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Byline: Steve Buist
Source: The Hamilton Spectator
Date: March 25, 2004

FIXING THE CLOCK RULE WOULD BALANCE GAME

We have seen the arrival of the four-rock rule, and we sing its praises.

We have seen the advent of technologically-advanced stones that take the guesswork out of calling hogline violations, and we say: This, too, is good.

Now, there's one small bit of tinkering left that the Canadian Curling Association should do to make a great game even better.

It's time for the CCA to do something about time -- specifically, the way games are timed at national events.

Under the current setup, each team gets 75 minutes to play a 10-end game. Once your opponent's stone comes to rest, your clock starts and the time runs until your stone comes to rest.

But here's the problem, which could become even more acute now that the four-rock rule is in place and there's more need to depend on strategy.

When a team is behind and trying to catch up, it usually needs to play a lot of guards and draws. Those shots take more time to slide down the ice and come to rest.

A team that's ahead can usually play more takeouts -- faster shots that take much less time off the clock.

So teams that are playing from behind face quadruple jeopardy: they're already losing, they need to play shots that take more time, they probably need more time to figure out strategy and then they might have to worry about the clock.

Luckily, there's a relatively simple solution that the CCA should adopt.

Instead of giving each team an amount of time that includes both a strategy and delivery component, the CCA could allot time for just the strategy component of a game.

So, for example, each team might get, say, 35 minutes to play a game.

Once the other team's rock stops, your clock starts. Once you start delivery of the stone, your clock stops, and neither clock is operating until your rock comes to a stop.

When your rock stops, the other team's clock starts until they start delivering a stone, and so on.

The only time that gets counted is what we'll call strategy time.

With this system, it doesn't matter what type of shot is delivered.

Whether it's a guard or a takeout, it won't count against your time.

And that's how you make a great game that much better.

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Comments, questions and information are always welcome. I can be reached by ...

Phone: 905-526-3226
Fax: 905-526-1395
E-mail/Courriel: sbuist@thespec.com

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