Young at Heart Curling League – 2005-2006

General Rules of Curling:

Curling Etiquette & Procedures:

1. Curlers must wear clean, appropriate footwear that won't damage or affect quality of playing surface.

2. No food, refreshments or tobacco products are permitted on the ice surface.

3. Curling games should begin and end with all opposing players individually shaking hands.

4. At the start of each game, opposing mates will toss a coin to decide last rock advantage for first end.

5. Always be ready when it is your turn to deliver a rock.

6. When opposing team is delivering stand well to the side of the sheet and between the hog lines

so as to not distract them in any way.

7. Only Skips & Mates are allowed to congregate behind the tee line. They should remain still and

ensure their brooms are not on the ice when the opposition is preparing to throw.

8. At the conclusion of an end, all players should remain outside of the rings until

the opposing mates have agreed on the score.

9. Be very careful when pushing stones into the corners in preparation for the next end.

Ensure that all players are made aware of any stone being pushed in their direction.

Position of Players:

Members of the non-delivering team:

(a) Only the skip and the Mate may stand behind the tee line at the playing end when the opposing team is delivering a stone, and they shall yield choice of position to the delivering team. Both players shall be motionless with their brooms positioned in a manner not to interfere or distract the attention of the player who is delivering.

(b) The player whose turn is next to deliver a stone may take stationary position by the backboard at the delivering end and to the side of the sheet. The player must remain silent and motionless when the delivering team player is delivering.

(c) All other players shall position themselves between the hog lines and to the extreme sides of the sheet when the opposing team is delivering a stone.

(d) The non-delivering team members shall not take any position or cause such motion that would obstruct, interfere with or distract the delivering team To remedy a violation the non-interfering team may replace all affected stones as close as possible to their original position and re-deliver the stone prior to the opposition delivering their next stone.

Members of the Delivering Team:

Only the skip or mate shall be positioned behind the hog line of the playing end while a stone is being delivered and shall have choice of position. To remedy a violation the non-offending team may allow the play to stand or remove the stone just delivered from play and replace all affected stones as close as possible to their original positions.

Displaced Stationary Stones:

A stationary stone shall not be displaced by a player or that player’s equipment nor shall a player cause a stone to be displaced by an opposing player or that player’s equipment.

A stationary stone shall not be displaced by a delivered stone or stone(s) set in motion that deflects from a divider or a stationary stone on an adjacent sheet. This is the responsibility of the delivering team.

Touched Delivered Stone or Stone(s) Set in Motion:

A delivered stone or stone(s) set in motion shall not be touched by any player or that player’s equipment nor shall he/she cause the stone to be touched by an opposing player or that player’s equipment.

To remedy a violation the delivered stone or stone(s) set in motion and all affected stones shall come to rest before any action is taken. The non-offending team may:

Allow the play to stand,

Remove the touched delivered stone or stone(s) set in motion from play and replace all affected stones as close as possible to their original position, or

Place the touched delivered stone or stone(s) set in motion and all stones it would have affected where they would have come to rest had the violation not occurred.

Sweeping or Brushing:

Between the tee lines, all members of the delivering team may sweep/brush any of their stones that have been delivered or set in motion by their team’s delivered stone.

Only the skip or mate of the non-delivering team may sweep/brush their team’s stone(s) after it is set in motion by a stone of the delivering team.

Behind the Tee Line, only one player from each team may sweep/brush at one time. This may be the skip or mate of either team or the lead or second of the delivering team.

Interpretation: The only time a lead or second of the delivering team may sweep/brush behind the tee line is when sweeping/brushing his/her team’s delivered stone or any stone set in motion by his/her team’s delivered stone.

Behind the tee line , each team shall have first privilege of sweeping/brushing its own stone. If the choice is not to sweep/brush, the team shall not obstruct or prevent its opponent from sweeping/brushing the stone.

An opponent’s stone shall not be swept/brushed until it reaches the further tee line and shall only be swept/brushed behind the tee line.

To remedy a violation the non-offending team may allow the play to stand or place the stone and all stones affected where they would have likely have come to rest had the sweeping violation not occurred.

The sweeping/brushing motion shall be from side to side.

The sweeping/brushing motion shall not leave any debris in front of a delivered stone or stone set in motion.

The final sweeping/brushing motion shall finish to either side of the delivered stone or stone set in motion.

Free Guard Zone Rule

According to the Canadian Curling Association,

Any stationary stone[s] belonging to the opposition that is located in the free guard zone shall not be moved to an out-of-play position by the delivering team prior to the delivery of the 5th stone of the end.

Scoring:

A team scores one point for each stone that is nearer the tee than any stone of the opposing team.

An end shall be considered as decided when the skips or mates in charge of the house at the time agree upon the score for that end.

If a stone is displaced prior to the skips or mates determining the score, the team displacing shall forfeit the point(s) involved.

Measuring:

Measurements shall be takin from the tee to the nearest part of the stone.

Interpretation: Because stones may vary in width, measurements may not be taken from the tee to the farther part of the stone.

No physical device to aid the visual may be used for measuring prior to the last stone delivered in the end coming to rest. Except that the fixed rod can be used to determine whether a rock is in or is not in the free guard zone prior to subsequent rocks being delivered.

If two stones are so close to the tee that a measuring device cannot be used, and if a visual comparison by the official cannot determine which stone is closer, the two stones shall be declared tied with neither stone counting in the end.

Spares & Substitutes:

Players unable to play on the designated date must let the skip know well in advance so that a suitable replacement can be found.

Skips should only play as skips and mates should not play as leads or seconds.

First attempt at finding a replacement must be made by calling names on the spare list.

If nobody is available from the spare list (or there isn’t enough time to contact someone)

then a player from an existing team can be contacted provided the above rule is followed.

A team can not have more than one skip playing and mates should not play lead or second.

If a player will be absent for 3 or more consecutive games,

a suitable replacement approved by the committee can serve as a regular member of the team.