A good delivery should finish in balance, but it must also begin and end in a legal position. The foot-fault rule is short, practical and easy to build into your routine.
The rule in plain English
Before delivery, a player must be standing on the mat with all or part of at least one foot on it. At the moment the jack or bowl is delivered, all or part of one foot must be on or above the mat.
The words or above matter. Your foot does not need to be planted flat at the instant of release, but some part of one foot must still be vertically over the mat. A player using an approved wheelchair follows the equivalent requirement with one wheel.
What does a foot fault look like?
The most common foot fault happens when a long step carries the back foot completely beyond the front or side of the mat before the bowl leaves the hand. It can also happen when a player begins beside the mat rather than with part of a foot on it.
Crossing the mat line after the bowl has left your hand is not the same issue. The legal test is your position before delivery and at the moment of release.
What happens after a foot fault?
Under the current World Bowls process, the first decision by the umpire results in a warning. On later occasions, the bowl is stopped and declared dead. If it cannot be stopped and disturbs the head, the opponent has options that can include replacing the head, leaving it as altered or declaring the end dead.
That is a significant penalty for something that is usually preventable with a small adjustment.
How to stay legal without losing rhythm
Set the mat square to your chosen line and take the same starting position every time.
Keep your first movement compact. A controlled step is easier to repeat than a reach.
Release the bowl beside the leading foot instead of holding it late.
Ask a coach or teammate to watch from the side; the delivery can feel legal even when the rear foot has already drifted away.
Practise slowly until the foot position becomes automatic, then add normal pace.
A steady routine leads to clearer heads
Good footwork protects your delivery; a clear result protects the end. When the final bowls are close, WGTS can give everyone a shared camera-assisted view in everyday play. Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Rules note: use the current Laws, domestic regulations and conditions of play for the competition you are entering.