World Team Ranking Calculations

The World Curling Team Ranking System (WCTRS) points model will determine the points awarded for all events using a combination of size, strength of field and relative importance of large events if necessary.

The WCTRS is a “one Curling season” list with teams still allowed to count their best eight events each season.

The WCTRS is a combination of a reducing importance of prior year results and the best events from each season. For further information on the WCTRS rankings can be found here.

The WCTRS ranking will allow a defined number of “maximum events” throughout the season until reaching the full eight. The following are the dates and maximum events allowable at each date:

• 2 August 2022 to 4 October 2022 = two events allowed
• 5 October 2022 to 30 October 2022 = three events allowed
• 1 November 2022 to 6 December 2022 = four events allowed
• 7 December 2022 to 3 January 2023 = five events allowed
• 4 January 2023 to 31 January 2023 = six events allowed
• 1 February 2023 to 28 February 2023 = seven events allowed
• 1 March 2023 to end of season = Maximum eight events allowed

Note that events played prior to each date of roll-out can still count towards your yearly total, however only the best number of events will count at each checkpoint. Example: Team A plays three events prior to 1 October 2022 and earned 30, 30 & 10 points at their three events. Their point total will be 60 (30+30) up to 4 October,  then 70 (30+30+10) on 5 October when the next allowable event slot is opened.

General Rules

Changes were made this season to simplify the Strength of Field Multiplier (SFM) process for all teams and provide a greater clarity in advance of all events. The World Curling Championships and Grand Slam of Curling series will have a defined SFM already outlined to start the season:

Tour Cashpiels and Playdowns / Special events will utilize a Strength of Field Multiplier and can reach a maximum SFM as follows:

Note that all SFM calculations are rounded down to the nearest half point (0.5). For example, if Strength of Field Multiplier is calculated at 4.25, then the event will use a 4.0 Strength of Field Multiplier event; 5.76 would use a 5.5 Strength of Field Multiplier event, etc.

Strength of Field Multiplier Calculation

Team total:

Team contributions are calculated based on the WCTRS ranking as of the Tuesday prior to the event. Each eligible team that competes is included and the contributions are as follows:

Teams scale:

The teams contribution total is then scaled to normalize to a 24 team event. The formula is as follows:

24 / N where N equals the total number of teams playing in the event.

Teams factor:

For Tour Cashspiel events, the minimum number of teams for CTRS inclusion is eight. The formula to factor this in will be determine as follows:

1 + (n – 16) * 0.03125 where N equals the total number of teams playing in the event.

Purse factor:

There will be no purse factor calculation for 2022–2023 season.

Importance factor:

National Championships will have an importance factor bump of 65%. Total amount will be multiplied by 1.65

Also note that single knockout formats will receive a 25% reduction of total SFM before adjusting for base points.

Base points multiplier:

Once SFM is determined (either through calculation or pre-season set total) teams will earn points based on their final ranking as follows:

Note: if a bronze medal game is played to determine third place then the bronze medallist will receive 4.25 * SFM and the fourth place will receive 3.00 * SFM.

Note: An eight team field will have four playoffs positions, assigned the four SFM values above. Should an event have two semi-finalists, the SFM values would be 3.625 = (4.25+3)/2

Points-Per win is calculated as 0.375 * SFM * number of team wins for teams that do not make the playoffs.

Tour Cashspiel and Playdown Rules

• Events must post results, which includes full team rosters, draw schedule and full line scores on their own private website or through the results service.
• Acceptable formats: round robin, pools, single/double/triple knockout
• The Five Rock Free Guard Zone rule must be used for all events.
• Events must use International or National Federation rules as part of any event. Rules can be adapted with approval from WCTRS Committee and can be contacted: Colin Grahamslaw ([email protected])
• All games must be eight or 10 ends in length. Tie-breaker games can be six ends.
• For a team to count WCTRS points toward their yearly total, they must have at least three of four of the registered players on the ice at all times during the event.
  • This means during every end of every game.
  • The duty rests on the team to indicate when they are not eligible.
  • Teams found in violation will lose all points for the event in question and subject to a penalty of two times the scaled SFM value (i.e. if the scaled SFM value was 3.5 the penalty would be 7.0 points).
• Team changes – Due to the nature of testing out lineups, teams have until 31 October of the current season to finalise their lineup to earn points for the season. Should a team make a lineup change that will affect the opening season points or points earned during the season, changes will be made retroactively to reflect the new lineup.
• The SFM value will be calculated on the Tuesday prior to the event in question.
• WCTRS playoff points are available to the top half of the field (rounding down) to a maximum of eight teams. Events with 16+ teams will therefore generate eight teams with playoff points and events with 12–13 teams can generate playoff points to the top six, etc.
  • For event where finding the top half of the field includes teams finishing in an equal placing but leaves greater than 50% of the field receiving points, the following calculations will be completed: the teams that make up the tied placings that finish with a losing record will get 50% of their qualifying points and all other records will get full points.
  • Exception – single knockout formats will only allow 25% of the field to receive fixed points.
  • For events offering more qualifiers than allow, the SFM values for the last qualifying position will be split. Four qualifiers for three allowable spots = SFM value * (3/4).

Tie-breakers within the rankings

Note that there is no ties or effective ties.

If teams are tied at any point in the rankings, ties will be broken as follows:

1. If one team has a lower number of counting events than the team they are tied with, the team with less events will be ranked higher
   1. Example – Team A has 140 points in seven events and Team B has 140 points in eight events; Team A is ranked higher than Team B
2. If a tie cannot be determined by point one, each team will remove their lowest counting point total and totals will be recalculated until the tie is broken:
   1. Example – Team A has 140 points in eight events with their lowest counting event being a “10”. Team B has 140 points in eight events with their lowest counting event being a “5”.
   2. Team A removes their “10” and now has 130 points in seven events. Team B removes their “5” and now has 135 points in seven events. Team B is now ranked higher than Team A

Challenges

Challenges for registered teams or point allocations must be made within seven days of the event and submitted to the following email addresses:

Colin Grahamslaw, World Curling Federation [email protected]