It is the duty of the players who are at the delivery end to call foot faults.
In 2-4-2 and Select Pairs one warning should be given and for subsequent infringements the bowl should be removed. In Triples (as it is a less serious game and enjoyed by beginners) the Captains will only give warnings.
Dead Ends
Captains will warn after one ‘Dead End’ that if the same team causes 2 more dead ends, they will forfeit the match (5 – 0). Dead ends will not count as ends played and will be replayed, time permitting.
SINGLES & PLATE COMPETITIONS
The format of play is given in the following table:
Discipline |
Number of players |
Number of bowls per player |
Number of ends |
Singles & Plate |
1 |
4 |
16 |
Marking a match
A marker is required for all singles matches. All entrants to Singles/Plate competitions will be expected to mark and players are expected to mark the subsequent game of the winner after they have been knocked out.
Foot Fault
If a foot fault occurs, then the marker should remove the bowl.
Trial ends
Two trial ends are allowed.
Deciding on a draw
An extra end is not played during the “group stage” games.
In the following rounds, an extra end must be played in the event of a draw at the conclusion of a game.
Dead Ends in Singles matches
2 dead ends are allowed per player per match; the 3rd and any subsequent dead ends will be 3 shots away and the end will count except for the last end of a match where it will be 3 shots away and the end replayed. If a player causes a dead end during an extra end, then they will forfeit the match.
Visiting the head
Players may visit the head at any time but should be mindful of excessively delaying the match.
Any queries on the Short Mat Rules or the Short Mat playing arrangements should be directed to the Short Mat Organiser or to a member of the Short Mat Committee.
Appendix
2-4-2 PAIRS GAME PLAY
There will not be a recognised "lead" or "skip". Each pair will have player A and player B.
In the illustration below the match is assumed to be 14 ends
Game Play - 1st END
i. Player A of each team bowls 2 woods alternately.
ii. Players A go to the head and players B of each team go to the mat and bowl all 4 of their woods alternately.
iii. Players A return to the mat and players B return to the head. Players A bowl their remaining 2 woods alternately.
iv. Players B decide the shot count and record the score as normal.
Game Play - 2nd END
i. Players B of each team bowls 2 woods alternately.
ii. Players B go to the head and players A of each team go to the mat and bowl all 4 of their woods alternately.
iii. Players B return to the mat and players A return to the head. Players B bowl their remaining 2 woods alternately.
iv. Players A decide the shot count and record the score as normal.
Game Play - Subsequent ends:
Odd Numbers (3, 5, 7, 9, 11 & 13) pattern of play will be the same as the 1st end.
Even Numbers (4, 6 ,8, 10, 12 & 14) pattern of play will be the same as the 2nd end.
Revised 29.11.2022
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