SML Rules

SENIOR MEN’S COMPETITIVE LADDER

RULES & REGULATIONS

Teams   

Returning teams enter the Senior Ladder by making an application to the Club Manager through the normal registration process detailing the names and positions of four or five curlers. 

At the start of each new season, the team’s ladder position will be determined based on the team’s results in the previous year's playoffs. Within each level, the overall winner will be assigned the “1” spot, with the runner-up being given the “2” spot. The semi-final losing teams will be given the “3” and “4” spots with the higher ranked playoff team getting the “3”. The remaining teams will be assigned the balance of the spots based on their ranked positions into the playoffs.

However, a team may be shuffled up positions should any teams above it not return or shuffled down if a new team were to be seeded ahead of them.

The team’s position is retained by the skip returning along with one returning team member or by three returning team members. This includes a fifth, if present. However, returning teams require a minimum of three confirmed players by September 15th to continue to preserve this position.  

A minimum of three players must be provided to accept a new team on the waiting list. Entries will be accepted on a first come first serve basis by the Convenor (preferably via email) who shall assure the application date shall be maintained for this purpose. New teams will be seeded at the discretion of the Convenor and the Senior Men’s Director.  Keeping the total number of teams to an even number will be a priority,

If a team is added in mid-season, except for extraordinary circumstances, they will be added into the lowest ladder level. The addition will take effect at the beginning of a series and the team will be allocated a cumulative point total of the average of the totals of the other teams in that level, rounded down to the nearest whole number.

All active players must be members of the Oakville Curling Club and over the age of fifty as of October 1st. All returning members or members of any new team must be registered by the date specified by the Club to retain their rank.

Team membership shall be finalized as that published for the third series draw. Any new team members after the start of the third series shall be treated as spares subject to the rules governing spares unless otherwise agreed by the Convenor. This is subject to mitigating circumstances such as injury or relocation. 

Play       

For each game, each team must have a minimum of three players, one of whom must be a regular team member. If a team cannot field three players, the game shall be defaulted with the win being awarded to the non-offending team. 

During the playoffs, each team must include at least two regular members, one of whom must be the skip or the vice. 

All regular season games will be governed by the club “Bell Rule” and ties will not be broken. In the playoffs, the "Bell Rule" will not be in effect during the finals only and a tie will be broken by a full extra end.

For all games, the "Five Rock Rule" will be in effect (i.e. any of the first five rocks located in the ‘free guard’ zone may not be removed from play by the opposing team until the sixth rock). 

Lateness

When a game begins after the designated start time because of the lateness of a team, the following shall apply:

1. If the delay of the start of play is 1 - 15 minutes, then the non-offending team receives one point and will have choice of last rock or rock colour in the first end of actual play. One end is considered as having been played.
2. If the delay of the start of play is 15 - 30 minutes, then the non-offending team receives another point. A second end is considered as having been played.
3. After thirty (30) minutes have elapsed, the non-offending team shall be declared the winner. The default shall be scored as a loss for the defaulting team and a win for the non-defaulting team and shall be scored in accordance with the point system established for the league.
4. The Club clock shall be the official clock.                                                        

Rescheduling

If a regular season game has to be rescheduled, the game must be played prior to the last scheduled game of the current series. The cancelling team is responsible for finding a make-up time that works for their opponent. The cancelling team should mark the game as a "Loss" if they are unable to make-up the game for any reason (including not being able to find a time agreeable to their opponent). All teams should be as flexible as possible in scheduling make-up games. Marking a Tie for an unplayed game is strongly discouraged. The Men’s Convenor will arbitrate any disputes. 

Team Ladder Standings              

Points are allotted for each game played:

After the completion of each series and the ranking of teams based on their series point total, the two top teams will move up a division (except in division A), and the bottom two teams will move down a division (except in division E). A team cannot move more than one division at the end of a series.

Ties in team points will be broken as follows:

• a. Their head-to-head record, where the winner is ranked higher.
• b. If still tied, the absolute number of wins this series, where the team with more wins is ranked higher.
• c. If there is still a tie, the higher ranked team at the beginning of this series is ranked higher at the end of this series.

Upon completion of series two and three, the current series points will be added to one half of the previous accumulated points total to determine a new cumulative point total for each team. After all team migrations have occurred, a team’s cumulative point total will be used to rank teams within their level.

The playoffs will, by default, be in a single elimination format. However, if time permits, a double knockout format may be used.

March 2024

SPARING RULES

General

These Senior Men’s Ladder (SML) sparing rules are intended to :

• Ensure an adequate pool of spares.
• Provide eligible Club members with more opportunities to play.
• Enable a competitive balance and level playing field while supporting a spirit of “Fun and Fair Play”.
• Encourage Club members wishing to spare in the SML to register on the SML Spare List.

It is the joint responsibility of both the recruiting member and the sparing member to ensure the sparing member meets all eligibility requirements. 

Spares must be members in good standing of the Club and over the age of fifty. 

Members who have registered on the SML Spare List should be given first priority when recruiting a spare.

Spare eligibility rules during the regular season

1. Members registered on the SML Spare List are eligible to play any position in any division unless superseded by point #2 below.
2. Registered members of teams in the Senior Men’s Ladder are eligible to spare for other teams in the SML as follows:

• • Spares must play the position they are sparing for or a lower position, and
  • Spares must play in their own division, no lower than one level below their current divisional level, or any higher divisional level.

3. Members who are not registered members of a team within the SML, and whose names are not on the published Spare List may spare at any divisional level but must deliver Lead rocks.
4. There must be at least one regular member of the team and so there can be no more than three spares.

Spare eligibility rules during the playoffs

Only registered members of an SML Team or curlers on the SML Spare list are eligible to play. SML team members are subject to the Sparing Rules above. SML Spare list members may only spare for the vacant position or lower.

There must be two regular members of the team, one of whom must be Skip or Vice and so there can be no more than two spares.

Penalties

Sparing Rules are deemed to be “self-policed”.  Any actual or perceived breach of the Sparing Rules is to be brought to the attention of the Senior Men’s Director who will investigate and take action as deemed appropriate.

Utilization of an ineligible spare will result in a “Loss” being recorded for the offending team and a “Win” for the non-offending team.

March 2024

APPENDIX

The Bell rule

The Bell will sound once at the nominal beginning of the draw.

• After 1 hour and 40 minutes, the Bell will sound again.  At this point, teams get to complete the end they are currently playing, plus one more.
• 15 minutes later (1 hour and 55 minutes from the start), the bell will ring one last time.  Now, teams are currently playing their last end.
• The end is considered over when the skip’s hammer rock crosses the near T-line.  At this point, you are considered to be playing the next end.

Example 1: If you are in the middle of the sixth end and the first bell sounds, you can finish the 6th end and play the 7th end. 

Example 2: If you are at the very end of the sixth end, once the hammer crosses the near T-line, you are now in the 7th end.  If the first bell rings at this point, you may play the 7th and 8th ends.  In this case, you need to complete the 7th end in 15 minutes before the final bell sounds.

December 2023