What happens if a bowls game is stopped by rain?
A · Advanced · Irregularities, officials and conduct · 6 of 8A game stopped by darkness, weather or another good reason resumes later from the score at the time. An end in progress is declared dead, but if all its bowls have been played, its shots are counted first. A bowl split by another bowl makes the end dead; a damaged bowl is replaced from the same set.
How it works
- Who stops play: the controlling body, the umpire on appeal or the players if no official is present.
- The score: stays as it was; the game resumes the same day or another.
- An end in progress: declared dead, even if players stay on the green.
- All bowls played: the shots are decided before stopping.
- Damaged jack: if the umpire says it must be replaced, the end is dead.
- A bowl split by another bowl: the end is dead, and the bowl is replaced from the same set.
- A bowl splitting at rest by itself: replaced, and the end continues.
- No spare from the set: the whole set is changed.
- Aids: nothing may be placed on the green, bank, jack or bowls to help a player, except where the laws allow.
The glossary has the game stoppage, the dead end, the bowl, the jack, the umpire and the controlling body.
Tricky cases
Rain stops play with two bowls left in an end. Does the end count?
No. It is declared dead and replayed when play resumes.
All bowls of the end are played when the storm hits. What then?
The shots are counted before the game stops.
A bowl cracks in two after being hit. What happens?
The end is dead, and the bowl is replaced from the same set before the next end.
Can a player put a marker on the bank to aim at?
No. Nothing may be placed to help a player except where the laws allow.
Why the rule exists
Declaring an unfinished end dead avoids having to recreate a half-built head. Counting a finished end first preserves shots already earned.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stoppages | End dead; score kept | WB Law 33 |
| Damage | End dead or bowl replaced | WB Laws 30, 31 |
| Objects on the green | Not allowed | WB Law 34 |
From the rule book
World Bowls, Laws of the Sport of Bowls, Crystal Mark Fourth Edition (August 2022), Laws 30, 31, 33 and 34. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the World Bowls Laws of the Sport of Bowls.