Mixed Doubles / Pairs Curling

As mentioned by Marko, WCC is introducing "mixed doubles" during this session. We don't have enough female curlers this season so lets call it as "pairs curling" for now. Art and I played last year in San Jose and we thought it was fun, involving so much strategies. Curling purist hates it but for a small club struggling to attract participants, mixed pair could be a savior. The unusual aspect of the game is the placing of two rocks prior to each end. Here's a few rules from World Curling Federation:

1. Prior to the start of every end, one team shall instruct the game umpire to place their team’s stationary stone (1), and their opponent’s stationary stone (1), in either position A or B:

a) A stone bisecting the center line, midway between the hog line and the front of the house; or
b) A stone on the back half of the button, bisecting the center line and touching the tee line.

2. The team having the decision on the placement of the stationary stones shall be:
(a) Unless predetermined, the teams opposing each other in the game shall use a coin toss to determine which team has the decision in the first end. (Note that at the World Mixed Double Championships, this will be determined by the Draw Shot Distance)
(b) Following the first end, the team that lost the end will have the decision on the placement.
(c) If an end is blanked, the team that did not deliver the last stone in that end shall have the decision on placement in the next end.

3. The team whose stationary stone is placed in the position in front of the house shall deliver first in that end, and the team whose stationary stone is placed in the house shall deliver the second stone of that end.



By the way, world mixed doubles will start this weekend in Finland. Here's the official website.

And here's the mixed doubles intro video released by the WCF:



Jojo
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