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:
- 1 August 2023 to 1 October 2023 = two events allowed + 100% of 2022-2023
- 2 October 2023 to 22 October 2023 = three events allowed + 75% of 2022-2023
- 23 October 2023 to 12 November 2023 = four events allowed + 62.5% of 2022-2023
- 13 November 2023 to 3 December 2023 = five events allowed + 50% of 2022-2023
- 4 December 2023 to 31 December 2023 = six events allowed + 37.5% of 2022-2023
- 1 January 2024 to 28 January 2024 = seven events allowed + 25% of 2022-2023
- 29 January 2024 to end of season = Maximum eight events allowed + 0% of 2022-2023
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 2023 and earned 30, 30 & 10 points at their three events. Their point total will be 60 (30+30) up to 1 October, then 70 (30+30+10) on 2 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:
| Strength of Field — Set Point Events for 2022–2023 Season | |
| World Championships | 11.0 |
| GSOC — Players Championship | 10.0 |
| GSOC — Masters, National, Open | 10.0 |
| GSOC — Tour Challenge & Champions Cup | 10.0 |
Tour Cashpiels and Playdowns / Special events will utilize a Strength of Field Multiplier and can reach a maximum SFM as follows:
| Strength of Field — Tour Cashspiels for 2022–2023 Season | |
| Tour Cashpiels – Maximum | 7.0 |
| Importance factor increase for Special Event / Playdowns | |
| Nationals | 75% to a maximum of 10.0 |
| Europeans & Pan Continental | 75% to a maximum of 10.0 |
Note that all events in the Special Event / Playdowns category that have a field below eight (8) teams will be filled up to eight teams with teams counting 0.00 and then SFM will be calculated following this.
Regulation regarding events dropping SFM from prior season
PLEASE NOTE: The regulation, released prior to 2022–2023 season, indicating that no event can drop more than 1.0 in the SFM from the previous season will be retained for the 2023–2024 season.
Example:
• Event A was played in October 2022 and played to a 5.5 SFM.
• Event A is played in October 2023, the SFM will be calculated based on the teams competing.
• If the calculated SFM in October 2023 is 4.0, the event in October 2023 will be played to a 4.5 SFM.
• If the calculated SFM in October 2023 is 4.5 or higher it will be played to the calculated SFM this season.
• Note: New Events will play to the calculated SFM from this season and this regulation will relate to the event played in the 2024–2025 season
• Note: This regulation does not relate to Special Events / Playdowns
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:
| WCTRS Ranking | SFM Contribution |
| 1 | 0.45 |
| 2 | 0.44 |
| 3 | 0.43 |
| 4 | 0.42 |
| 5 | 0.41 |
| 6 | 0.40 |
| 7 | 0.39 |
| 8 | 0.38 |
| 9 | 0.37 |
| 10 | 0.36 |
| 11 | 0.35 |
| 12 | 0.34 |
| 13 | 0.33 |
| 14 | 0.32 |
| 15 | 0.31 |
| 16 | 0.30 |
| 17 | 0.29 |
| 18 | 0.28 |
| 19 | 0.27 |
| 20 | 0.26 |
| 21 | 0.25 |
| 31-50 | 0.20 |
| 51-75 | 0.15 |
| 76-100 | 0.10 |
| 101-200 | 0.05 |
| 200+ | 0.01 |
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 2023–2024 season.
Importance factor:
National Championships will have an importance factor bump of 75%. Total amount will be multiplied by 1.75
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:
| Placing | Base Point Value |
| 1st | 7.50 |
| 2nd | 5.50 |
| 3rd – 4th | 4.25 * |
| 5th-8th | 3.00 |
* If a bronze medal game is played to determine third place and the field is 10 teams or more then the bronze medallist will receive 4.50 * SFM and the fourth place will receive 4.00 * SFM.
In a nine team or less field with have four playoffs positions, the following SFM values: 1st (7.50), 2nd (5.50), 3rd (4.25), 4th (3). 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 or two of three 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).
- Teams may apply for an exemption to these rules for medical or leave exemptions, which should be requested prior to any competition where a change will be needed. To request an exemption, email [email protected]
- If player(s) are selected to represent their Member Association at a World Curling Federation sanctioned championship, the team will be eligible for special exemption to replace the player(s) without penalty.
- 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:
- 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
- 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
- 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:
- 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”.
- 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]
