Cincinnati Curling Club
US Curling Association Arena Nationals
Team Selection Process
The 2016 Arena National Championships will be held at Ice Line in West Chester, PA, on May 10th -15th, 2016.
The event has a Women’s and Men’s Division each with 20 teams that will compete for the National Arena Championship. The number of Clubs from our region (GLCA) who can compete will be proportionally based on the number of arena clubs within our region and the total number of regions submitting entries. A draw will be used to fill any additional spaces. As “a club that is a member in good standing of the USCA that conducts all its on-ice activities by renting ice from an ice facility that is not solely or predominantly used for curling”, we “can nominate one men’s team and one women’s team” to represent us at the Arena Nationals. Please see Section III, 2 of the USCA Rules of Curling & Competition for Eligibility Requirements. National Arena Champions do not advance to world play.
As per Section III, 3b of the USCA Rules of Curling & Competition, the selection of teams is at the discretion of the Arena Club. The following process has been defined by the Cincinnati Curling Club and approved by the board:
1) All teams interested in competing for the Cincinnati Curling Club Men’s or Women’s Nomination for Arena Nationals, will submit the attached form, including the names of all 4 players, by Feb 29th, 2016 to Jonathan Penney.
2) If the club receives a spot in the event and more than 1 team of a gender submits their names, then a playdown will occur.
a. 2 teams: the teams will compete head to head in one 8 end game with the winner receiving the nomination
b. 3 teams: a random selection (draw from a hat) will give one team a bye to the 2nd round, while the other two teams compete head to head in one 8 end game with the winner proceeding to play the team with the bye in one 8 end game with the winner receiving the nomination.
c. 4 teams: a playoff style format will be used with Team1vs2 and Team 3v4 with the winners of these games playing off for the Club nomination. All games will be 8 ends. Seeding for the initial games will be completed by drawing numbers from a hat.
3) The club will solicit ice time at a dedicated facility in Columbus or Fort Wayne to complete the above playdowns as needed. Each team competing in the play down will be charged $100 for ice time. Any additional cost will be paid by the CCC.
The teams awarded the nominations will be responsible for all costs associated with attending the USCA Arena Nationals. They may solicit sponsorship per USCA guidelines and Cincinnati Curling Club approval.
Cincinnati Curling Club
US Curling Association Arena Nationals
Ice Line in West Chester, PA, on May 10th -15th, 2016
Team Selection Playdown Registration Form
Team Gender: ______
Team Members:
Skip: ______
Third: ______
Second: ______
Lead: ______
Submit this form and $100 check made payable to Cincinnati Curling Club by Monday Feb 29th to
Jonathan Penney
7479 Hunters Trl
West Chester, OH
45069
The fee will be used to help pay for ice time for the playdown at a dedicated facility. If no playdown is needed or ice can be obtained for less than the fees collected, the board will return any unused funds to the teams.
SECTION III - USCA Championships
ARENA NATIONAL MEN’S and WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Overview: The USCA Arena National Championship is a club-based championship aimed at determining our top arena teams. An arena club is defined as a club that is a member in good standing of the USCA that conducts all its on-ice activities by renting ice from an ice facility that is not solely or predominantly used for curling. USCA Member Clubs can nominate one men’s team and one women’s team. The Arena Curling Committee will be responsible for selecting the teams for the championship. National Arena Champions do not advance to world play.
2. Event Eligibility: U.S. citizenship or residency is required. In addition to the USCA membership requirements in Section II, all team members must be dues-paying, league-playing members of the same USCA arena curling club. The USCA has not adopted a strict definition for a league-playing member of a club. Each region (or state) should determine who is acting in good faith in claiming to be a league-playing club member and each qualifying entrant must comply with his or her region’s ruling.
Each team may have a maximum of two players who are league playing, dues paying members of the arena curling club they represent and also curl at a dedicated ice facility. Stick curlers are not eligible to compete. Wheelchair curlers are allowed to compete, but must adhere to wheelchair curling rules.
3. Playdown Process and Format: The goal is to have 20 men’s teams and 20 women’s teams compete in separate men’s and women’s divisions for a total of 40 teams, subject to the fill policy. The number of entries each region receives will be proportionally based on the number of arena clubs within that region and the total number of regions submitting entries. The host club will receive one men’s and one women’s team entry. Entries (preregistrations) are to be submitted by clubs to the USCA national office. Entries in the championship go to a club, not an individual team.
(a) Fill policy: Additional spaces in the event will be filled via random draw of all remaining entries. If fewer than 20 men’s or 20 women’s teams register, the Arena Curling Committee may decide to reduce the number of teams competing for that gender. .
(b) Regional Competition Advancement: Clubs are responsible for determining their team selection process. The USCA realizes that arena clubs face many challenges and difficulties in booking ice time, and will leave it to the discretion of clubs as to how they go about this selection process. One requirement is all teams seeking to be nominated for the event have a reasonable opportunity to compete for the club’s nomination. (Examples of how this can be accomplished include: by comparing team records in ordinary league play, by organizing a separate playdown process in the club, or by comparing the performance of different club teams in interclub bonspiels.) The selection criteria should be made clear to all club teams in advance of the club's selection process.
(c) Finals Format: Pool Play format will be prepared by the Arena Curling Committee. Seeding is completed at the national office.