Sunday Open

• Contact Name: Chris Lindeman
• Contact Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sunday Open is a team-based league; email us to get on the waiting list for 2025-26.

Sunday Open General Rules

• We must be off the ice by 8:45 - the bell is just a reminder (see Clock Policy below).
• Games that are tied at the end of regulation (time or 8 ends) are recorded as ties.
• In the regular season, spares can call the game, but cannot throw last stones.
• You must have 2 members of your team playing to register a win.
• Sample of 16-team season (points W/T/L/F/D):
  • Week 1: warm-up night (0/0/0)
  • Week 2-16: round robin draw (20/12/8/4/-24)
  • Week 17-19: Power Pools (A = 20/12/8/4/-24, B = 15/9/6/3/-24, C = 10/6/4/2/-24, D = 5/3/2/1/-24)
  • Playoff bracket (must have winner; if tied then draw to the button only sweeping own stones)
    • Week 20: pre-quarters
    • Week 21: quarterfinals
    • Week 22: semifinals
    • Week 23: finals

Sunday Open Clock Policy

• We have 2 hours of contracted ice time and we are to be off the ice at the end of that time. As such, the clock rule that we use in the League, is that we honour our 2-hour time limit on the ice.
• Procedurally, skips should decide for themselves how many more ends they will have after the 5th end - whether there is time for 1, 2, or 3 more ends.
• Deciding to play more ends does not guarantee that many ends will be played. If the decision is to play more ends the teams should continue playing at a proper pace. Going a small amount over time (up to 5 minutes, ideally already into the skip stones when clock goes off) to complete the final end is ok as long as you are not making a habit of it. Open Ice is after us, so while it it tempting to finish playing, we do not have permission to go over time.
• There will be a buzzer that goes off about 25 minutes before the end of our draw. The absolute maximum that can happen after this buzzer is to complete the current end and play one more, regardless of what was previously decided. However, this is still subject to being off the ice at the end of our draw, and does not guarantee that the "one more end" can be completed.

Default Rule

• It is the responsibility of the defaulting team to contact the members of the opposition to let them know they will not be in attendance. The Team Reps have a contact list for all League Members so they can notify their opponents. If a member of the opposition shows up then a default will be registered.
• If a team will be unable to play, then it is their responsibility to give their opposition adequate notice. Adequate notice is:
  • At least 24 hours by phone, or 48 hours by email
  • And emailing the league coordinator (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) before the scheduled game start time
    • If adequate notice is provided, then a forfeit loss (F) will be recorded. A forfeit loss is worth ½ points of a L.
    • If adequate notice is not provided, then a default loss (D) will be recorded. A default loss is worth -24 points.
  • Teams with more than 1 default:
    • Are not eligible to represent the League in the Club Chamionship, regardless of their performance in the playoff bracket.
    • May not be invited to return in subsequent seasons.
  • Weather-related exceptions to the default rule will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
    • Note that even in the event of extreme weather, it is unlikely that games will be cancelled unless the City of Vancouver decides to close Hillcrest.

Spares

• Spares must be VCC members.
• You can access to a list of members that have expressed interest in sparing for Sunday Open by loggin into the Member's Page section of the Vancurl website. Please give as much advanced notice as possible. Ultimately you, and your team, are responsible for making sure that you have enough players for the game.

Tie Breakers for Power Pools & Playoff Seeding

1. Team with fewest Defaults wins the tie breaker, then:
2. Direct Head-to-Head, if possible
3. Most wins
4. Comparison of how they perform versus the top team(s) in the standings (working down the standings list until the tie is broken)
5. Coin flip

Playoff Rules

• Everyone makes the Playoffs.
• The higher seeded team gets the choice of hammer and stones (throughout playoffs).
• You must have 2 members of your team playing to register a win.
• Spares must play front-end positions (spare 1 plays lead, spare 2 plays second).
• Playoff games must have a winner.
  • If tied at the end of regulation (time or 8 ends) - draw to the button with only throwing team sweeping.
    • Stone must have a piece of the rings to register the win.
    • Higher seeded team gets the choice of throwing first or second.
    • Throws should be made in the same direction as the most recently completed end.
• For the Championship Final Game, if both teams agree to play on a different sheet, they have the right to switch ice with any other game as long as they inform those teams before the teams enter the ice.

VCC Club Championships

• The winner of the playoff bracket gets the League’s spot in the VCC Championship (April 13-14).
• If the League receives 2 spots for the Championship, and/or a team refuses their spot in the Championship, total points from the regular season (round robin + pools) will be used to determine the order in which other teams will be offered the League's spot(s).