When is a bowl dead?

Under Law 17, a bowl is dead if:

• it is not a toucher and comes to rest in the ditch
• it is not a toucher and rebounds onto the rink after hitting the face of the bank, or the jack or a toucher in the ditch
• after its original course, or after being moved by play, it comes to rest less than 14 metres (in a straight line) from the centre of the mat line
• after being moved by play, it passes completely outside the boundaries of the rink
• in its original course, it passes outside a side boundary on a bias that would stop it coming back into the rink
• in its original course, it comes to rest outside a side boundary, even if it is touching the outside edge of a line jack

A bowl is not dead if:

• it is being carried by a player inspecting the head
• in its original course it swings outside a side boundary but comes back and finishes inside the rink
• it is a toucher that rebounds off the bank onto the rink
• it is a toucher that comes to rest on top of the jack or another toucher in the ditch

The skips (or the players in singles) decide as soon as they realise a decision is needed, and ask the umpire if they cannot agree. A dead bowl must be removed from the rink as soon as it is declared dead.