League Rules and Bylaws

General Rules of Curling

All games during league play abide by the Curling Canada Rule Book with the exception of the No Tick rule. Paper copies of the rule book are available at the curling club. 

Members are expected to respect and follow all posted health and safety guidelines while using the facility.

The PRCL Board (or designate thereof) will have the final say in the interpretation of any rules.

Teams are encouraged to work out any questions of the rules of curling on the ice in a friendly manner. If an amicable resolution cannot be reached, teams should consult a PRCL board member for the interpretation of the rules.

Rules for Pacific Rim Curling League

Length of play

1. All games are 8 ends to a maximum of 2 hours of play.
   
   
2. Bell Rule: Teams will be alerted (via automated buzzer) when 25 minutes of play remain. At this cue, teams finish playing their current end and may complete one additional end, provided there are at least 10 minutes of play remaining.  An end is complete when the final stone has come to rest and the score has been agreed upon.
   
   
3. Out of courtesy to the other team, teams should be on the ice ready to start their game on time. If a team does not start play on time, they can be penalized. As per rule 16(3) of the Curling Canada rule book:
   1. If a game starts 1-15 minutes late, the non-offending team receives one point for the first end and the game begins in the second end, with the non-offending team having hammer
   2. If a game starts 16-30 minutes late, the non-offending team receives one point for both the first and second ends and the game begins in the third end, with the non-offending team having hammer
   3. If a game still has not started after 30 minutes, the non-offending team is declared winner by forfeit

Spares

1. A maximum of two spares can be added to your team roster for a game.
2. Spares must be members in good standing at the Vancouver Curling Club.
3. If four players are present, spares must throw either lead rocks (rocks 1 and 2) or second rocks (rocks 3 and 4).  If three players are present, spares must throw rocks 1, 2, and 3.
4. Spares may act in the skip or vice-skip role.
5. In the spirit of fair play, please use spares that are appropriate to your team and division’s skill level.

Season play

1. The league is composed of divisions of 7 teams.
2. Teams will play three rounds of six games each (one game vs. each other team in the division). 
3. Games must be played on the posted draw date and time.  Games are not allowed to be played at another date (ie. no “make up games”).
4. If you are unable to field a team of at least three players (two of whom must be registered team members) or if you do not show up for your scheduled game, your game result will be recorded as a forfeit.
5. Teams will accumulate points based upon their wins (W), ties (T), and losses (L). Forfeits (F) are worth zero (0) points.

Seeding procedure for each round

1. Round One: Teams are seeded into eight divisions of seven teams as per the drawmaster’s discretion to create divisions of teams with relatively equal skill level. This seeding is based primarily upon the combination of a team’s result from the previous season as well as each team member’s curling ability and experience.
   
   
2. Rounds Two and Three: Teams in each division are ranked according to the round points from their W-T-L record. The top two teams will be promoted to the next highest division; the bottom two teams will be relegated to the next lowest division.
   
   
3. During reseeding between rounds, the following criteria will be used (in order) to break ties in total accumulated points:
   1. Team that won the last head-to-head match
   2. Team in the higher division at the start of the last round played
   3. Team which had the greater number of points at the beginning of the round
   4. Random coin-flip by the drawmaster in the presence of a witness

Playoffs:

1. The Playoffs are a single-elimination knockout bracket.
   1. Brackets A-F will have three rounds
   2. Brackets G and H will only have two rounds
2. Teams will be seeded based on the total points accumulated throughout the season.
3. Brackets A-F: the Quarterfinal games will be as below:
   1. [1] vs [8]
   2. [2] vs [7]
   3. [3] vs [6]
   4. [4] vs [5]
4. Brackets G-H: the Semifinal games will be as below:
   1. [1] vs [4]
   2. [2] vs [3]
5. The winners of each game will move to the next round; the losers will be eliminated.
6. Each knockout bracket will progress until there is only one team remaining: they will be named the Bracket Winner, with the runner-up claiming second place.

League winner and the VCC Club Championships

1. The team who has accumulated the most points at the conclusion of Round Three (with ties broken as per the above rules) will be declared the League winner.
   
   
2. The top league teams will be invited to represent the PRCL at the VCC Club Championships and Presidents Cup in April, with teams being asked in order of their rank at the conclusion of Round Three.

Spare Program Code of Conduct

1. Teams are expected to contact spares of similar skill level to their team and division. This applies to all requests for spares, not just those that take place within League Buddy.
   1. An exception is allowed for Low Intermediate spares, who may accept requests from Novice teams and below.
      
      
2. The PRCL encourages teams to use PRCL registered spares as a first priority.  Please strive to contact this list before reaching out to other league members. 
   
3. Spares should be mindful of how often they accept requests to ensure all available spares have an opportunity to curl.
   
   
4. Spares playing in PRCL league games shall be members in good standing at the Vancouver Curling Club.  We recognize that from time-to-time friends or family members that are not current members may fill in as a spare; they are required to complete requirements that are set out by the VCC.  

Last updated August 30, 2026