BOWLS NZ UMPIRE EXAM
QUESTIONS |GUARANTEED
ACCURATE ANSWERS
Before the start of a team game who tosses to decide which team will
play first? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Coaches in a side game, skips
in a team game or opponents in singles. Law 5.2.1
What choices does the winner of the toss have? - ACCURATE
ANSWERS✔✔ Either place the mat and deliver the jack and the first
bowl or tell the opponents to place the mat and deliver the jack and the
first bowl. Law 5.2.2
You are told that the pace of the green at 10.00am was 10 seconds and
that at 3.00pm it was 14 seconds. Was the green faster or slower at
3.00pm? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Faster. C25
What is the specification for the footwear to be worn by players,
umpires, and markers? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Flat-soled ("heel-
less"). Note that the permissible colours for footwear are generally
covered within the Conditions of Play for a competition. Appendix A.2.1
A running bowl hits a toucher on the green. The toucher hits the bank
and rebounds onto the green and lies beside the jack. Is the toucher a live
bowl? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Yes. Law 17.2.3
,A player plays out of turn. The player's bowl does not touch anything
during its course. The bowl comes to rest 2 metres from the jack. What
should happen? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ The bowl has not
disturbed the head so the opponent should choose whether to leave the
head as it is and play two bowls one after the other to get back to the
proper order of play or return the bowl and get back to the proper order
of play. Law 29.1.2
A player decides to play a short bowl to act as a "blocker‟. It finishes
very short of the head but is still within the boundaries of the rink. The
opposing skip calls for an umpire. What should the umpire's procedure
be? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ The umpire should measure, in a
straight line, the distance from the centre of the mat line to the bowl. If it
is less than 14 metres, the bowl should be declared dead. Law 17.1.3
When you are inspecting the bowls before the start of a Fours game you
notice that one player has bowls from 2 different sets. What action do
you take? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Advise the player that playing
with two different bowls is not permissible as both bowls must be from
the same set. Law 52.1.9
At a Fours game there is a downpour during the course of an end - only
the leads and seconds have played their bowls. There is a mass exodus of
players. They reappear 20 minutes later. The skip of team "A", who is
holding 3 shots, asks you "Do we just carry on, then?" What should your
reply be? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Since the end was not
,completed before the players left the green, it should be declared dead
(and, therefore, be replayed). Law 32.2
During a Fours game team "A" is holding 5 shots - closely grouped
around the jack. The skip of team "A" wants to protect the head. The
skip walks past the head in the direction of the mat line. Standing 2.5
metres from the head the skip says to the third, who is on the mat, "I
want a bowl here". Is this permissible? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔
Yes. Law 12.1.3
Having instructed the third who is about to deliver a bowl, what should
the skip do next? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Take their position
behind the jack as soon as the bowl has been delivered. Law 12.1.3
You are marking a Singles game. Player "A" delivers a short jack. No-
one is sure whether it has travelled the minimum distance from the mat
or not. Both players say "It's fine, we will play to it". Can you intervene,
or do you accept the players' willingness to play to it? - ACCURATE
ANSWERS✔✔ As marker you must intervene. Law 42.2.2
You are marking a Singles game. Player "A" delivers a short jack. No-
one is sure whether it has travelled the minimum distance from the mat
or not. Both players say "It's fine, we will play to it". What would your
procedure for checking the jack length be if you were the umpire? -
ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Make sure that the jack has been centred,
having made sure that the mat has been centred. Check that the mat line
is not less than 2 metres from the rear ditch and not less than 25 metres
, from the front ditch. Law 6.1.1 Measure the distance from the centre of
the mat line to the nearest point of the jack - if it is less than 23 metres it
is not in line with the laws after being centred. Law 10.1.3
Having won the previous end player "A" delivers the jack - which goes
straight into the ditch. Player "B" then delivers a jack in line with the
laws. Play continues and the end is subsequently declared dead. Who
delivers the jack when the end is replayed? - ACCURATE
ANSWERS✔✔ Player A Law 20.3
What is the definition of a skip, and what are the skip's duties? -
ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ The skip is the player who is in charge of
the team. Have sole charge of the team. Decide all disputed points with
the opposing skip, making sure that any decision reached is in line with
the laws. Refer any disputed points to an umpire. Be responsible for the
Score Card. Can delegate their own powers and duties to any member of
their team, provided that the delegation is notified to the opposing skip.
