THE EQUIPMENT

(1)     THE RINK MAT

(a)       The rink mat shall be of a suitable material conducive to the true running of the bowls as approved by the E.S.M.B.A.  It shall be coloured green.

(b)       The maximum length shall be 13750 mm (45’) and the minimum length 12200 mm (40’) including ditches.  The width shall be 1830 mm (6’) with a tolerance of 50 mm (2”). 

(c)       The floor surface should be level.

(2)     THE DELIVERY MAT

The delivery mat shall be 610 mm (24”) long and 355 mm (14”) wide or 600mm long and 360mm wide.

(3)     THE DITCH AND FENDER

(a)       The depth of the ditch shall be 300 mm (12”), this measurement to include the 12 mm (½”) marking tape.  The width of the ditch shall be 1830 mm (6’).  It shall be enclosed at the back and both sides with a fender not less than 70 mm (2¾”) and not more than 75 mm (3”) above the surface of the rink mat, with a maximum thickness of 75 mm (3”) and a minimum thickness of 70 mm (2¾”).

(b)       The fender shall be coloured white and shall be of rigid timber construction with the fixed return ends being 90° to the back rail.  It MUST NOT be covered with any type of material.

(c)       The fender should be fully constructed in hardwood or softwood.  The back rail should be of one continuous piece of timber and the return ends should be fixed rigidly at 90° to the back rail.  This means that there should be no hinged sections within the fender construction.  If, because of transportation problems, hinges have to be fixed, it should be ensured that a method of fixing the hinged sections in a rigid position is employed once the fenders have been placed at the rink mat.

(d)       All fender dimensions are taken from the rink mat surface.  This is because most mat manufacturers are allowing an extension to the mat length to enable the fender to be placed on top of the mat to form the ditch confines. 

(e)       It is perfectly acceptable to fix lifting strips to the return ends of the fenders to make them level with the mat surface.

(4)     THE CENTRE BLOCK

(a)       The centre block shall be 380 mm (15”) long, not less than 70 mm (2¾”) or more than 75 mm (3”) above the surface of the rink mat, with a maximum thickness of 75 mm (3”) and a minimum thickness of 40 mm (1½”). 

(b)       It may be square or rounded at the ends and must be made of timber. 

(c)       It shall be coloured white and must not be covered by material.

(d)       It must not be affixed to the surface of the rink mat.

(5)     RINK MAT MARKINGS

All line markings on the rink mat must be in 12 mm (½”) wide white adhesive tape.  All markings must be clearly and correctly defined at all times. (See Appendix 4 diagram)

(a)       Ditch and Dead Lines. Lines representing the ditch shall be marked across each end of the rink mat 300 mm (1’) from the fender and similar transverse lines shall be marked 2745 mm (9’) from each ditch line to represent the dead lines.

(b)       Jack Line. The jack line shall be 915 mm (3’) long and in the middle of the rink mat with one end 915 mm (3’) from the ditch line and the other end 915 mm (3’) from the dead line.

(c)       Delivery Lines. Delivery lines shall be marked 1370 mm (4’ 6”) long starting at right angles from the ditch line and the distance on each side from the centre line of the rink mat shall be 330 mm (13”).

(d)       Delivery Mat Lines. Delivery mat lines shall be marked 300 mm (12”) long starting at right angles from the ditch line towards the fender and the distance on each side from the centre line of the rink mat shall be 175 mm (7”).

(e)       Centre Block Lines. The centre block line shall be 380 mm (15”) long and centred across the centre of the rink mat.