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Team meeting document for Baltic Cup 2009
To ensure that all the competing teams are properly informed about the Baltic Cup 2009, the Chief Umpire, and the Organizing Committee provides the following Team Meeting Information Document before the start of play.
There will also be final instructions given at the Team Meeting scheduled for 19:00 on Thursday, 08 January 2009 in the Oulunkylä Curling Club.
Teams are reminded about WCF Rules of Competition (2008), rule C2(h), which states that all players and their coach must attend the Team Meeting. Failure to do so, without approval of the Chief Umpire, will result in the forfeit of the last stone advantage for that team in their first game.
Olli Rissanen …Chief Umpire
COMPETITION OFFICIALS
Chairman of the Organising Committee - Karlis Smilga (Latvia)
Chief Umpire and the President of the
Finnish Curling Association - Olli Rissanen (Finland)
President of the Oulunkylä Curling Club - Markku Uusipaavalniemi (Finland)
Deputy Chief Umpire - Yrjö Franssila (Finland)
TEAM MEETING
Thursday, 08 January 2009 … 19:00 … Oulunkylä Curling Club
1. Confirmation of the Teams Present:
Women
Estonia 1 (EST 1)
Estonia 2 (EST 2)
Finland 1 (FIN 1)
Finland 2 (FIN 2)
Latvia 1 (LAT 1)
Latvia 2 (LAT 2)
Poland 1 (POL 1)
Russia 1 (RUS 1)
Russia 2 (RUS 2)
Men
Estonia 1 (EST 1)
Estonia 2 (EST 2)
Finland 1 (FIN 1)
Finland 2 (FIN 2)
Latvia 1 (LAT 1)
Latvia 2 (LAT 2)
Lithuania (LTU)
Poland 1 (POL 1)
Russia 1 (RUS 1)
Russia 2 (RUS 2)
2. Introduction and Welcoming Comments:
3. Doping Control: Random testing for prohibitive substances may be done during the event.
4. Ice Access – Footwear: At all times the footwear which is being used in the playing area must be clean (not worn outside). This also applies to team coaches and officials. The players are also reminded not to put their hands or knees on the ice, and please protect the hacks.
5. Ice Access – Uniforms: All team members must wear identical uniforms when accessing the field of play for games or practice sessions.
Coaches / Team Officials must wear a proper team or Association uniform when accessing the field of play for games or practice sessions.
Failure to wear the appropriate clothing will result in access to the field of play being denied.
Please note that jeans are not considered appropriate clothing.
6. Rules: This Competition will be using the rules from the current (June 2008) World Curling Federation’s ‘The Rules of Curling and Rules of Competition’, a copy of which is available on the WCF website (www.worldcurling.org). Any deviation from those rules will be indicated at the Team Meeting.
7. System of Play:
1. The Women (9 teams) will be divided into two (2) groups “A” and “B”. The teams in each group are listed in the Schedule. Each group plays a round-robin series. At the end of the round-robin series there must be a clear ranking for 1st till 4th position in each group. The playoff format will then be:
- the team ranked 1st from “A” plays against the team ranked 2nd from “B”, the winner of this game qualifies to the Final. The looser goes to the bronze medal game.
- the team ranked 1st from “B” plays against the team ranked 2nd from “A”, the winner of this game qualifies to the Final. The looser goes to the bronze medal game.
- the team ranked 3rd from “A” plays against the team ranked 3rd from “B”, the winner of this game qualifies as 5th in overall ranking.
- the team ranked 4th from “A” plays against the team ranked 4th from “B”, the winner of this game qualifies as 7th in overall ranking.
2. The Men (10 teams) will be divided into two (2) groups “C” and “D”. The teams in each group are listed in the Schedule. Each group plays a round-robin series. At the end of the round-robin series there must be a clear ranking for 1st till 4th position in each group. The playoff format will then be:
- the team ranked 1st from “C” plays against the team ranked 2nd from “D”, the winner of that game qualifies to the Final. The looser goes to the bronze medal game.
- the team ranked 1st from “D” plays against the team ranked 2nd from “C”. The winner of this game qualifies to the Final. The looser goes to the bronze medal game.
- the team ranked 3rd from “A” plays against the team ranked 3rd from “B”, the winner of this game qualifies as 5th in overall ranking.
- the team ranked 4th from “A” plays against the team ranked 4th from “B”, the winner of this game qualifies as 7th in overall ranking.
8. The Draw / Games Schedule: Any changes will be indicated at the Team Meeting.
9. Colour of Stones: The team listed first in the draw will use the stones with the dark coloured handles. The team listed second in the draw will use the stones with the light coloured handles.
10. Playing Uniforms: Where possible, dark coloured upper garments shall be worn when playing the dark handled stones, and light coloured upper garments shall be worn when playing the light handled stones.
Note: Under WCF Rules of Competition, Rule C3 (a), red is considered a dark colour.
11. Stones: The stones are the regular stones of the Oulunkylä Curling Club.
12. Games: Games will be scheduled for 8 ends (with time limit however!). Tied games will be decided by extra end(s). A minimum of 6 ends must be completed in all games. Tie-breaker games will be scheduled for four ends (without time limit!).
13. Game Timing: TIME CLOCKS WILL NOT BE USED. After 95 minutes of play there will be a signal after which the started end should be finished and one more end played. There is no time limit for Tie Breaker and Play off games. Where the Chief Umpire considers play is unnecessarily slow he shall notify the skip of the team at fault that if the stone is not delivered within 45 seconds from the time he gives a signal, he will order the stone to be removed from play immediately.
14. Time-outs and Breaks during the Games: Since time clocks will not be in use, there will not be any “team time-outs” or breaks permitted during the games.
