A wrong-bias delivery happens when a bowler sets the bowl with its biased side facing the opposite way from the intended hand. Instead of curving back towards the jack, it often curves away and may leave the rink. It is an easy mistake when changing between forehand and backhand; it does not mean the bowl itself is defective.
Why does the bowl turn away?
Unlike the jack, a lawn bowl follows a curved path. The marked side helps the player orient its bias. Belmont Park Bowling Club’s terminology guide describes wrong bias as putting the biased side opposite to the desired position for a delivery. If the bowl heads away from the target, first check the orientation you chose, then check line and weight. Our forehand and backhand guide explains how the two hands change the route.
What happens to a wrong-bias bowl?
The bowl is not automatically replayed because the player made a mistake. Its eventual position and the applicable laws determine whether it remains live or becomes dead. If it travels into a neighbouring rink, do not chase it across players’ deliveries or disturb a head. Bowls Victoria explains the options for an encroaching bowl and says a stopped bowl on wrong bias is not returned for replay under the neighbouring-rink provision. Ask the umpire or controlling body if the position or ruling is uncertain.
A ten-second check before delivery
Name the hand you intend to play and picture the arc back to the jack.
Check the bowl’s side marking with your eyes or fingers.
Set your feet and aiming line, then look once more at the target.
Deliver only when the adjacent rink is clear.
Practise this sequence on both hands until it feels routine. A fixed check is more useful than trying to remember which side was right on the previous end, because the direction of play reverses. For a broader repeatable sequence, see our pre-shot routine.
Sources: World Bowls sport introduction; Belmont Park Bowling Club terminology; Bowls Victoria explanation of neighbouring-rink bowls.
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