We are happy to introduce a new funspiel on our calendar – the TRIPLES CURLING FUNSPIEL.
Grab two curling friends and come out for this fun opportunity to get on the ice early in the season and try a new curling discipline!
The event will begin at 8:30am on Saturday, October 28th and run into the early afternoon – exact time will be determined by the number of entries.
Lunch is included in the cost of registration.
This event is open to curlers ages 12 through adult, including those who are not members of the Cornwall Curling Club.
If you have questions, please reach out to the club manager at cornwallcurling@eastlink.ca or call the club office at 902-566-4427 during office hours.
REGISTER TODAY AT: TRIPLES CURLING FUNSPIEL REGISTRATION
INFORMATION AND RULES ABOUT TRIPLES CURLING
Triples Curling is an exciting new discipline that has been developed by Curling Canada.
As its name suggests, curlers compete in teams of THREE when playing Triples. All ends consist of six shots per team, with each player throwing two of those shots. Unless otherwise indicated, Curling Canada’s rules apply to Triples, including those related to the Free Guard Zone.
Game Structure: Triples games consist of three ‘sets’ of two ends each. Each set can be seen as a two-end ‘Mini-Game’. The team with the highest score after these two ends wins that set. However, if the score is tied at the completion of the set, it is known as a ‘Split Set’.
Example 1: Team A scores two in End #1 of the first set, then Team B scores one in End #2 of the set. The score of the set is therefore 2-1 for Team A, so Team A wins the set and receives ONE point.
Example 2: Team A steals two in End #1 of the first set, then Team B scores two in End #2 of the set. The score of the set is now 2-2, so the set is considered a ‘Split Set’, so each team receives ONE point.
Hammer: Hammer is determined as follows:
In End #1 of Set #1, the hammer is determined by a coin toss.
In End #1 of Set #2, the hammer reverses from the End #1 of Set #1.
In End #1 of Set #3, the hammer goes to the team that is leading the game at that moment. If the score is tied heading in to Set #3, another coin toss is used to determine which team starts Set #3 with the hammer.
Blanked Ends: Triples is similar to Mixed Doubles in that Blanked Ends are not allowed. That is, if a team inadvertently blanks End #1 of the set, the hammer for End #2 automatically moves to the other team.
Positions and Throwing Order: One of the unique features of the Triples discipline is that curlers are required to play a different position (i.e., Lead, Middle, and Skip) for each set of the game. Teams can determine which player starts in each position during Set #1. However, from that point onward the rotation of players must be as follows:
Set 1: Player 1 = Lead, Player 2 = Middle, Player 3 = Skip
Set 2: Player 3 = Lead, Player 1 = Middle, Player 2 = Skip
Set 3: Player 2 = Lead, Player 3 = Middle, Player 1 = Skip
Please note that the Lead is required to throw the first two shots of the End for their team, and to sweep the next four. The Middle is required to sweep the first two shots of the end, to throw the next two, and to hold the broom for the last two. Finally, the Skip is required to hold the broom for the first four shots of the end, and to throw the last two.
Sweeping: Only one player (i.e., the current sweeper) is allowed to sweep rocks until the far hog line. After that point, one of the other curlers (i.e., broom holder or thrower) can join in.
Set Values: In order to ensure that a full Triples game is played, the value assigned to Set #3 is greater than it is for Sets 1 and 2. The specific set values are as follows:
Set 1: 2 Points Available (1 Point/Team if a Split Set)
Set 2: 2 Points Available (1 Point/Team if a Split Set)
Set 3: 4 Points Available (or 2 Points/Team if a Split Set)
These differing Set Values mean that all three sets are always required. More specifically, even if Team A wins Sets #1 and #2 (and therefore leads the game 4-0) it is still possible for Team B to tie the game by winning Set #3 outright (since the score would now be 4-4).
Tied Games: If the game is tied after Set #3, a Team Draw to the Button tiebreaker is be used. The teams alternate throwing their draws as if this was the ‘Third End’ of Set #3. The throwing order and positional responsibilities for the tiebreaker remain the same as they were in Set #3.
The cumulative point total of all three players on a team determines the team’s tiebreaker score. The scoring system for each shot of the tiebreaker is as follows:
5 Points: Rock stops in contact with the button
4 Points: Rock stops in contact with the four foot
3 Points: Rock stops in contact with the eight foot
2 Points: Rock stops in contact with the twelve foot
1 Point: Rock stops in play, but not in the house
0 Points: Rock stops out of play
In the event that both teams finish the tiebreaker with the same number of points, each team identifies one curler to throw a single measured Draw to the Button for the win (with sweeping).