Law 40.1
At 10.00am on Saturday 10th June a player plays a friendly game on
rink 2 of the East green. The previous Sunday evening (4th June) the
player was drawn by the competition committee to play a game on rink 2
of the East green at 6.00pm on Saturday 10th June. The player plays the
tie and wins 21 - 20. What action, if any, should the competition
committee take? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ They should disqualify
the player because, on the day of a competition, a player is not allowed
to play on the same rink before starting play in the competition. Law 3.3
QUESTIONS |GUARANTEED
ACCURATE ANSWERS
Before the start of a team game who tosses to decide which team will
play first? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Coaches in a side game, skips
in a team game or opponents in singles. Law 5.2.1
What choices does the winner of the toss have? - ACCURATE
ANSWERS✔✔ Either place the mat and deliver the jack and the first
bowl or tell the opponents to place the mat and deliver the jack and the
first bowl. Law 5.2.2
You are told that the pace of the green at 10.00am was 10 seconds and
that at 3.00pm it was 14 seconds. Was the green faster or slower at
3.00pm? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Faster. C25
What is the specification for the footwear to be worn by players,
umpires, and markers? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Flat-soled ("heel-
less"). Note that the permissible colours for footwear are generally
covered within the Conditions of Play for a competition. Appendix A.2.1
A running bowl hits a toucher on the green. The toucher hits the bank
and rebounds onto the green and lies beside the jack. Is the toucher a live
bowl? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Yes. Law 17.2.3
,A player plays out of turn. The player's bowl does not touch anything
during its course. The bowl comes to rest 2 metres from the jack. What
should happen? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ The bowl has not
disturbed the head so the opponent should choose whether to leave the
head as it is and play two bowls one after the other to get back to the
proper order of play or return the bowl and get back to the proper order
of play. Law 29.1.2
A player decides to play a short bowl to act as a "blocker‟. It finishes
very short of the head but is still within the boundaries of the rink. The
opposing skip calls for an umpire. What should the umpire's procedure
be? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ The umpire should measure, in a
straight line, the distance from the centre of the mat line to the bowl. If it
is less than 14 metres, the bowl should be declared dead. Law 17.1.3
When you are inspecting the bowls before the start of a Fours game you
notice that one player has bowls from 2 different sets. What action do
you take? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Advise the player that playing
with two different bowls is not permissible as both bowls must be from
the same set. Law 52.1.9
At a Fours game there is a downpour during the course of an end - only
the leads and seconds have played their bowls. There is a mass exodus of
players. They reappear 20 minutes later. The skip of team "A", who is
holding 3 shots, asks you "Do we just carry on, then?" What should your
reply be? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Since the end was not
,completed before the players left the green, it should be declared dead
(and, therefore, be replayed). Law 32.2
During a Fours game team "A" is holding 5 shots - closely grouped
around the jack. The skip of team "A" wants to protect the head. The
skip walks past the head in the direction of the mat line. Standing 2.5
metres from the head the skip says to the third, who is on the mat, "I
want a bowl here". Is this permissible? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔
Yes. Law 12.1.3
Having instructed the third who is about to deliver a bowl, what should
the skip do next? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Take their position
behind the jack as soon as the bowl has been delivered. Law 12.1.3
You are marking a Singles game. Player "A" delivers a short jack. No-
one is sure whether it has travelled the minimum distance from the mat
or not. Both players say "It's fine, we will play to it". Can you intervene,
or do you accept the players' willingness to play to it? - ACCURATE
ANSWERS✔✔ As marker you must intervene. Law 42.2.2
You are marking a Singles game. Player "A" delivers a short jack. No-
one is sure whether it has travelled the minimum distance from the mat
or not. Both players say "It's fine, we will play to it". What would your
procedure for checking the jack length be if you were the umpire? -
ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ Make sure that the jack has been centred,
having made sure that the mat has been centred. Check that the mat line
is not less than 2 metres from the rear ditch and not less than 25 metres
, from the front ditch. Law 6.1.1 Measure the distance from the centre of
the mat line to the nearest point of the jack - if it is less than 23 metres it
is not in line with the laws after being centred. Law 10.1.3
Having won the previous end player "A" delivers the jack - which goes
straight into the ditch. Player "B" then delivers a jack in line with the
laws. Play continues and the end is subsequently declared dead. Who
delivers the jack when the end is replayed? - ACCURATE
ANSWERS✔✔ Player A Law 20.3
What is the definition of a skip, and what are the skip's duties? -
ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ The skip is the player who is in charge of
the team. Have sole charge of the team. Decide all disputed points with
the opposing skip, making sure that any decision reached is in line with
the laws. Refer any disputed points to an umpire. Be responsible for the
Score Card. Can delegate their own powers and duties to any member of
their team, provided that the delegation is notified to the opposing skip.
Law 40.1
At 10.00am on Saturday 10th June a player plays a friendly game on
rink 2 of the East green. The previous Sunday evening (4th June) the
player was drawn by the competition committee to play a game on rink 2
of the East green at 6.00pm on Saturday 10th June. The player plays the
tie and wins 21 - 20. What action, if any, should the competition
committee take? - ACCURATE ANSWERS✔✔ They should disqualify
the player because, on the day of a competition, a player is not allowed
to play on the same rink before starting play in the competition. Law 3.3
