Open and Mixed Ladder Rules

Open and Mixed Ladder Rules

Updated October 2025

1. Games shall consist of 8 ends, with starting times of 7:00pm and 9:00pm.
   • As a matter of courtesy to your opponents and those who will follow your draw, you are required to be on the ice AND ready to play at the appointed time. At the end of the first draw, teams finishing their game should help cleaning their sheet.  The teams playing the second draw are responsible for pebbling and nipping their sheet.
   • For the 7:00pm draw, at 25 minutes before the scheduled end of the game, as determined by the bell, rinks will complete the end in progress and then are only allowed one more regular end.  An end is considered to have ended when the last rock has been thrown. As in officiated play, a rock is considered thrown when the delivering player has crossed the near T-line.
   • In case of a tie, a draw to the pin will be done by 1 player of each team to determine a winner. These draws to the pin will be executed towards the home end and sweeping is only allowed by the throwing team. The team with hammer will decide who throws first.  Any player from the original team may throw. A replacement player cannot throw the draw but can sweep. If rocks are too close to call, throw again with the same player. It is strongly suggested to measure the first draw so a clear winner can be identified
2.   Games must start on time.
   • The team which delays the start of a game shall be penalized one point for each 10 minutes delay and one end shall be considered to have been played for each full 10 minute period. Curling etiquette demands the offending skip mark up the penalty score without discussion before the game begins. After 30 minutes delay, the game must be defaulted.
   • The team that has not delayed the game will automatically be awarded the hammer for the start of the match.
   • In the case of a major snowstorm and/or a significant traffic jam, the ladder coordinator may allow the early draw games to start late without penalty or to reschedule the game. In the case of a late start, game will consist of as many ends can be completed to respect the 8:35pm bell rule.

3. No team shall play a game short of players if a spare is available.
   • Any rink may designate, at any time, a fifth player provided that they are not a member of another rink in the same Ladder. Once designated as the fifth player on a team, they will remain part of that team for the remainder of the year. A player will only be considered as a fifth player after he/she has been clearly identified as a fifth player with the league coordinator.
   • A team can start a game if the 4th team member is on his/her way to the club.
   • A player wishing to spare should let it be known that she/he is available to play on that draw.
   • If a team refuses to take an available spare, it will default the game.
   • A minimum of three players are required on each team and there must be at least two members of the regular team present for a game to be legal.

4. Spares
   • It is hoped that teams will try to get a spare instead of postponing games or playing with only three players. This helps promoting the ladder as well as ensuring all curlers get the full benefit of their membership.
   • A spare may NOT throw skip stones (rocks 7 & 8), and a spare can ONLY be in the house calling line when skip stones (rocks 7 & 8) are being thrown.
   • A spare must play at the same position, or a lower position than the regular position of the missing player.
   • A spare may only play TWO games for any one team during a particular round. If, however, a skip wishes to permanently replace a player, the skip must advise the match committee.  Exception: in the Mixed Ladder, a female can spare more than two games per round for any given team.
   • Given exceptional circumstances, the Match Committee can grant on a per case basis certain accommodations to the spare rule. For example, this can happen when a spare is needed for many consecutive weeks because a player is injured. The Match Committee can also for exceptional reasons permit that a player be registered on two teams in the same league.
   • For the Mixed Ladder, the League Coordinator can allow a team to use a green (first- or second-year curler) male for the entire season instead of a female if no female player is available. If this male player needs a spare for a given game during the season, he can be replaced by any female or another green male player.
   • Spares must respect their membership category.

Notwithstanding the spare rules, respect and fair play command that the choice of your spare and the position they will play on your team does not significantly increase the level of play of your team for that game.

6. Start of the year standings
   • Teams will retain their standing from the previous season if the registered skip and one or more player(s) return together on any given team at any position. If this does not apply, the lead, second and third of a given team can retain their ranking if they will be playing together once again. Fifth players from the previous season or for the upcoming one will not be considered in establishing team rankings. Non ranked teams will be place in the order they signed up following the last ranked team.
   • New teams can be seeded in the A or B sections is they are clearly too skilled to play in the C or D sections. If possible, competitive teams with a proven track record will be seeded in the A while good new teams will be seeded in the B. This process is only possible when there is an opened spot (team not returning). No teams shall be ‘’bumped down’’ in this process.

