Role of the Vice Skip
1. As with the LEAD, remember your SKIP is in charge. You must try to follow the SKIPS instructions on the delivery direction and placement of your bowls.
2. Identify your team bowls at the start of the game. Make sure you have a chalk marker and a measure with you.
3. Possession of the rink: remember when your teammate's bowl has come to rest, you should immediately retire behind the head and make no observations of the head, or relate any changes that might have taken place. Remain quiet, your opponents now possess the rink.
4. After completing delivery and the exchange of ends, your function is to report (signal) when asked by the SKIP specific information regarding the position of the bowls in the head.
5. Know your SKIP...ask him in advance if he wants any special help.
6. Always use shoulder/thigh slaps rather than fingers for up or down.
7. If what you consider to be a dangerous situation has developed in the head, do not hesitate to motion your SKIP to come take a look.
8. All players at the head end are to stand at least 6 feet behind the jack, except the director in possession of the rink. All players at the head end of the rink shall remain motionless until the bowl has been delivered.
9. You will chalk-mark all touchers either before the next bowl is delivered or before the next bowl in course comes to rest. You will remove chalk from your opponents bowl when it is not a toucher. Remove any bowls from the Ditch which are non-touchers and guard the Front Ditch to prevent entry of a non-toucher bowl which may disturb the position of the Jack or one or more touchers in the ditch.
10. You must prevent any disturbance of the head by an outside object or by a dead bowl from another rink.
11. When an end is completed with all bowls delivered, it is the responsibility of both VICES to determine the score count of that particular end. Never signal the resulting score to your SKIP until all measurements needed have been made and you and your opponent have mutually agreed. When measuring for a multiple count, it can be helpful to place the bowls already measured on a wiping cloth to avoid confusion or possible re-count of a bowl previously measured.
12. The score should be kept by both teams. The SKIP keeps the score.
13. Both VICES will aid the LEAD raking the bowls at the conclusion of an end by kicking in bowls to more or less group them so as to make raking easier on both the LEAD and the green.
SOME DO’S AND DON'TS FOR PLAYING THE POSITION OF VICE
DO’S
1. Become familiar with the bowls of the people on your team even before the first bowl is delivered.
2. Inform your skip if a change takes place in the count of the head, but only when you have control of the mat and the rink.
3. Call your skip to the head when you are in control of the rink if there is a special circumstance that he should be aware of.
4. If your opponent is measuring for a point, watch carefully to see that it is being done correctly with the proper angle, no sagging of the tape, without moving the jack or the bowl, etc.
5. Get the permission of your opponent before you move any bowl that you are claiming as a point. When you do remove a point bowl, place it on a towel to make the final count more accurate.
6. If you are claiming a point but your opponent does not agree, don’t argue, just have him/her measure immediately.
7. Before you signal your skip on the point count, be sure your opponent has agreed to the same number.
8. If your team has won the end, pick up the jack and give it to your lead before the bowls are raked.
9. After each end, help kick the bowls into line to make it easier for the lead to rake.
10. If your team has lost the end, record the score after helping kick the bowls into line.
DON’TS
1. Don’t move when any player is on the mat and is ready to bowl.
2. When the opposing team has control of the mat and rink and one of the opposing team members is on the mat, do not approach the head or try to communicate with your skip.
3. Do not tell your skip what to do. If your skip wants advice or information, he/she should ask for it.
4. Do not volunteer to your opposing vice how many points his/her team has. He/she should state the number of points he/she thinks his/her team has, then you either agree or disagree with his/her claim.
5. Do not move any bowl or the jack until you are sure the last bowl has been delivered and the final count of points has been agreed upon. A good way to tell that all bowls have been delivered is to watch for the skips picking up the mat at the other end of the rink.
6. Do not socialize or wander off while the game is being played. A good team player stays focused on the play of everyone on his or her rink.
1. As with the LEAD, remember your SKIP is in charge. You must try to follow the SKIPS instructions on the delivery direction and placement of your bowls.
2. Identify your team bowls at the start of the game. Make sure you have a chalk marker and a measure with you.
3. Possession of the rink: remember when your teammate's bowl has come to rest, you should immediately retire behind the head and make no observations of the head, or relate any changes that might have taken place. Remain quiet, your opponents now possess the rink.
4. After completing delivery and the exchange of ends, your function is to report (signal) when asked by the SKIP specific information regarding the position of the bowls in the head.
5. Know your SKIP...ask him in advance if he wants any special help.
6. Always use shoulder/thigh slaps rather than fingers for up or down.
7. If what you consider to be a dangerous situation has developed in the head, do not hesitate to motion your SKIP to come take a look.
8. All players at the head end are to stand at least 6 feet behind the jack, except the director in possession of the rink. All players at the head end of the rink shall remain motionless until the bowl has been delivered.
9. You will chalk-mark all touchers either before the next bowl is delivered or before the next bowl in course comes to rest. You will remove chalk from your opponents bowl when it is not a toucher. Remove any bowls from the Ditch which are non-touchers and guard the Front Ditch to prevent entry of a non-toucher bowl which may disturb the position of the Jack or one or more touchers in the ditch.
10. You must prevent any disturbance of the head by an outside object or by a dead bowl from another rink.
11. When an end is completed with all bowls delivered, it is the responsibility of both VICES to determine the score count of that particular end. Never signal the resulting score to your SKIP until all measurements needed have been made and you and your opponent have mutually agreed. When measuring for a multiple count, it can be helpful to place the bowls already measured on a wiping cloth to avoid confusion or possible re-count of a bowl previously measured.
12. The score should be kept by both teams. The SKIP keeps the score.
13. Both VICES will aid the LEAD raking the bowls at the conclusion of an end by kicking in bowls to more or less group them so as to make raking easier on both the LEAD and the green.
SOME DO’S AND DON'TS FOR PLAYING THE POSITION OF VICE
DO’S
1. Become familiar with the bowls of the people on your team even before the first bowl is delivered.
2. Inform your skip if a change takes place in the count of the head, but only when you have control of the mat and the rink.
3. Call your skip to the head when you are in control of the rink if there is a special circumstance that he should be aware of.
4. If your opponent is measuring for a point, watch carefully to see that it is being done correctly with the proper angle, no sagging of the tape, without moving the jack or the bowl, etc.
5. Get the permission of your opponent before you move any bowl that you are claiming as a point. When you do remove a point bowl, place it on a towel to make the final count more accurate.
6. If you are claiming a point but your opponent does not agree, don’t argue, just have him/her measure immediately.
7. Before you signal your skip on the point count, be sure your opponent has agreed to the same number.
8. If your team has won the end, pick up the jack and give it to your lead before the bowls are raked.
9. After each end, help kick the bowls into line to make it easier for the lead to rake.
10. If your team has lost the end, record the score after helping kick the bowls into line.
DON’TS
1. Don’t move when any player is on the mat and is ready to bowl.
2. When the opposing team has control of the mat and rink and one of the opposing team members is on the mat, do not approach the head or try to communicate with your skip.
3. Do not tell your skip what to do. If your skip wants advice or information, he/she should ask for it.
4. Do not volunteer to your opposing vice how many points his/her team has. He/she should state the number of points he/she thinks his/her team has, then you either agree or disagree with his/her claim.
5. Do not move any bowl or the jack until you are sure the last bowl has been delivered and the final count of points has been agreed upon. A good way to tell that all bowls have been delivered is to watch for the skips picking up the mat at the other end of the rink.
6. Do not socialize or wander off while the game is being played. A good team player stays focused on the play of everyone on his or her rink.
A Sport for a lifetime!