What improvements will we see this season?

The PRCL prides itself on being a blend of a competitive and social league. Based on feedback we've received from our members, we’ve modified the placement of teams in Round One (i.e. the first six weeks of play).

There are three modifications:

• Teams are slotted into Divisions A through F based upon the relative skill level; 
• The points system used in Rounds 2 and 3 from previous years has now been adapted for Round 1 (see table below); and,
• After each round, teams will be capped (from moving up or down) by a maximum of two divisions.

Why are these modifications needed?

The PRCL has received significant feedback about the uneven competition in Round 1, with the ‘experienced’ teams often beating the ‘novice’ teams by large margins in few ends. This can be discouraging for the novice teams just learning the game, and present little challenge for the more competitive teams.  This is a particularly concern for the league given that Round 1 is almost one third of the total PRCL play. 

Until now, the response has always been simply "it will even out in Round 2". This modification aims to even out the playing field for all teams and increase the competitiveness of Round 1. 

How was Round 1 structured in previous years?

All teams using an identical points system (i.e. a win was worth the same amount of points, no matter what division you were in). Teams were "semi-randomly" grouped into divisions, with competitive, intermediate, and novice teams evenly distributed amongst all divisions. Often, competitive teams routinely won all their Round 1 games, and novice teams would tend to lose all their opening games.

How are relative team skill levels determined?

This was determined by:

• Where teams placed in the previous season;
• Years of curling experience and self-identified team skill level provided during registration; and,
• The board's collective knowledge of individual players and teams.

While not an exact science, we are confident the assembled divisions offer a more level playing field at the start of the season. Team rankings will naturally adjust up or down from here according to the team's performance over the 20 weeks of regular season league play.

Do any other leagues use a similar method?

Yes, Toronto's gay curling league (the largest in Canada) uses a similar method, as does the VCC Thursday Open.

How many points will wins, losses, and ties in Round 1 be worth?

Awarded points will follow the same values used in Rounds 2 and 3 in previous years:

Why are you awarding more points for teams that win games in Division A than in Division F?

This is to prevent teams for swinging significantly between divisions after each round. This system has been used successfully in Rounds 2 and 3 in previous years.

What happens if a team in Division A goes 0-7, or a team in Division F goes 7-0?

This scenario was reviewed extensively. In previous years after Round 1, it was rare for teams to win or lose all their games. For example, in Rounds 2 and 3 last year, most teams won at least 2 or 3 games.

As an added precaution, a team will not move up or down more than two divisions during re-ranking after each round. For example, a team that does poorly during Round 1 in Division A could only drop as far as Division C. Likewise, a team that does extremely well in Round 1 in Division E can only rise as far as Division B (*Note: this is not anticipated to come into effect much, if at all).

How will you be able to limit teams from rising/falling more than two divisions?

Teams that would be affected by the 2 division rise/fall limit will be fixed into their capped division (e.g. a team capped from rising past division B would be placed in division B). The remaining slots will be filled in as per normal (from highest to lowest points). Teams will retain the points they earned in the previous round.

I think my team was placed incorrectly. Can you move my team to a lower/higher division?

All teams are encouraged to play under the modified system. We believe the groupings are "in-the-ballpark" fair to allow teams to compete in a level playing field right from the start of the season.

We do value your feedback, so at any time throughout the season please provide your feedback to us.  As well, ensure you include your comments on how things went in our end-of-season survey.

I still have a few comments and/or questions.

All feedback is welcome! Email us at pacrimcurling@gmail.com.