Rules

RULES AND CONDITIONS OF PLAY

MEMBERS

• Members are persons who are registered for regular league play, and are in good standing with all league fees levied by the Club.
• Members must uphold the practice of fair play and sportsmanship.

NEW MEMBERS

• New (first-year) Members are not guaranteed to return as regular league players the following year should space be unavailable because of returning Members.
• Once returning Members are placed, new Member openings will be filled first by spares and Members who have been away for only one year, depending on available positions required for regular league play.
• Only persons eligible to play under the current Nisei Membership rules (as outlined in the Vancouver Nisei Curling Club Constitution) can be considered to become new Members.
• A past Member whose Member status has lapsed because he or she has not been a regular league player for more than one year, and who is eligible under the current Nisei Membership rules (as outlined in the Vancouver Nisei Curling Club Constitution), is considered to be a new Member when he or she returns as a regular league player.

REGULAR LEAGUE POSITIONS

• At the beginning of each season, Members, including new Members, are seeded by ability first, and seniority second, as determined by the Executive Council and Advisory Committee.
• Requests to move up, or down, positions will be considered; however, it is up to the Executive Council and Advisory Committee to make final determinations.
• Members returning after a one-year absence (only) get priority placement.
• If, at the beginning of a new season, a Member is seeded in, and accepts, a higher position than previously played, the Member assumes complete responsibility for that position (e.g., if a player who played Second the previous season starts off a new season as the regular Third, then he or she will have to skip the team should the Skip be absent).
• The only exceptions to the above are with a first-year Lead (a first-year Lead does not have to move up to Second if another player is absent) and in cases where a player would have to move up two positions (in which case a player would have the option to move up two positions if he or she agrees to; however, if he or she does not want to, then a spare will be arranged).
• Once a player accepts his or her regular league position at the beginning of a season, he or she cannot change that regular league position (unless in situations where a spare is playing on the team).

SPLIT POSITIONS

• Split-position Members are considered full Members with all associated rights.
• All split-position players must declare their regular-league weekly schedule to the Spare Convenor before the start of the season. They can divide the dates in any manner as long as the number of games played by each is equal (give or take one game if there are an odd number of regular-league games). Once set, the split-position schedule cannot be altered.
• If a split-position player cannot play his or her scheduled game (be it a regular-league game or a playoff game), a spare must be arranged by the Spare Convenor. The other split-position player cannot spare for his or her own team, or spare for a team playing against his or her own team (however, he or she can spare for another team if arranged to do so by the Spare Convenor).
• For the playoffs following the regular-league games, all split-position players must alternate games. It is up to the split-position players to determine who goes first, and this information must be declared to the Spare Convenor before the start of the playoffs.

TEAMS

• Teams are determined prior to the start of the season by a draw conducted by the current Executive Council and, if requested, the current Advisory Committee.
• A minimum of one female and one male player will be assigned to each team, i.e., no team will be composed of four players of the same sex.
• Individuals cannot curl together on the same team two years in a row (if possible).
• Family members may be on the same team (however, the provision above still applies).
• Possible conflict between particular players may be considered under exceptional circumstances by the Executive Council when creating teams.
• Discretionary player placements may be made by the Executive Council to ensure no one team is exceptionally strong or weak.

GAMES

• Any dispute should be directed to a member of the Executive Council (or Advisory Committee, should there be no Executive Council members present) for resolution prior to the commencement, or resumption, of play.
• Games will be played to the bell. When the bell goes, finish that end and play one more. An end is considered over when the last rock has come to rest.
• In case of a tie, a draw to the button with sweeping will be played as a tie-breaker.
• The five-rock free guard zone rule applies.
• Two points are awarded to the winner of a game; the loser of a tie-breaker (draw to the button with sweepers) will be awarded one point. No points will be given to the loser of a non-tie-breaker game.
• Games are to start at the scheduled time. A team that is late will be penalized one point for every 10 minutes. First rock is to be played by the late team. If a team is more than half an hour late, the game is defaulted to the team ready to play.
• All games must be played on their scheduled date. Exceptions may be permitted by the Executive Council.
• Regular-league play will be a round-robin format with each team playing all other teams once. Additional tie-breaking games may be necessary to determine the Grand Aggregate Champion.
• The playoffs will be a round-robin format with teams placed into various boxes according to team standings after regular-league play (see Procedure to Establish Final Regular-League and Playoff Standings). Teams will play all other teams within their box only. The number of teams in each box and the playoff schedule is to be determined according to ice availability.
• The format of play is subject to change by an Executive Council decision if required.

SPARES

• All spares must be eligible to play under the current Nisei Membership rules (as outlined in the Vancouver Nisei Curling Club Constitution).
• The Spare Convenor will set and post the deadline for spare requests at the beginning of each season.
• Exceptions to the set deadline are at the discretion of the Spare Convenor.
• There is a maximum of two spares allowed per team.
• All spares are arranged by the Spare Convenor.
• Under no circumstances are Members permitted to arrange their own spares.
• Spare requests will be filled as they are requested (i.e., in the order in which they were received).
• All reasonable effort will be made by the Spare Convenor to ensure a team does not have to default.
• Members on teams with a bye will be asked first to spare before other spares are called.
• If the sole female (or male) player on a team requires a spare, all reasonable effort will be made to find a female (or male) spare; however, if that is not possible, a team is permitted to curl with four players of the same sex.
• Spares will always curl Lead (or Second, should two spares be required) unless he or she is a “long term” spare (see below); or, in the case of an absent Skip and Third, where the Second does not agree to move up two positions, a spare Skip may be arranged by the Spare Convenor; or, in the case of an absent Third and Second, where the Lead does not agree to move up two positions, a spare Third may be arranged by the Spare Convenor; or, in the case of an absent Second where there is a first-year Lead, a spare Second may be arranged by the Spare Convenor.
• Long-term spares are permitted for players absent for one month or longer for medical reasons only. The long-term spare will play in the position of the absent player.
• A spare fee will be set by the Executive Council at the beginning of each season.
• All non-Member spares will be charged the spare fee to play.
• All split-position players sparing on their off weeks will be charged the spare fee to play.
• Members who are sparing because their regular-league game was defaulted, or because their team has a bye, will not be charged the spare fee to play.
• The only exceptions to the payment of a spare fee to play are for children and youths 20 years of age or younger.

PROCEDURE TO ESTABLISH FINAL REGULAR-LEAGUE AND PLAYOFF STANDINGS

1. Most wins by a team.

2. If 2 teams are tied, the winner of their head-to-head game is ahead in standings.

3. If 3 or more teams are tied, the winner of most games between each other is ahead in standings.

4. In case of a stalemate, flip a coin or decide on a ruling on approval of the Executive Committee.