The jack can be moved by the bowls during play.  When a bowl moves the jack it is left in the new position provided it remains within the rink boundary markers.  It can also be pushed in the ditch by a bowl.  In this case it remains in the ditch and the players must try to play their bowls as close as possible to the jack, at the edge of the green, without falling into the ditch.

A bowl which moves the jack is marked with chalk and classed as a ‘toucher’.  If it touches the jack before falling into the ditch it stays there, remains ‘live’ and may feature in the final shot count.

A ‘toucher’ that remains on the rink and is later driven into the ditch by another bowl is also a ‘live’ bowl.

The position of both ‘touchers’ and the jack when ‘live’ in the ditch are shown by markers placed at their position on the top of the ditch.

A bowl that goes into the ditch and that has not touched the jack is classed as being ‘dead’ and it is removed.

All bowls which finish outside the side boundaries of the rink are ‘dead’.

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