A bowl clips the jack, rolls another metre and drops into the ditch. Is it still in the end? If it was a toucher, it may be. That one word explains one of the most useful exceptions in lawn bowls.
What makes a bowl a toucher?
A toucher is a bowl that touches the jack during its original course on the rink. It does not have to stop beside the jack. The contact can be light, and the bowl may continue through the head after touching it.
A bowl does not become a new toucher by contacting a jack that is already in the ditch. The important moment is contact with the jack during the bowl's original journey on the green.
Why are touchers marked?
Players or the marker should mark a toucher as soon as it comes to rest, normally with chalk or an approved spray. The mark gives everyone a quick visual record if the bowl is later driven into the ditch.
If marking the bowl immediately could disturb another bowl, the rules provide ways to identify it until it can be marked safely. In casual play, the best habit is still simple: call the toucher clearly and make sure both sides know which bowl it is.
What happens in the ditch?
An ordinary non-toucher that comes to rest in the ditch is dead and is removed from play. A toucher can remain live in the ditch when it finishes within the boundaries of the rink of play. Its position should be indicated so players can include it when deciding the score.
This creates some dramatic ends. A toucher in the ditch can still be shot, and a jack in the ditch can still be live. When comparing a bowl on the green with a jack or toucher in the ditch, use the measuring method and equipment required by the Laws and local conditions.
Three toucher mistakes to avoid
Assuming every bowl near the jack is a toucher. It must actually contact the jack in its original course.
Forgetting to mark it. The chalk mark prevents confusion after later bowls move the head.
Removing it from the ditch automatically. Check whether it is a marked toucher and still within the rink boundaries.
See the whole head before you call it
Touchers make close heads more interesting because the scoring bowl may not be on the green at all. WGTS gives players a shared camera-assisted view of the bowls and jack during everyday play. Download it from the App Store or Google Play, and use an official measure whenever your competition requires one.
Rules note: domestic regulations and conditions of play can add procedures, so check the current guidance for your event.