Laws on dead end due to improperly delivered jack & weather conditions

Special welcome to all members and I hope that you had a wonderful, safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year and are looking forward to a successful 2023 and joining with all your friends on the green and at the club.

Early January saw the start of the 2023 Premier League Qld and the 2023 Junior State Championships followed by the GR8 Bowls Challenge and Q7s Qld 2023 in February. Most clubs and districts will also be commencing their competitions and all players are wished the best. Enjoy your games and ensure you have read the Conditions of Play for each competition.

I have had a request to go through the laws in detail for the following situation:

If the jack is improperly delivered by each player and the end is then declared dead, what is the correct procedure:

Laws 5.3 (page 21) – The start of play:

• 5.3.1 In any game, the start of play is the delivery of the jack by the first player to play in the first end.

• 5.3.2 In any end, the start of play is the delivery of the jack by the first player to play in that end.

Law 5.4 (page 21) – Play in other ends:

In all ends after the first, apart from in an extra end, the winner of the previous scoring end must place the mat and then deliver the jack and the first bowl.

Law 10 – Improper delivery of the jack:

• 10.3 If the jack is improperly delivered once by each player in any end, it must not be delivered again in that end. Instead, it must be centred with the nearest point of the jack to the mat line being 2 metres from the front ditch, and the mat must be placed as described in law 6.1.1 by the first player to play.

Note: the first player of the previous winning end must place the mat.

The above laws cover the start of play in the first and other ends with the delivery of the jack by the first player (Lead) of the winner of the previous scoring end. However, if during the playing of the game an end, and it can be any end, is declared dead the following laws cover the situation and it can also happen if the jack has been improperly delivered once by each player as stated in law 10.3.

Law 10.4

If the jack is improperly delivered once by each player and the end is then declared dead, law 20.3 will apply.

Law 20 (page 35) – Dead End:

• 20.1 A dead end is not counted as a completed end even if all the bowls required to be played have been played.

• 20.2 A dead end must be replayed in the same direction unless the skips or opponents in singles agree to play it in the opposite direction. (If the jack and bowls need to be transferred to the opposite end of the rink before the end is replayed, they must be transferred in a way which avoids distracting players on neighboring rinks).

• 20.3 If the skips or opponents in singles or the umpire declare an end dead, the first to play in that end must also play first when the end is replayed.

Weather Conditions

An important issue at this time of the year are the rules on weather conditions affecting play and these can vary throughout the State. Umpires or officials have the very hard decision to make but the safety of players, officials and spectators should remain the paramount consideration.

The Bowls Queensland Extreme Weather Policy can be found on the BQ website under About>Governance>Policies. I recommend that all umpires, officials, clubs have a copy of the policy. Another important reminder is the need to remain hydrated and drink plenty of water. It is important to maintain blood volume, regulate body temperature and lubricate your joints. Water should be available at all clubs, so please drink as much water as you can during the game.

A reminder to all members that if you wish to become National Markers, Measurers, Umpires or are due for re-accreditation, please contact your District Umpire Committee who will assist you with further information about your application. Also, it is important that your blue card is up to date.

charges are available at queenslandcountry.bank. Applicants for a Pension account must be at least 65 years of age, or in receipt of an aged pension from Centrelink or the Department of Veteran Affairs. This information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the information you should consider the relevant TMD, whether it is right for you and seek your own advice. Queensland Country

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Being investigated by the OLGR: What are the disclosure obligations?

As bowls clubs prepare for the new year, they may face investigation by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) assessing compliance with Queensland’s liquor and gaming legislation. This article explains the rights and obligations of bowls clubs and staff when approached by the OLGR for a compliance investigation interview.

Power to Investigate

The OLGR, under the Liquor Act 1992 (Qld) and the Gaming Machine Act 1991 (Qld), has the authority to evaluate whether bowls clubs are adhering to Queensland’s liquor and gaming laws. One of the ways they can do this is by conducting interviews with club staff and representatives. To protect the club’s interests and be prepared for any potential investigation, it’s crucial that bowls clubs document and keep detailed statements from staff and individuals directly involved in any significant incident as soon as possible.

When the OLGR chooses to investigate an incident, the investigator may reach out to relevant individuals to schedule an interview at a mutually agreed upon time and location. The person being interviewed has the right to have a support person or legal representative present during the interview, and the OLGR must provide sufficient time for the individual to arrange this. The support person is not allowed to answer questions on behalf of the interviewee.

Disclosure Obligations

During an investigation, the OLGR inspectors may request the interviewee to provide their name, address, age, and proof of identification. The interviewee is required to answer all questions asked by the investigator, as long as the investigator reasonably believes the person has relevant information related to the enforcement of the Liquor and Gaming Acts. The only exception to this is if the person has a ‘reasonable excuse’, such as that answering the question could lead to self-incrimination. However, a corporate body cannot utilise that as a ‘reasonable excuse’. As of 1 July 2022, the maximum penalty for not answering a question during an OLGR investigation is $14,375 under the Liquor Act or $28,750 under the Gaming Act. Under the Penalties and Sentences Act, those maximum penalties can be multiplied by five for a corporate body such as a club.

It is advisable for bowls clubs to have a designated, knowledgeable individual or team available to handle interactions with the OLGR inspectors or police in case they visit the premises. This enables the bowls club to work with the authorities while safeguarding its own interests, however once an investigation begins, it is preferable to have only one point of contact for the club.

Should you be interviewed by the OLGR, the Mullins Hospitality and Commercial Litigation teams can help your bowls club with its obligations when it comes to your disclosure obligations and/or acting as your legal representative.

Please contact me, Matt Bradford at (07) 3224 0353, for any further assistance.