Registration:
Teams are to be registered and paid prior to the start of the curling season. For the 2024 / 2025 season, the registration process requires each player to acknowledge the Curling Canada Waiver via their individual league registration on line.
As this is a Mixed League, teams are to have at least two guys and two gals registered. Up to six players can be registered on one team.
All players are to be registered as Members via the Springbank Curling Club webpage (springbankcurling.com).
For 2024 / 2025, spares are to comply with the same process as registered members by completing the Curling Canada Waiver. Spares can sign up as Social Members to facilitate this process.
Preparing to Play:
Please enter the curling rink lobby through the main (internal) SPFAS facility doors, which should aid in keeping the lobby floor (especially near the door to the curling rink) cleaner. The external lobby doors near the curling rink door will be locked from the outside and will be for exit only.
There are cubbies and lockers available in the curling lobby to store your shoes, etc. while you are playing. Please use these cubbies and lockers to keep the lobby area clear.
“Boot boys” are located near the entrance to the ice surface. Please use them to clean your footwear before going out to the ice area. Also, make sure your equipment is in good condition (sliders are not too worn, brooms are clean) as this helps with the quality of the ice. New this season for those without their own equipment - please note if you intend to use one a slider provided by the facility, all such sliders are now step-ons and those with elasticated straps have been withdrawn. This is to facilitate pace of play.
The Ice Staff need time to clean, pebble and clip the ice between each draw. Please give them the time and space they need to do their job efficiently. Do not go onto the ice for stretching or practice slides until your sheet is ready for play.
Thirds / Vice shall use an agreed upon method for determining which team get the hammer for the first end (coin flip, virtual coin flip, rock-paper-scissors, etc.)
Draw Times:
For the Thursday Night Mixed League, draw times are 7PM and 9:15PM. Please arrive early enough to be ready to start on time.
Pace of Play:
Watch your pace of play. An eight end game can be completed in 2 hours if players are in the hack and ready to throw when their turn comes. When your team’s delivered stone comes to rest, turn the sheet over to the opposition as soon as possible. Ensure you are out of the way of the delivering team so they can call their shot and deliver their stone. Games that move quickly have the added bonus of keeping all players focused, and increasing your “lounge time”.
Pace of Play information per Curling Canada guidelines will be posted in the curling club lobby.
New buzzer rule:
A buzzer will sound 95 minutes after the start of the draw – 8:35 for the 7PM draw and 10:50 for the 9:15PM draw. When the buzzer sounds, you may complete the end you are on and play one more end. The end is complete when the Thirds / Vice agree on the score. If you have just started an end when the buzzer sounds, consider whether or not you realistically have time to complete two ends – remember that the Ice Staff needs time to do their job, and finishing late pushes the next draw back too.
It is a good practice to confirm how many ends are left in the game with the opposing skip when you hear the buzzer.
Team Structure:
The Thursday Night Mixed League is intended to be a true mixed league, with two players of each gender throwing in alternate order (i.e. either MFMF or FMFM). Alternative line ups can be used in exceptional circumstances, with buy in from the opposing team. Spares should play lead or second positions. Note: if for whatever reason you end up with 3 men or 3 women e.g. due to sickness, the skip and third MUST be opposite genders and ideally you should avoid playing 3 people of the same gender in consecutive positions. For example, the following line-ups are valid (from skip to lead): MFMM, FMFF.
This is primarily a recreation league so we need to have a balance between fair application of the guidelines and the ability to play the games on schedule, avoid forfeits, etc.
Playing the Game:
We follow the Curling Canada’s “Rules of Curling for General Play”, which can be found here: https://www.curling.ca/about-the-sport-of-curling/getting-started-in-curling/rules-of-curling-for-general-play/.
The 5 rock rule is being used, which means any stationary stone(s) belonging to the opposition located in the Free Guard Zone shall not be removed from play by the delivering team prior to the delivery of the sixth stone of the end.
Please avoid kneeling on the ice or placing your hands on the ice after delivering a rock for any longer than necessary (ideally not at all!), as doing so creates issues with maintaining clean ice for the ice techs.
Concluding the Game:
When the last end is complete please return the stones to the home end of the rink. Collect your equipment and vacate the ice area so the Ice Staff can do their job, and the teams for the next draw can prepare.
Game scores can be entered on-line using the link provided, or can be emailed to [email protected].
Any questions, suggestions, or concerns can be address to Stewart Brightman (Springbank Thursday Night Mixed League Coordinator) at[email protected].
GOOD CURLING, AND HAVE FUN!