When is a jack dead, and what happens next?

Laws 18 to 21 of the Laws of the Sport of Bowls (Crystal Mark 4th edition). After being moved by a bowl in play, the jack is dead if it:

• passes completely outside the rink boundaries;
• comes to rest in a hollow in the face of the bank; or
• comes to rest less than 20 metres from the centre of the mat line (measured straight to its nearest point).

It is not dead if it stops on top of a toucher in the ditch or on bowls within the rink. A jack knocked into the front ditch within the side boundaries is live; mark it with a white indicator (max 50 mm wide, 100 mm high). A jack driven against the bank that rebounds onto the rink stays in play.

Next: a dead jack makes a dead end. It doesn't count as a completed end and is replayed in the same direction unless both skips agree otherwise, with the same player playing first. The Controlling Body may instead have the jack re-spotted and play continue (law 19.5).

The skips (or singles opponents) decide first; you rule if they disagree. If a marker suspects the jack is under 20 m, you should be called to measure before the next bowl is delivered.