Rules of the Game for League Play
General
Except as modified or expressly provided herein, the rules of the United
States Curling Association shall govern all play.
Bell Rule/Max Playing Time
All games shall be governed by the Bell Rule and Max Playing Time, using
the digital clock at the far end of the ice house and the stated Draw start time
(whether teams have commenced play or not). Refer to the posted Bell Rule
and Max Playing Time flyers for exact timing for your League/Draw.
Bell Rule: When the digital clock indicates the designated Bell Time for your
Draw, games in progress are allowed to complete the end being played plus
one additional end.
Max Playing Time: At the conclusion of the draw’s Max Playing Time no
further play is allowed. The last fully completed End will count as the final
score.
Legal Team
- A legal team, other than for Men’s draws and the Women’s
All-American, shall consist of at least three (3) curlers, at least
one (1) of whom must be a regular member of the team. - Women’s All-American teams will be governed by USWCA
Rules. - A legal team for Men’s draws shall consist of at least three (3)
curlers, at least two (2) of whom must be on the original roster of
the team at the beginning of the Event. In the case of a team
with only 3 rostered players, a legal team will consist of three (3)
curlers, at least one of whom is on the original roster. - A legal team for Mixed draws shall also consist of at least one (1)
male curler and one (1) female curler, and the throwing order
must alternate genders. In situations where the gender
composition of a team is unequal, the curler who is the sole
gender may not throw in the lead position. - A legal team for 5 & Under draws shall consist of at least three
(3) curlers, at least two (2) of whom must be on the original
roster of the team at the beginning of the Event. All players must
qualify as ‘5 & Under’ per USCA’s definition. In the case of a
team with only 3 rostered players, a legal team will consist of
three (3) curlers, at least one of whom is on the original roster.
Substitutes
- If a member of a team is unable to play, he or she must arrange
for a substitute and notify the skip of his or her team. - To qualify as part of a legal team, a substitute must be arranged
in advance of the draw or be a curler who is not assigned to a
team scheduled to play that draw and shows up in hopes of
being a substitute. - To allow a game to be played after a forfeit has been declared,
teams may borrow a curler from another team. The borrowed
curler is to be designated by the skip of the loaning team. - Except as required by another provision of these rules, a
substitute is allowed to play any position.
Scoring
- All regular games shall be scored on a win-lose basis with the
winning team receiving 1 point and the losing team receiving 0
points except as stated below. - Where there are successive games, in order not to delay
following games, ties shall not be played off and each team shall
receive 1/2 point. - A team that is not a legal team must forfeit to a legal team. The
legal team shall be declared the winner and shall receive 1 point.
The game may be played, but the forfeit score as above shall
stand. If both teams are non-legal, a game may be played, but
both teams shall be declared as forfeiting and no points shall be
awarded. - The vice-skips shall enter the score into the Draw Administration
section of the MCC Website. The MCC Administration laptop is
provided in the curling house to facilitate the entry of scores at
the end of each game. - The team in each draw with the most points at the end of an
event shall be declared the draw winner for that event. If multiple
teams in a draw tie for the most points, the head-to-head results
shall determine the winner. After eliminating tied teams based on
the head-to-head results, all remaining teams shall be declared
draw winners for the event. - In the situation where all teams in a draw are not scheduled to
play the same number of games in an event due to bye weeks or
other scheduling issues, the draw chair should use their best
judgment to determine draw winners for the event, with the
assumption that more winners are better than fewer. - Draw chairs are responsible for ensuring weekly scores have
been posted online and determining the draw winners for each
event upon conclusion of the event.
General Playing Rules and Courtesies
- Tardy or substitute players may join at the start of the next end.
- Teams must be ready to play at the scheduled time. A team not
ready to play at the scheduled time shall: - Deliver the first stone;
- Forfeit 1 point and 1 end for the first full ten (10) minutes
delay; - Forfeit an additional 1 point and 1 end for each additional
ten (10) minutes, up to 30 minutes; and - After 30 minutes, the late team shall forfeit.
- The sweeping motion may be in any direction (it need not cover
the entire width of the stone), deposits no debris in front of a
moving stone, and finishes to either side of the stone. - A stone must be in motion before it can be swept. Warming the
ice is illegal. - Behind the tee line, a team has first privilege of sweeping its own
stone, but it must not obstruct or prevent its opponent from
sweeping. It is unsportsmanlike to prevent an opposing player
from sweeping an opposing stone behind the T- line. - All measurements shall be made by the skips or vice skips, and
no one else shall be allowed within four (4) feet of the house
during the measurement.
Interpretation of Rules
Any questions about these rules or their interpretation, except during the
course of a game, shall be referred to and be answered by the League
Coordinator Chair. During the course of the game, questions shall be referred
to the League Coordinator or a person designated by such Chair.
Mayfield Curling 