Tournament Rules

Hong Kong International Bowls Classic 2016

Tournament Rules

(21 July 2016 Edition)

The Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association (the “Controlling Body”) has appointed a “Panel of Umpires”, and all decisions by this Panel on the tournament and actual match play shall be final.

The tournament shall be conducted in accordance with the “Laws of the Sport of Bowls, Crystal Mark Third Edition” of World Bowls.

Team members should wear matching uniform. Unless with prior approval from the Controlling Body, cream or white trousers/skirts shall be worn – no shorts or jeans. Belts shall be white or cream in color – no other colors. For shirt: If undergarments are worn, the colour of the sleeve must be white or of the same main colour as the shirt. For shorts – if undershorts or tights are worn, they must be white or of the same main colour as the shorts. Proper lawn bowling shoes shall be worn.

SINGLES

In the first two rounds, each match will comprise two sets of seven ends.  From the third round onwards, each match will comprise two sets of nine ends. The winner of the match shall be the player who won both sets, or won a set and tied in the other.

In the event of each player has won a set, or tied in both sets, a tie-breaker of three additional ends should be played. The player who gains the most shots in the tie-breaker will be the winner of the match. If the numbers of shots are equal after the third end of the tie-breaker, the players should play a fourth tie-breaker end to decide the winner.

  1. Not more than two bowls per direction of the trial ends.
  2. In the first set, the players should toss a coin before the start of the game, the winner of the toss should have the options to, either place the mat and then deliver the jack and the first bowl, or tell the opposing player to place the mat, and deliver the jack and the first bowl. The winner of first set should deliver the jack and the first bowl in the first end of the second set. If the first set is a draw, the winner of the last scoring end in that set should place the mat, and then deliver the jack and the first bowl. Before the start of the first end of a tie-breaker, the players should toss a coin and the winner of the toss has the options as described above.
  3. No visit to head until the player has delivered his/her third bowl.
  4. No dead ends. The jack will be re-spotted on the centre line, with the nearest point of the jack to the mat line at a spot which is 2 metres from the front ditch.
  5. A set is decided when a player is unable to win or draw in the end(s) left.
  6. All players are required to arrive for the game before the scheduled time. Should any player failed to turn up by the specified competition time, the game will be forfeited to the opposition.

PAIRS

The competition will be in a format of round-robin, and single knock-out in play-offs, semi-finals and final. For the round-robin stage, a time limit of 2.5 hours will be imposed and two sets of nine ends each will be played.  During the knock-out stage, three additional ends will be played when the sets are tied.

  1. The competition will be in a three-wood pairs format.
  2. Not more than two bowls per direction of the trial ends.
  3. No visit to the head for lead players. The Skip may visit the head after delivery of his/her first bowl.
  4. All players are required to arrive for the game before the scheduled time. Should any player failed to turn up by the specified competition time, the game will be forfeited to the opponent, with a score of losing two sets and seven shots overall, in the round-robin stage.
  5. With the approval from the Panel of Umpires, substitute will only be allowed when an original player is deemed unable to play due to injury or sickness.
  6. In the first set, the opposing teams should toss a coin before the start of the game, the winner of the toss should have the options to, either place the mat, and then deliver the jack and the first bowl, or tell the opponent to place the mat, and deliver the jack and the first bowl. The winning team of first set should deliver the jack and the first bowl in the first end of the second set. If the first set is a draw, the team of the last scoring end in that set should place the mat and then deliver the jack and the first bowl. Before the start of the first end of a tie-breaker, the opposing teams should toss a coin and the winner of the toss has the options as described above.
  7. In the round-robin stage, all nine ends of the two sets should be played to complete the game within a time limit of 2.5 hours. Two points will be awarded for a set win and one point for a set draw. Two additional points will also be awarded to the team with the most aggregate shots after the two sets.  If the aggregate shots are tied, each team will be awarded one point.
  8. Group winners will be decided in the following sequence: –

a)      Highest points won
b)      Highest number of sets won
c)       Highest net total of shots scored
d)      The team that won the game played between the two teams
e)      If still equal, the toss of a coin will decide the winner

  1. The top team of each Group will be qualified for the semi-finals, while the second and third placed teams will be drawn to pair up for the play-offs as follows. The draw will be conducted when the results of the round-robin games are finalized.

Play-off 1

Men

2nd/3rd of Group A/B

vs

2nd/3rd of Group A/B

Play-off 2

Men

2nd/3rd of Group A/B

vs

2nd/3rd of Group A/B

Play-off 3

Women

2nd/3rd of Group C/D

vs

2nd/3rd of Group C/D

Play-off 4

Women

2nd/3rd of Group C/D

vs

2nd/3rd of Group C/D

10. The line up of the semi-finals are as follows: –

SF 1

Men

1st of Group A

vs

Winner of Play-off 1

SF 2

Men

1st of Group B

vs

Winner of Play-off 2

SF 3

Women

1st of Group C

vs

Winner of Play-off 3

SF 4

Women

1st of Group D

vs

Winner of Play-off 4

11. Play-offs, Semi-Finals and Final: In the event of a tie after the two sets have been completed, three additional ends shall be played and the result will be decided by the number of shots accumulated in the three additional ends. Should there be a tie after the three additional ends, another additional end will be played to decide the winner.

The Controlling Body reserves the rights to disqualify from the Tournament any participant for misconduct or non-compliance with these Tournament Rules.

Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association