SUBSTITUTE PLAYERS – BOWLS NEW ZEALAND REGULATIONS

UPDATED JUNE 2025

If a team requires a Substitute player please read the Bowls New Zealand Regulation below and follow the process of Bowls Southland as follows:

  • Prior to fixture – Team member to contact Bowls Southland, who in turn will contact the Bowls Southland Management Committee
  • Day of the fixture – Team member to contact the Tournament Controller, who in turn will contact the Bowls Southland Management Committee


Definition of a Substitute:

  1. A player who is appointed to take the place of a team member who is unavailable to play at any time for any reason.

Original Team:

  1. An Original Team comprises the players who are members of the team when the jack is delivered in the first end of the first game to be played by that team in a competition. The composition of the team may change up until this point and not be considered to have made a substitution.
  2. In a pathway competition, the Original Team is the team members who started the first end in the first stage of the competition.

Pathway Competition:

  1. Any competition where an Original Team commences play
  1. in a club level competition where the winner progresses to play in a centre level ‘Champion of Champions’ competition with the winner progressing to play in the National ‘Champion of Champions’ competition, or
  2. at a centre level competition where the winner progresses to play in the National ‘Champion of Champions’ competition.
    1. The progression of a team to the next pathway level is based on the team winning the prior level competition and therefore earning the right to contest the next level competition. Each pathway level competition has its own Controlling Body responsible for managing the provisions of this Regulation for their respective competition within the pathway.
    2. A Pathway Competition is one continuous competition starting at either the club or centre level and finishing at the national level. Across all levels, multiple substitutes may be approved by the respective competition Controlling Body across the duration of the competition. However, the composition of any team must always be in line with the provisions outlined in this Regulation.
    3. Bowls NZ retains the right to identify specific pathway competitions where the provisions of the Original Team requirement will be exempt to accommodate changes in team members before the start of each pathway competition. This exemption will be identified in the Conditions of Play of the competition.


Introducing a Substitute

2.1        For domestic play, a substitute is a player who is either temporarily or permanently replacing an absent team member during a game or competition.

2.2         The Controlling Body will decide on the eligibility of a substitute. For a Pathway Competition, this is the Controlling Body of the competition where the substitute is required. If no eligible substitute is available or the use of a substitute is not approved by the Controlling Body, Law 32.6 applies.

2.3         The following requirements apply for introducing a substitute:

  1. The substitute must play in any position other than Skip. The other members of the team can rearrange their positions as necessary.
  2. A Substitute may be permitted into a team at any stage during a game or throughout a competition. Substitutes introduced after the game has commenced must play in the same position as the player being substituted, except if that position is Skip. In subsequent games in the same competition, the position of players may be rearranged, however a substitute must not play in the position of Skip.
  3. A Fours Team may contain up to two substitutes at any time during a competition, alongside two members of the Original Team.
  4. A Triples Team may contain one substitute at any time during a competition, alongside two members of the Original Team.
  5. A Pairs Team may contain one substitute at any time during a competition, alongside one member of the Original Team.
  6. A substitute is not permitted in any Singles game, except in a side game, where a substitute may be permitted. If a substitute in singles is required in a side game, the substitute must be a member of one of the teams in the side. Members of the side can re-arrange their positions as necessary. 
  7. If the player for which the substitute was replacing later becomes available, the player shall with the consent of the Controlling Body, rejoin the team in the same position as the player being replaced at the completion of any end. The team can only rearrange their positions at the completion of that game for subsequent games.  

2.4         A substitute approved by the Controlling Body shall be:

  1. Of playing ability equal to, or less than, the absent team member, based on current playing ability, playing experience and record
  2. A player who satisfies the eligibility requirements for team members in the Conditions of Play.

Where it is not possible to satisfy the above requirements, the Controlling Body may appoint any suitable player to act as substitute.

2.5         The awarding of a trophy, financial reward, or other acknowledgement of winning a competition to a substitute in the winning team shall be the prerogative of the Controlling Body.

2.6         The team members of a team (including any substitute within the team) which wins a pathway level competition should be nominated and entered into the next pathway level competition.

2.7        Except where 1.7 (above) provides an exemption for a pathway competition, the players that were competing on the green when a stage of any pathway competition is won shall be the players that will make up the team that competes in the subsequent stage of the pathway competition.