Stamping of Bowls
	CONFUSED ABOUT BOWLS TESTING? NEW STAMP - WHICH ONE? HERE IS THE ANSWER
	For a number of years you the bowlers have continuously complained about straight running bowls.   The governing body World Bowls looked at various options put forward by member countries of World Bowls. Their decision was to introduce, from April 2002, a new Working Reference Bowl (Master Bowl) with a wider bias, as well as a new Testing Table and Release Mechanism, which must be used by all manufacturers and testers world wide.   Current Position All new bowls manufactured from April 2002 will carry the new World Bowls Stamp. Any bowls re-tested after this date will be tested against the New Master Bowl and will be accompanied by a Formal Test Certificate.   If you refer to the current laws of the game, rule 9(b) states that bowls shall be re-tested and re-stamped every ten years. This law currently only applies to International play and International players are required to have an existing stamp due for expiry at the end of 2010, 2011 or 2012.   Currently for domestic play, including the National Championships, the EBA, EIBA, EWBA and EWIBA have adopted a more relaxed rule, that being: Composition bowls must bear a legible stamp for 1985 or later and can continue to be used without stamping until such time as the stamp becomes illegible. So any of the above 4 stamps are eligible as long as they bear a 1985 year or later and are legible.   Challenging Bowls Players may challenge bowls but must pay a deposit of £100 to the Governing Body. The bowls will be held by the Governing Body and sent away to be tested. If they fail, the deposit is refunded and the bowls adjusted at their owners cost or destroyed. If the bowls pass the test the deposit is forfeited and the bowls returned to the owner.   So what of the future? World Bowls have identified major difficulties in certain areas of the world in relation to the unauthorised adjustment of bowls. To help over come this problem, Governing Bodies have been asked to consider the reintroduction of Ten Year testing, not necessarily down to domestic club play but to competitors in the National Championships, Middleton Cup and Liberty Cup players etc, possibly eventually to all County Championship players. Nothing has been decided at present.