Chapter One of the TBA Rule Book has been re written to bring it into line with WTBA rules. Rules 108, 109, 110 and 111 define Legal and Illegal deliveries and Dead Balls. In the posts I have read here there is some confusion about those definitions. A Dead Ball does not count as a ball bowled and allows for the delivery to be re bowled, whereas an Illegal Delivery counts as a ball bowled.
RULE 108 PINFALL - LEGAL
1. A ball is legally delivered when it leaves the bowler’s possession and crosses the foul line into playing territory.
2. Every ball delivered by the player will count, unless declared a dead ball.
3. A bowling ball must be delivered entirely by manual means and will not incorporate any device either in the ball or affixed to it which detaches at time of delivery or is a moving part in the ball during delivery except that any person who has had his hand or major portion thereof amputated may use special equipment to aid in grasping and delivering the ball providing the special equipment is in lieu of the amputee’s hand.
4. Where an artificial or medical aid is necessary for grasping and delivering the ball because of any other disability of the hand or arm, permission to use the aid in accredited competition may be granted by TBA under the following conditions:
a. The aid does not incorporate a mechanical device with moving parts which would impart a force impetus to the ball.
b. A description or drawing and model of aid is furnished to TBA.
c. A doctor’s certificate describing the disability together with his recommendation that the aid should be used is furnished to TBA.
If permission is not granted, the claimant will have the right of appeal to TBA. Should permission be granted for the use of an artificial or medical aid, a special identification card (not a TBA membership card) will be issued to the applicant indicating that the aid may be used in accredited competition providing the bowler has a current membership card and the use of the aid is specifically authorised by the league or tournament management.
Permission to use the device may be withdrawn for cause.
5. Following a legal delivery, pins that are to be credited to a player, termed dead wood and to be removed before the next delivery shall include:
a. Pins which are knocked down or off the pin deck by the ball or another pin.
b. Pins which are knocked down or off the pin deck by a pin rebounding from the side partition or rear cushion.
c. Pins which are knocked down or off the pin deck by a pin rebounding from the sweep bar when it is at rest on the pin deck before sweeping dead wood from the pin deck.
d. Pins that lean and touch the kickback or side partitions,
RULE 109 PINFALL - ILLEGAL
1. When any of the following incidents occur the ball counts as a ball rolled, but pins knocked down will not count:
a. When pins are knocked down or displaced by a ball that leaves the lane before reaching the pins.
b. When a ball rebounds from the rear cushion.
c. When pins come in contact with the body, arms or legs of a pin setter and rebound.
d. A standing pin which falls upon removing dead wood.
e. A pin is knocked down by a human pin setter or touched by mechanical pin setting equipment.
f. If in delivering the ball a foul is committed.
g. A delivery is made with dead wood on the lane or in the gutter and the ball contacts such dead wood before leaving the lane surface.
h. Pins knocked down by a ball illegally delivered. Refer Rule 603, Holes.
2. If illegal pinfall occurs and the player is entitled to additional deliveries in the frame, the pin or pins illegally knocked down must be re-spotted where they originally stood.
RULE 110 DEAD BALL
1. A ball will be declared dead if any of the following occur:
a. After a delivery (and before the next delivery on the same lane), attention is immediately called to the fact that one or more pins were missing from the setup.
b. A human pin setter interferes with any standing pin before the ball reaches the pins.
c. A human pin setter removes or interferes with any downed pin before it stops rolling.
d. A player bowls on the wrong lane or out of turn or one player from each team on the pair of lanes bowls on the wrong lane. (refer Rule 113)
e. A player is physically interfered with by another player, spectator, moving object or by the pinsetter as the ball is being delivered and before the delivery is completed. In such case, the player has the option to accept the resulting pinfall or have a dead ball declared.
f. Any pin is moved or knocked down as a player delivers the ball but before the ball reaches the pins.
g. A delivered ball comes in contact with any foreign obstacle, including Bumper Rails (except in Bumper Leagues).
2. When a dead ball is called, the delivery does not count. The pins standing when the dead ball occurred must be re-spotted and the player allowed to re-bowl the delivery.
RULE 111 OTHER PIN ACTIONS
1. When rolling at a full setup it is discovered immediately after the delivery that one or more pins are improperly set, although not missing, the ball and resulting pinfall will be counted. It is each player’s responsibility to determine if the setup is correct. The player will insist that any pins incorrectly set be re-spotted before delivering his ball, otherwise the setup is deemed to be acceptable.
2. No change can be made in the position of any pins left standing after a delivery. That is, pins that are moved or misplaced by a mechanical pinsetter shall remain in the moved or misplaced position and shall not be corrected manually.
3. Pins that rebound and stand on the lane must be counted as standing pins.
4. No pins may be conceded and only those actually knocked down or moved entirely off the playing surface of the lane as a result of the legal delivery of the ball by the player may be counted.
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