KNOW THE RULES
The recent October PFA Newsletter “Know the rules” has raised a few questions from members and some umpires!!
Rules regarding the throw of the jack have been modified to speed up the game, so please allow players to play do not encroach in their allocated minute to play their boule.
You can always challenge the validity of the jack before playing your first boule.
Throw of the jack
October rule of the month:
Once the jack is thrown the player has 1 minute to play his/her boule.
Opponents cannot pace the piste to check the validity of the jack they can only contest the validity of the jack before playing their first boule.
Q: Whilst we find your ' know your rules' section informative, your October rule raises a question " How can the jack be marked, if someone has not walked up to it? "
The player who threw the jack or one of his/her team mate can walk up the piste and mark the jack within the minute allocated to play their boule.
Opponents should have one of their team member at the head and mark the jack quickly without interfering with the player about to play their boule.
One has to keep in mind that whilst it is not your turn to play the player (s) must stand in the correct position as per Art 17 of the rules.
“The opponents must remain beyond the jack or behind the player and, in both cases, to the side with regard to the direction of play and at a distance of at least 2 metres the one from the other”.
Hello Andre, reading the recent newsletter made me think about some scenarios. Some questions about the throw of the jack that have been asked of me -
Q: Jack is thrown and marked, the first boule thrown then moves the jack. Opposition still measures and finds that the jack is now 5.95m and in fact the mark was at 5.9m. What happens next?
Jack is not valid and the opponent must place it by hand at a valid distance, the first boule played is replayed by the team who threw the jack first. Marking of the jack is important as the validity of the jack is measured at the mark made in case the jack is moved forward.
Q: Jack is thrown and marked, the first boule thrown then moves the jack. Opposition still measures and finds that the jack is now 6.1m and in fact the mark was at 5.9m. What happens next?
The mark being at 5.90m the jack is not valid and must be placed at valid distance by opponent. When jack is marked it is always measured from the circle to the mark,
Q: Jack is thrown and NOT marked, the first boule thrown then moves the jack. Opposition still measures and finds that the jack is now 5.95m.What happens next?
Jack is not valid as it hasn’t reach the minimum distance of 6 m
Q: Jack is thrown and not marked, the first boule thrown moves the jack, the opponent measures the distance and finds that the jack is now at 6.01 m.
As the jack wasn’t marked you need to measure the new position of the jack and at 6.01m the jack is valid.
State director of umpiring we need to keep on putting message across and explain the rules.
Regards,
Andre Deramond
PFA Chair Umpire Commission
International Umpire
