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05/02/2009 - Dave Brannon - Umpiring Question |
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Hi umpires and budding umpires would appreciate your opinion on a incident which happened recently. A competition of two clubs each playing a Rink, Triple, Pair and Singles on a home and away basis involving 20 bowlers. A Singles player at one venue pulled a groin muscle early in the match, and asked if a Club member could substitute for him. The organizing body had not appointed an umpire so the two Captains made the decision to allow for a substitute. The substitute carried on with the score the same as when the injured player was substituted, and went onto win the game and win the points for his club.
Another Club not involved in this
particular game disputed the result, and the result was
reversed, hence losing the points.
On studying the "World Bowls" laws I
worked around Law 51 (2) I discovered our game was classed as
a SIDE game. This was backed by Rule (1.2) No. 1 Definition of
a SIDE game is: any agreed number of teams or Singles players (
or a combination of teams and Singles players) whose combined
scores decide the result of a competition. This describes our
competition exactly. Rule 51 (2) explains that in a SIDE game
a substitute is allowed due to illness or some reasonable
cause. As I mentioned earlier the two Captains took the
decision (one of which is a current umpire) to allow the
substitution. I believe Rules 51 and Rule (1.2)
No.1 compliment each other. I can
find no Rule that excludes a Singles player with an injury
having a substitute in a SIDE game as explained in Rule 51 (2).
I think the disbelievers are looking
at Rule 51 (7). In my opinion a Singles game in this Rule is
two players playing for themselves in a Singles competition.
Our Singles was played in a SIDE game a completely different
situation. In Rule 14 Play Arrangements. A Singles game and a
SIDE game are shown as two different identities, and should be
treated as such.
Bit of a teaser. If you should make
a comment or decision or both I thank you for your input.
Yours in sport,
Dave Brannon
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