7. Scoring

• • All teams must play the same number of games in a round.
  • The scoring system was changed starting in the 2025-2026 season. Each win is worth 1 point and no points are awarded for a loss.
  • The new formula is inspired by other sports and follows the principle of promotion and demotion. The teams with the most wins in a round are promoted to the higher section, and the teams with the fewest wins are demoted to the lower level.

8. End of round standings and tie-breakers

• • At the end of each round, a ranking will be made for each section based on the total number of wins.
  • In the event of a tie between two teams in the same section, the winner of the game between those two teams will be ranked ahead of the other.
  • In the event of a tie between three or more teams in the same section, the principle of “who beat whom” will be applied as often as necessary to determine the respective rankings of each team.
  • In the event that two of the teams involved in a tie in the same section have not played each other, each of the teams involved in the tie will retain their respective rankings.
  • In the event that two of the teams involved in a tie have played each other more than once, only the result of the last scheduled game between those two teams will be considered for ranking purposes.
  • The reclassification between two sections (A-B, B-C, and C-D) for the next round will depend on the number of teams in each section. In the following examples, the first number is the number of teams in the top section.
    • 8-8: 2 teams move up and 2 move down.
    • 8-9: 2 teams move up and 2 move down.
    • 9-9: 2 teams move up and 2 move down.
    • 8-10: 3 teams move up and 3 move down.
    • 9-10: 3 teams move up and 3 move down
    • 10-10: 3 teams move up and 3 move down
  • o   The new ranking of teams in a section for the next round will take into account the section from which the new teams come. If they come from the upper section, they will be ranked at the top of the section, and if they come from the lower section, they will be ranked at the bottom of the section.

9. Section playoff winners and Club Champions

• • The last round is considered the playoff round. The teams in each section with the best win/loss ratio will be considered the winners of their respective sections. Tiebreaker rules will apply.
  • The Club championship trophy will be awarded to the team with the most wins in Section A after three rounds. In the event of a tie, the games between the teams during the year (the three rounds) will be considered.
  • In the event of a three-way tie, the “who beat whom” principle will be applied as often as necessary to determine the respective rankings of each team.

10. Postponing Games
    • All teams should try their best to play each game as scheduled as there is limited free ice in which to play make up games. It goes without saying that a team requiring only one spare should not postpone a game.
    • Any rink desiring a postponement is responsible to contact the opposing rink and advise them of such before the game is scheduled to be played. In such a circumstance, the team postponing the game is responsible for rescheduling the game at a time acceptable to the opposing rink. Where postponed games have not been played by the end of the regular draw, the rink requesting the postponement will be charged with a loss (and not a default).
    • It is the responsibility of the rink postponing the game to also advise the Club manager and webmaster of such a postponement. By doing so, that sheet will be made available to teams wishing to make up a game. In the event that three or more members of a team represent the club in a branch or provincial competition, the skip may request the match committee to reschedule their game if an acceptable time cannot be agreed upon by the two teams or there is no ice availability.
    • The non-offending team is expected to make a reasonable effort to accommodate the rescheduling of the game.

11. Defaulted Game
    • When a game is defaulted, the offending team is given ZERO points for the default and the other non-offending team is awarded a win.
    • The following are grounds for defaults:
      • A team must consist of at least three players. There must be at least two members of the regular team present for a game to be legal.
      • Failure to postpone a game within the proper time limit (2 hours prior to the game). For games cancelled on the same day it is scheduled, any rink wanting to cancel a game shall contact verbally the skip or vice of the opposing team. Emails, text messages or messages left on an answering service are not considered as having contacted the opponent verbally unless there a personalized response is obtained from the other team.
      • Failure to take a spare when one has made it known it was available and present for the start of the game.

12. Other disputes or items not covered by these rules
    • In case of a conflict that is not covered by a rule or a specific case in which the blind application of the rule would be to the detriment of fair play, curling etiquette or the nature of the league and the Club, the Match committee can overrule. All decisions made by the Match committee are final.