The Curling Club Championships Rules have been updated allowing Member Associations flexibility in staging their championships and reducing any interpretation of eligibility.
The principles of this event target non-elite teams (grassroots club curlers) who regularly compete in their clubs. Teams, however, are no longer limited to being the club champion to be considered eligible.
The changes will allow Member Associations to control the number of entries in their jurisdictions. For example, Curl Sask prefers to allow any eligible team to enter the regional playdowns. Or, Curl ON prefers to restrict the number of entries per club to a maximum of one. Either is acceptable.
Curling Club Championship Eligibility Requirements
We trust all curling rinks will respect the intent of the spirit of the Curling Club Championships by engaging their members to participate and to represent their curling club in any process leading to the provincial / territorial championships and ultimately, leading to the Canadian Curling Club Championships. The event was created for true club-based teams. The objective is to support the development of grassroots curling across Canada.
Here are the eligibility requirements for events leading to the national Curling Club Championships. Curling Canada reserves the right to exclude any team that violates the spirit and intent of this event as it pertains to the rules below.
- Participating curling clubs must be affiliated with its Provincial / Territorial Curling Association. They must be in good standing with all applicable dues to the Association paid in full.
- Any competitor (including 5th players and spares) must be members in good standing of an affiliated curling club for the duration of the process. Example, you compete in 2019-2020 to win your provincial / territorial event. You win the right to represent your province or territory at the Canadians which would be held in 2020-2021. All players including 5th players or spares must be members of the same club in both years. Note: residency exemptions may be granted if a player moved from one province / territory to another in the off season between events.
- A competitor is not required to be a Canadian citizen.
- A 5th player may compete at any level of competition including the Canadian Championships. If they play, they must play the traditional lead position throwing the first two stones of any and all ends for their team and sweeping delivered stones numbered 3-8. No exceptions. Any 5th player costs will be the responsibility of the team.
- Once a four-person team enters the club championships playdowns, a maximum of one (1) spare from the club is allowed at any level of competition. A team can use an eligible spare for any game played assuming the spare is eligible based on Rule 2). The spare may be a different player each game. The spare must play the traditional lead position throwing the first two stones of any and all ends for their team and sweeping delivered stones numbered 3-8. No exceptions. A team with a registered 5th player may not add a spare or replacement player.
- Prime directive
- A team must field three of the four original players for each game played at any level of the Curling Club Championships. “Original” means signed up and registered for league play in their club, OR signed up and registered for a special curling club championship qualifying event created within their club (with the permission of their Member Association). If an “Original” team only has three players, then those three players must be on the ice at all times up to and including the national championships.
- If any team had only three players all year, or in the special qualifying event, the team may pick up an eligible spare who must play the traditional lead position throwing the first two stones of any and all ends for their team and sweeping delivered stones numbered 3-8.
- If a team has four players, they are good to go.
- If a team has five players during the season, one player must be designated the “5th” who, if added to the line-up, must play lead and sweep stones 3-8. Or,they may choose four (4) players from the 5-person team to participate as a four-player only team in the competition.
- If they have six or more players during the season, the team must declare four (4) players for the competition. They can pick up an eligible spare at any level and the spare must play the traditional lead position throwing the first two stones of any and all ends for their team and sweeping delivered stones numbered 3-8. Or they can choose five players to advance but one player must be designated the “5th” who must play the traditional lead position throwing the first two stones of any and all ends for their team and sweeping delivered stones numbered 3-8.
- All four (4) competitors and any 5th or spare player must be bona fide residents within the geographical area of the Member Association they are intending to represent (unless granted an exception by the Member Association).
- A competitor can participate for only one affiliated curling club in one season. If you lose out while playing for one club, you cannot then play for another club unless the Member Association accepts the competitor as an 5th player or spare player.
- Each Member Association reserves the right to determine the number of teams qualifying from each club.
- Teams must qualify under one of the following conditions:
- Regular league players, or;
- A formal club championship process, or;
- A special event to determine your Curling Club champions for your club that is not part of your formal club championships.
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- In each of Rule 10) (a)(b)(c), teams must have three (3) or more players who have played together in a sanctioned club league during the current curling season.
- Clubs that only have mixed or open leagues (i.e., no men’s only leagues and / or no women’s only leagues) may be granted an exemption to Rule 12) (a) allowing players to form teams for this special event. They must receive permission from their provincial / territorial Member Association.
- The use of the delivery stick by any competitor (and any 5th player or spare) is acceptable subject to the Curling Canada rules under Rule Curling With A Delivery Stick.
