Unless otherwise specified, Bend Curling Club league and Bonspiel play is governed by the WCF Rules of Curling. There are house rules specific to BCC at The Pavilion listed below.
Rules Committee - BCC has a Rules Committee whose role is to review and update rules annually, mediate on-ice questions and disputes, and rule on questions or disputes off-ice. Any rule changes or new rule suggestions will be presented by the committee to the board for a vote.
Our current committee consists of Jim Dailing (lead), Jason Burge and Jason Quade
On-ice questions/disputes - Locate one of the committee members for ruling. If none of the members are present at the time of your question, there will be a binder near the hcokey door at the rink with the WCF and House Rules.
Off-ice questions/disputes/recommendations - Email Jim Dailing at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Committee member decisions will be final unless it cannot be resolved in which case the committee will involve the BCC board..
HOUSE RULES - Rules specific to Bend Curling Club League Play.
Ice Prep
The 2 advanced teams playing the 8:30 draw will be responsible for ice-prep and need to arrive at the Pavilion by 8:00 pm. If the start of the 8:30 draw is delayed due to responsible parties not showing up or not on time, the teams responsible for ice prep that night will be held to the 75 -minute rule and might not complete 6 ends.
No Tick Rule - does not apply to any leagues, but we do play according to the 5-stone Free Guard rule as found in WCF rules.
Subbing
For games to count in the standings, a team must consist of a minimum of 3 players of which 2 must be on the current team roster. If a team is missing more than 2 rostered team members the game can still be played but will be considered a forfeit in favor of the other team.
Teams can draw from the club list of subs, or from the previous draw.
Advance league curlers subbing for novice teams can only play in the 1st or 2nd position.
Player positons/control of house (from WCF rules)
a) Non-Delivering Team:
(i) During the process of delivery, the players take stationary positions along the side lines between the courtesy lines.
However: 1) the skip and/or vice-skip may take stationary positions behind the back line at the playing end, but must not interfere with the choice of place of the skip or vice-skip of the delivering team.
2) the player who is to deliver next may take a stationary position to the side of the sheet, behind the hacks, at the delivery end.
(ii) The non-delivering team players must not take any position, nor cause any motion, which could obstruct, interfere with, distract or intimidate the delivering team. If such an action occurs, or an external force distracts a player during delivery, that player has the option of allowing the play to stand, or of redelivering the stone after all displaced stones have been replaced to their positions prior to the violation taking place.
(b) Delivering Team:
(i) The skip, or the vice-skip when it is the skip's turn to deliver, or when the skip is not on the ice, is in charge of the house.
(ii) The player in charge of the house is positioned inside the hog line, with at least one foot/wheel on the ice surface of the playing end of the team’s sheet, while the team is in the process of delivery.
(iii) Any improper position of players will result in the delivered stone being removed from play, and any displaced stones shall be replaced, by the non-offending team, to their positions prior to the violation taking place.
Start of game
Because our start time is not consistent from week to week, start of 8:30 draw will commence as soon as ice prep is finished and a 75 min countdown is started on the scoreboard timer. As soon as ice prep is completed, pebblers will give signal that play is ready to begin and teams should be ready to go.
2nd Draw will not commence before 10:00 pm unless a sheet becomes available early and both teams playing on that sheet have agreed to start early and have the necessary number of team members/subs as outlined in our subbing rule above.
If a team has only 2 players and a third is late to arrive, the game will still commence at start of 75-minute running clock, and the player who is arrivng later must arrive in time to throw at least 2 stones in the first end. At the conclusion of the 1st end the team can resume their normal throwing positions.
If a team has only 2 rostered players for the start of a draw and is expecting a 3rd to join, they can utilize a sub until their 3rd player arrives as long as the player running late arrives in time to throw at least 2 stones in the first end. Once the 3rd team member arrives the team can choose to continue to utilize the sub for the duration of the game.
Sweeping (from WCF rules)
A delivered stone may be swept by any one or more of the delivering team anywhere in front of the tee line at the playing end.
(e) No player may ever sweep an opponent's stone except behind the tee line at the playing end and may not start to sweep an opponent’s stone until it has reached the tee line at the playing end.
(f) Behind the tee line at the playing end, only one player from each team may sweep at any one time. This may be any player of the delivering team, but only the skip or vice-skip of the non-delivering team.
(g) 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.
Scoring
Our T lines are not always directly in the center of the button. We will score the stone closer to the intersection of the T line and center line, rather than the center of the button based upon section 12(d) of World Curling Federation Rules.
Players throwing in 3rd position (on a 4-person team, or in 2nd position on 3-person team), are in charge of scoring and will be the only team members in the house determining the score. If these identified players cannot agree on scoring by visual means, or with the aide of an agreed upon measurement, they can ask an impartial member playing in another game. If determination on stone closest to the intersection can still not be made the end will be considered a blank. If determination of stones beyond the primary scoring stone cannot be ageed upon, only the stones scored to that disputed stone will be counted.
Only visual measurements are to take place during an end of play until all stones are thrown. This measurement should take 1 minute or less.
Scoreboard
Scoring points are designated in the scoring field in the center of each game on the scoreboard. Players throwing in 3rd position (on a 4-person team, or in 2nd position on 3-person team), on the team winning the end will write the number of the end above or below the center points using a cumulative score format. For example, if team "A" scores 2 in the 1st end they will write "1" (for 1st end) below/above the ("2" for the score). If same team then score 3 more in the second end, they will write "2" (for 2nd end) above/below the ("5" for cumulative score).
Reporting Scores
Winning skips will record the score on the clipboard. located by the hockey door. Opposing skip will verify by initialing the score. Sudden death must be indicated.
End of Game
Pace of play is important to ensure teams can complete the entire game, and each end needs to be completed in 15 minutes or less to keep pace. When playing 6 end games, an end for both leagues are not to be started after the 75 minute countdown clock has expired. In order to start the next end, the 1st player to throw must be in the hack before the 75-minute clock has expired.
The only exception to the 75-minute rule is the championship game to determine 1st and second place in the advanced league, and then only if both skips agree and BPRD employee agrees.
Because open doors can rapidly change the ice conditions, teams that finish early are asked to place their stones neatly close to the Zamboni door but will not open the doors. In the spirit of our club, it is strongly encouraged that teams finishing within 5-10 minutes of the last game hang around to help with load the stones on carts.
Sudden death
In case of a tie at end of regulation, a member of the team that scored in the final end will throw 1st. Offensive sweeping is allowed, defensive sweeping is not. Any stone in play will be used to determine winning team. If neither stone is in play after both teams have thrown, the same order is used to throw again. It is recommended that both teams take a picture of the first stone if in play, and if agreed upon, using a broom pointing from the stone to the T intersection for reference.
Forfeits
Forfeits occur if a team cannot field a team of 3 with at least 2 rostered team members before the completion of 1st end as spelled out above in the "subbing section". Forfeits will be scored the same as win-loss, or 3-0.
League Scoring/Tie Breakers
3 points are awarded for a regulation or forfeit win, 0 points for a regulation or forfeit loss, 2 points for a sudden death win, and 1 point for a sudden death loss.
To determine play-off seedings, if 2 or more teams are tied in total points at the conclusion of league play, the first tie breaker will be head-to-head results, the second tie breaker will be total points scored against during league play.
Final leauge standings are based upon the outcome of play-off games unless there are not enough weeks to hold play-offs, in which case round robinn standings will determine league winner.