15. Draw Shot Challenge (DSC): The DSC is the average distance of the Last Stone Draws which were played by a team during the round robin portion of the schedule. The single least favourable LSD result is automatically eliminated before calculating this average distance. The team with the lesser DSC receives the higher ranking.
16. First Stone in the First End Round Robin Games (Last Shot Draw): For round robin games, at the conclusion of the team’s pre-game practice, one player delivers one stone to the tee at the playing end. The team with the lesser Last Stone Draw (LSD) distance has the choice of delivering first or second stone in the first end. If the LSDs are equal, a toss of the coin will determine which team has the choice. It is assumed that the teams winning the LSD will want second stone, if this is not the case, the team should tell an umpire before the start of their pre-game practice.
17. Team Ranking Procedure: The following criteria (in order) will be used to rank teams at the completion of the round-robin games:
i. - Teams will be ranked on their win / loss record.
ii. - If two teams are tied, the team that won their round robin game will be ranked higher.
iii. - Where three or more teams are tied and the record of games provides a ranking for some teams but not for all, then those remaining teams whose ranking has not been decided will use the record of games between them to determine the ranking.
iv. - Where ranking cannot be decided by (i) or (ii) or (iii) this will be determined by using the Draw Shot Challenge.
18. Pre-Game Practice: There will be a 5 minute practice for both teams before the games with the first practice starting at the game start time and the second practice starting approximately 6 minutes after the first practise.
The team marked with * in the Schedule has the first practice session, except for the first game of the teams in “A”, these teams must toss a coin during the Team Meeting to decide which team will have first practice in their first game.
For all pre-game practices only the declared team players, the team coach, and the national team coach or team official / translator may enter the playing area. Those entering the field of play are reminded that the correct uniform must be worn.
19. Practice Control: The umpires will control the practices. The following announcements will be used and you must wait for the appropriate announcement before beginning practice, checking the stones, or being on the ice surface:
- One minute to the start of first practice (sliders may be cooled, but no sliding on the ice)
- First practice may begin
- (after 4 minutes) One minute until the end of first practice
- (after 5 minutes) First practice is over, please play the Last Stone Draw
(slight pause so players have time to leave the ice)
- Second practice will begin shortly (sliders may be cooled, but no sliding on the ice)
- Second practice may begin
- (after 4 minutes) One minute until the end of second practice
- (after 5 minutes) Second practice is over; please play the Last Stone Draw
(Players are asked to assist the ice maker by returning all stones to the home end.)
20. First Stone in the First End of Post Round Robin Games:
- if a tie-breaker game: the winner of their round robin game has the choice of first or second stone in the first end; the team with first stone in the first end has the choice of stone handle colour; the team with last stone in the first end has first practice
- for the rest of the play-off games: toss a coin with the winner selecting the stone colour or 1st or 2nd practice, use the LSD to determine which team has first stone in the first end.
21. Ice for Post Round Robin Games: The ice for tie-breaker games and play-off games will be determined by the Chief Umpire during the post round robin team meetings. Decisions (stone colours, etc.) must be made before leaving those meetings.
22. Scoring: The players in charge of the house at the conclusion of an end should agree on the score and then mark it on the scoreboard. At the end of the game it is the responsibility of one player from each team to confirm the score by signing the scorecard.
23. Measures: Umpires will do the measuring when available, but also the team may do the measuring by themselves. At the completion of the end players should clear away all the stones that are not involved in the measure. The players then move either to the hog line or behind the hacks leaving the ice free for the Umpire. The persons in charge of the house at the completion of the end will be allowed to observe the measure provided there is no attempt to either interfere with or influence the Umpire.
When a Free Guard Zone measure has to be made by the Umpire, and providing that the stone or stones remain untouched for the remainder of the end, no further measure is required as the decision shall stand.
24.Hog Line Violations: The first, and only, warning shall be the instruction at the Team Meeting. Any further infractions shall result in the stone being removed from play.
25.Clothing / Kit Bags: Please place all items neatly away. Clothing discarded during the games should also be placed out of the way and not dropped directly behind or to the side of the ice. At the end of games all team and personal equipment must be removed from the field of play.
26. Coach and 5th Players: Seating will be explained during the Team Meeting.
27. Mobile Telephones / Photography: Mobile phones should be switched off before entering the arena. Flash photography is not permitted inside the venue.
28. Smoking: Is not permitted anywhere within the curling club.
29. Improper Conduct: Improper conduct, foul or offensive language, equipment abuse, or wilful damage on the part of any player, coach or team official is prohibited. Any violation may result in the ejection of the offending person(s) by the Chief Umpire, and possible expulsion or suspension from present or future competitions.
30. Decisions: It is hoped that all the players conduct themselves in a fair and sporting manner and that the Umpires will not have to get overly involved in the competition. If an umpire is asked to make a ruling it will be done with complete fairness, and always according to the rules.
31. Etiquette: Etiquette is the backbone of curling; please read the following from the WCF “The Rules of Curling”:
THE SPIRIT OF CURLING
Curling is a game of skill and of tradition. A shot well executed is a delight to see and it is also a fine thing to observe the time-honoured traditions of curling being applied in the true spirit of the game. Curlers play to win, but never to humble their opponents. A true curler never attempts to distract opponents, nor to prevent them from playing their best, and would prefer to lose rather than to win unfairly.
Curlers never knowingly break a rule of the game, nor disrespect any of its traditions. Should they become aware that this has been done inadvertently, they will be the first to divulge the breach.
While the main object of the game of curling is to determine the relative skill of the players, the spirit of curling demands good sportsmanship, kindly feeling and honourable conduct.
This spirit should influence both the interpretation and the application of the rules of the game and also the conduct of all participants on and off the ice.
32. Questions or Comments
33. Thank you … Good luck and good curling
