Welcome back, members and friends of Cape Cod Curling Club! For the 2025-26 season, we will be following several rules that differ from
last season:
1. THE NO TICK RULE
NEW THIS SEASON, all games at CCCC will follow World Curling’s Rule 7 - No Tick Shot. Although this rule has been part of the World Curling Rules for several seasons, last season, use of Rule 7 was
limited at CCCC by the Curling Committee to CCCC’s Competitive League. That limitation has been removed for 2025 by the Curling Committee. See CCCC Rules and Regulations, adopted August 2025
by the Curling Committee.
Rule 7. No Tick Shot states:
“If, prior to the delivery of the sixth stone of an end, a delivered stone causes either directly or indirectly, an opposition stone in the Free Guard Zone (FGZ) which is touching the centre line to be moved to an off centre line position or to a position outside the FGZ, the non-offending team has the option to:
(i) Remove the delivered stone from play, and replace all stones that were displaced to their positions prior to the violation taking place; or
(ii) Leave all the stones where they came to rest. If the stone is moved from the centre line to an-out-of play position, then FGZ
Rule R6(b) applies. [see below for text of FGZ Rule R6(b)] This does not apply for Wheelchair Curling or for Mixed Doubles Competition. “
Rule 6 Free Guard Zone (FGZ) (b) states:
“(b) If, prior to the delivery of the sixth stone of an end, a delivered stone causes either directly or indirectly, an opposition stone to be moved from the FGZ to an out-of-play position, then the delivered stone is removed from play, and any displaced stones are replaced, by the non-offending team, to their positions prior to the violation taking place.”
Although these rules are straightforward, consider the following points as you learn and think about this Rule for the upcoming season:
Rule 7 is applied when a stone moved off the centerline does not go out of play (ie, it is still in the FGZ or the house). Rule 6(b) is applied if the stone moved off the centerline goes out of play. Rule 7 allows the non-offending team two remedy options — remove delivered stone and replace all displaced stones to prior positions, OR leave all stones where they came to rest. Rule6(b) allows only one
remedy, removal of the offending stone and replacement of any displaced stones to positions prior to the violation.
Rule 7 No Tick Rule does not apply to Wheelchair or Mixed Doubles
curling (including Open Doubles at CCCC).
Rule 6 Free Guard Zone FGZ [ which includes part 6(b)] does apply to Wheelchair Curling but does not apply to Mixed Doubles (including Open Doubles at CCCC)
Instead, see Rule 17, specifically section (e), for Mixed Doubles prohibitions on removing certain stones out-of-play and remedies for replacement.
Determining whether a stone is on the centre line can usually be done visually, with agreement between skips. However, when mutual consent cannot be found, measurement can be done with the
carpenter’s squares (bright orange/red color) found in the ice shed. Just remember, measurements use time on the clock.
2. A SUB “SHALL NOT BE IN CHARGE OF THE HOUSE”
The first sentence of Paragraph 3.Substitutes, section (b) of the CCCC Rules and Regulations, as adopted by the Curling Committee August 25, 2025, now reads “Subs should play as either lead or second and shall not be in charge of the house” (emphasis added to highlight added change).
So, in general a sub plays lead or second and shall not function as vice or skip. There is one exception. If either player in the back end needs a sub AND neither the lead or the second is required to move up as newer curlers, the sub may move into the third position and function in the house.
IN CONCLUSION:
Not too bad. Only two significant rule changes to learn and think about. As you get ready for the new season, it might also be a good time to review and think about all the rules. Knowing the rules can definitely save time, as the clock ticks away. All the rules, regulations, etc followed at CCCC can be found:
A. On the CCCC website, capecodcurling.org. Log in as a Member and go to Curling, Rules and Regulations, where you can find links.
B. World Curling Rules can also be found on the World Curling website, worldcurling.org, under Resources, The Rules of Curling (2025).
C. A red binder at the Club’s front desk contains printed copies of the World Curling, The Rules of Curling (2025), and a printed copy of our local CCCC Rules and Regulations as Adopted August 2025, plus a glossary of terms.