- Teams who play exclusively in leagues where teams from different clubs compete, and whose players may not be members of the club where the league is hosted, are ineligible to compete for the Curling Club Championships. For example, teams playing only in a city-wide super league or major league but not curling in a regular club league. Please contact your Member Association if you have any concerns.
- EXEMPTIONS
Each four-person team is allowed to have one (1) player who, during the previous three (3) curling seasons, has participated in the Canadian Mixed; and/or, the Canada Cup; and/or, the Continental Cup; and/or, the Under-21; and/or, the Tournament of Hearts; and/or, the Brier; and/or, the Canadian Seniors; and/or, the Canadian Mixed Doubles; and/or, the Under-18; and/or, the Canadian Wheelchair; and/or, any Canadian Trials or Pre-Trials event; or any provincial / territorial event leading to these events. This same player can have played in a Tier 1 or Tier 2 Grand Slam event in the previous three (3) curling seasons.
For example:
- Craig Savill plays in a Wednesday night league with three friends.
- Craig also represented Ontario last season at the Brier with his elite team.
- Therefore, Craig would be eligible for the Club Championships.
The other three (3) team members of Craig’s Wednesday team, however, CANNOT have played in the following:
- Any Tier 1 Grand Slam event in the previous three (3) They could have played in a Tier 2 Grand Slam.
- Any provincial / territorial championship leading to the Canada Cup; and/or, the Continental Cup; and/or, the Under-21; and/or, the Tournament of Hearts; and/or, the Brier; and/or, the Under-18; and/or, the Canadian Wheelchair; and/or, any Canadian Trials or Pre-Trials event in the previous three (3) seasons; OR, unless their final ranking is less than the threshold established by the respective Member Association (see chart). Note: any player can have played in any of these events four (4) years and more back in time (regardless of finish) and not affect their eligibility for the Curling Club Championships.
Threshold: Therefore, if you are not the ‘one’ player on the team without any restrictions, you and/or the other three players and any 5th players and any spares may have competed in any provincial / territorial championship in the previous three (3) seasons and still allowed to play in the Curling Club Championships, as long as you don’t match or surpass the thresholds set by your province (see chart).
As example, if you competed in the provincial Tournament of Hearts in Manitoba and you finished 8th or better You cannot play in the Curling Club Championships based on this chart. If you had finished 9th or worse, you would be cleared to play.
| Member Association | You are ineligible if…… |
| Alberta | You qualified for the playoffs in the men’s, women’s, junior, senior, or mixed doubles provincial championships. This does not include the U21 mixed doubles. |
| British Columbia | You competed in any provincial championship (not including 9th or lower in the Mixed Doubles) |
| Manitoba | You finish 8th or better in all championships with qualifying events. Or, you finish 4th or better in all open entry championships. |
| New Brunswick | You finish in the championship round at provincials OR you finish 3rd or better at open provincial events. |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | You finish 3rd or better at provincials |
| Northern Ontario | You finish 2nd or better at provincials |
| Northwest Territories | You win a territorial championship |
| Nova Scotia | You finish 3rd or better at provincials |
| Nunavut | You win a territorial championship |
| Ontario | You finish 8th or better at any provincial |
| Prince Edward Island | You win a provincial championship |
| Quebec | You finish 3rd or better at provincials |
| Saskatchewan | You finish 8th or better at any provincial |
| Yukon | You win a territorial championship |
- 5th players at the Canada Cup; and/or, the Under-21; and/or, the Tournament of Hearts; and/or, the Brier; and/or, the Canadian Seniors; and/or, the Under-18; and/or, the Canadian Wheelchair; and/or, any Canadian Trials or Pre-Trials event are considered as not to have played in those
- Competitors (as individuals or as a team) who competed in the previous season’s national Curling Club Championships are ineligible to compete the following season at any level including as 5th players or spares. For example, if you were a participant at the 2019 national curling club championships, then you cannot participate at any level to compete in the 2020 curling club championships.
- A minimum of three (3) players must be a minimum of nineteen (19) years of age or over as of June 30th immediately prior to the national championships.
- Any team is allowed one (1) player under nineteen (19) years of age who shall be considered a “minor”. They must be accompanied by a legal guardian (or a chaperone identified by the legal guardian) for the duration of the event including departure from home and return to their home. A legal guardian can be a parent on the team. The team is responsible for all costs associated with legal guardian who is not a team member.
- Curling Canada has the sole authority to grant exceptions to these rules in extraordinary circumstances. Any request must be submitted by the Provincial / Territorial Member Association. Curling Canada will consult with the Provincial / Territorial Member Association and will notify them within five (5) business in writing of any decision. The Curling Canada decision may not be
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