JAM rules for Curling

Curling

There is only one format for Curling under JAM Rules. It is described in its entirety below.

JAM is for Everyone – Inclusion Statement

Our program offerings are designed to be inclusive for all members of the JAM community. Our goal is to create a welcoming gender policy that uplifts and supports each player where they are at. To ensure we can offer something for everyone, our programs may be offered in the following formats: Mixed-Gender, Women's, Men's, and Open.

Many of our league rules specify gender-based roster requirements, the goal of which is to ensure that each player has an equal opportunity to be included in gameplay.

Everyone participating in a JAM program is welcome to compete based on their gender identity and gender expression; regardless of their gender assigned at birth. Members whose gender identity does not align with the binary man/woman construct are welcome to play in all our mixed-gender and open programs.

Nonbinary, trans, genderqueer, and all other players who identify as a gender minority can count towards the roster minimums for either men or women in our mixed-gender leagues.

Game Time

All Curling matches are approximately 2 hours in length. 8 ends are to be played within the 2 hours. Please arrive early to ensure you get the full use of your allotted sheet time. No new end may start with less than 10 minutes to go in your game. Regardless of when your game begins your game will always end on time to allow the succeeding games to begin at their scheduled time.

Time Keeping: Timekeeping will vary depending on the venue you are playing at.

East York Curling Club: If you’re playing without an official score clock the JAM Ambassador on site will be keeping track of time and will determine the end of your game. In this instance, you will receive a warning indicating the final five (5) minutes of your game and a final signal for the end of your game. Once the final signal occurs your game is over. You will also receive a warning at the 10-minute mark to indicate that teams shall not start a new end.

High Park Curling Club and St. George`s Golf and Country Club: There are no JAM staff members on-site during your game. Please designate one person to act as the timekeeper.

Players

Teams are comprised of four (4) players on a sheet at once. A default will occur if any team cannot field a squad by 15 minutes after the official start time. A team of five people is allowed with either one person sitting out each end, or having two people on the team only throw one rock each.

Roster Numbers: There are no roster requirements for JAM Curling Leagues.

Defaults: Teams are comprised of four (4) players, however, a team can play with 3 players. A default will occur if any team cannot field the minimum requirement of players by 15 minutes after the official start time.

Exceptions: Captains may agree to waive the rules regarding minimum players, and should be decided before the game starts. IF IT IS AGREED THAT THE GAME COUNTS, IT COUNTS!

Playing Area

All Curling matches will take place on our assigned curling sheets.

Equipment/Set Up

All curling equipment will be provided at the Curling Club (brooms, rocks, etc). All players are responsible for bringing CLEAN indoor shoes. Boots, outdoor shoes, or large chunky shoes are not acceptable - players will not be allowed to play.

Teams are also responsible for keeping track of the score. Please designate one person to keep track of the score.

Curling 101

The following outlines the basis of the rules of JAM Curling Programs:

General Rules:

In the regular season, a coin flip/Rock-paper scissor game will determine the team who starts with the hammer. In the playoffs, the higher-ranked team in the final standings starts with the hammer.
Teams score 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 for a loss and -1 for a default Teams alternate throwing rocks.
Each person throws 2 rocks in a row.
The rocks must completely cross the hog line to stay in play.
Throwers must release the rock before the hog line.
If a rock hits the sideboard or the sidelines, they are out of play.
Only one team can score points for any given end. The team with the closest rock to the centre scores one point. This team can score additional points for each rock that is closer to the centre than their opponents' closest rock.
A team can only begin to sweep the oppositions rock(s) once the front end of the stone reaches the farther tee line and sweeping shall only take place behind the tee line. Only one sweeper can sweep past the T-line per rock.
All curlers MUST wear clean shoes on the ice, with either clear tape on the sliding shoe or a slider. People who are right-handed wear tape or a slider on their left foot and vice-versa for left-handed people. **BE CAREFUL NOT TO STEP ON THE ICE WITH YOUR SLIDER FOOT FIRST**
Please do not hit the ice with brooms.
Please do not crash the rocks on the ice

Free Guard Zone Rule:

(1) The free guard zone is the area between the hog line and the tee line, excluding the house. Interpretation: A stone which comes to rest biting or in front of the hog line after making contact with a stone in the free guard zone is considered to be in the free guard zone. A stone which comes to rest outside the house but biting the tee line is not considered to be in the free guard zone.

(2) 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.

Penalty: A stone that is delivered prior to the 5th stone of the end that results in an opposition stone being moved from the free guard zone, either directly or indirectly, to an out-of-play position is an infraction which shall result in the delivered stone being removed from play and any other stone if moved being replaced as close as possible to its original position.

Interpretation: A delivered third or fourth stone of an end may hit an opposition stone(s) located in the free guard zone on to a stone(s) not in the free guard zone providing that any opposition stone originally located in the free guard zone remains in play. If this action results in an opposition free guard zone stone being moved to an out-of-play position, the penalty described above will apply. You may move your own stone from the free guard zone or remove your own stone from the free guard zone, providing you do not cause an opposition stone to be moved from the free guard zone to an out-of-play position. You may also raise your stone located in the free guard zone onto an opposition stone located in the house and remove it from play.

*The dark grey area in the Figure above represents the Free Guard Zone

Regular Season Matches

Games can end in a tie during the regular season.

Playoffs Eligibility and Tiebreak

If a playoff game ends in a tie at the end of regulation time, a tiebreaker will be played to decide a winner. A draw to the button will be used to break a tie. The team whose rock is closest to the button will be deemed the winner.

Coin toss: The team winning the coin toss will decide whether they will curl first or second.
Each team will decide on 4 players to take part in the tiebreaker. 1 person to throw, 2 sweepers, and 1 "skip" who will direct the shot. The positions should be chosen at the time of the coin toss.
The first team will throw their rock. Both teams (a neutral player from another team) should agree on where the rock landed. The rock is then removed from play allowing the second team to shoot at an empty house. Both teams (the same neutral player) will agree on where the second team's rock stopped. If possible, a winner will be determined.
If no rocks land in the house, the teams will repeat step "iii" until a winner can be determined. The same order should be maintained throughout the shootout.