Spares

The Bye team is the spare team for that week. Spares from the bye team can play one position less or lower based on what’s needed and how the team picking up a spare wants to approach it. In other words, if you’re normally a skip, you can play third or less for the team you’re sparing for. The exception is if both skip and third for that team are missing. You can then play skip if that’s what the team picking you up wants to do.

If nobody from the bye team is available to spare that week, you can draw from our spares list. Same rules as before apply. Spares can play lead (or lead/second if 2 players are missing.)

Defaulted games

In previous seasons, a team that defaulted was automatically a loss (2 points.) This season, if your team doesn’t have at least 2 regular members, the game will be automatically considered a loss(1 point.) You can still play the game. Draw from spares or maybe make up something fun like a game of mixed-doubles or something like that. It’s up to the 2 teams involved. If you have at least 2 regular team members, the game is played with spares and results count (4 points for a win, 2 points for a loss.)

2 reasons for this change. First, we’re allowing couples on the same team. Second, we don’t want you there if you’re sick. Your team shouldn’t be punished if you’re doing the right thing and staying home.

Positions

Positions are loosely chosen based on seniority in the league and player ability and/or willingness. Before the beginning of the season, the president(s) chose who plays what positions. They normally solicit others’ advice.

The unwritten rule is if you were a skip the year before, you’ll be a skip this year (unless you don’t want to be.) Same goes for third, and second. Players may move up a position or two if someone steps away. Most years, 1 or 2 skips “retire” allowing for someone else to get a chance at it. We’ll normally see 1 to 3 new thirds, and so on. Unfortunately, there are years when we don’t have a lot of movement. It would be nice if everyone gets to play the position they desire but impossible to please everyone. Also, there are a few players who don’t want to move “up” to a different position.

A balanced curling team will have a lead who is good with weight and sweeping, a second who has weight control, can sweep, and has a decent take out, a third that has all the shots as well as the ability to throw under more difficult situations, and a skip who has all those things and the ability and experience to call the game and judge players’ abilities on his/her team and their opponents team. This is what is taken into consideration when we need to chose who moves to a different position after seniority has been established. (As well as their willingness to move “up” of course)

Once player positions are decided, skips pick players’ names out of a hat. Teams are picked completely at random. There may be adjustments made but we try to avoid it if at all possible. Team selection has been traditionally done right after our fun day (first Sunday after Thanksgiving.)

The above was how teams were traditionally chosen in previous seasons. The president chose teams for 2024-2025 season.

Traditions

Curling is a game of etiquette – a game is preceded by a handshake. Each game is started with a coin toss whereby the winner usually picks to go last. 

After each game, another handshake and then the two teams sit with each other for some good banter and cheer. Traditionally, the winning team buys a drink for the opposing team (skip buys for skip, third for third, and so on) then the losing team reciprocates. This is a tradition only. It is not a rule and you will not be pressured into it. The only “rule” is if someone buys you a drink, please reciprocate. We do however encourage you to sit with the opposing team if you’re staying after the game. It makes for a more social experience.

Etiquette

1. Be on time
2. Arrange for a spare as soon as possible if applicable
3. Keep the ice clean
4. Handshake before and after
5. Compliment a good shot. One of the nicest curling traditions is that players compliment a good shot by either side while not remarking on a poor shot or a competitors misfortune.
6. Be ready. Take your position in the hack as soon as your opponent has delivered his/her stone. Keep the game moving: delays detract from the sport. Be prepared to sweep as soon as your teammate releases the rock. Don’t be caught off guard and have to run after the stone.
7. Be courteous
8. Be safe

As a rule…

1. Remove outer footwear when arriving at the club. There is a cloak/boot room near the entrance.
2. Minimum 3 players per team to start the game. At least two players must be regular team members for that team.
3. Thirds from both teams agree on the score at the end of each end and to mark the score sheet at the end of the game.
4. The delivery rotation declared by a team prior to the start of a game shall be followed throughout that game. Exceptions can be made. Example; a game is already a blow out and to make it fun, switch a lead to skip. As long as it isn’t done to gain an advantage in the game to improve your standings. (Try to maintain the spirit of the sport)
5. Try to get 8 ends in. As well as item 6 in the Etiquette section, we ask that teams don’t fuss over too many shots. Try to decide quickly on what your next shot will be. Keep those long discussions for when it’s really important in the game. It’s like golf; Nobody wants to follow a slow player. Just sayin’.
6. A win is 4 points, a tie is 3, and a loss is 2.
7. Sweepers should ensure they walk back along the sidelines so as not to inhibit the next opposition thrower. Be still when the opposition team is delivering their rock.
8. A skip or third standing the house should keep still and avoid doing anything which would disturb the concentration of the opposing player in the hack.
9. BE ALERT – stop rocks before they leave your sheet.

Five-rock rule

Teams are not permitted to eliminate their opponent’s rocks that are sitting in the free guard zone until five stones have been played in every end. Players can still hit the guards; they just aren’t allowed to knock them out of play. This is a change in recent rules in that the free guard zone was only in effect for the first four stones.

In a case where a rock is eliminated while being protected under the five-rock rule, the eliminated stone will be placed back where it was and the offending rock will be eliminated from play.

It doesn’t happen very often and is usually inadvertent.

History of the free guard zone rule

Touched Moving Stones rules (burnt rock)

1. Before the second Hog line: the offending team must remove the rock immediately
2. After the second Hog line: all rocks must come to rest and non-offending team decides:
   • Replace everything as it was before the violation and remove the thrown stone, or
   • Leave everything as is, where they came to rest, or
   • Place everything as they believe it would have happened had a stone not been touched.