Owatonna Curling Club 2020 Return to Curling Guidelines - "Good Curling!"

Owatonna Curling Club
        2020

  Return to Curling
     Guidelines

        “Good Curling!”

We are excited for the opportunity to return to curling at the Owatonna Curling Club (OCC). However, I
think we all can agree that this is going to be a challenging curling season that will require patience and
flexibility from all members. With the safeguards set forth below, we feel we are able to start curling in a
safe and low risk manner. Procedures are being adopted to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19 at the
OCC. In the spirit of good curling and the safety of others, we need everyone to support 100%
compliance with the safety procedures.

We’ll do the best we can to have an enjoyable curling season, but this is not a situation that any of us
have dealt with before. Operational requirements may need to be modified based on the Centers for
Disease Control, on Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recommendations, or on USCA guidelines.
Certain aspects of how to proceed with our season may not be finalized until the beginning of the year,
and may need to be further adjusted as we determine what works, what does not, or if there were
aspects to curling and our interactions on and off the ice that we neglected to consider. Any changes to
these guidelines will be communicated to all teams through one or more team representatives, with
updates highlighting additions or changes posted online and in the club. These guidelines were
developed based on specific MN government and MDH requirements for Covid-19, recommendations
and guidelines put out by various other Minnesota curling clubs and regional curling organizations (USA
Curling, Canadian Curling Association, etc.), with consideration for details unique to the OCC layout.

Below are the guidelines we need everyone to abide by in order to have a successful year under these
unique circumstances.

                                   Return to Curling Guidelines
Club Members Only: Until Covid-19 restrictions are lifted in the state of Minnesota, we ask that club
members only enter the building. Please do not bring any family or friends with you to the club.

Illness: If you are sick with cold or flu-like symptoms, or have an active Covid-19 infection DO NOT come
to the club, enter the warm room, or compete in a match. Please find a spare or substitute to take your
place, or plan to re-schedule your match for another time.

Equipment: For those of you who do not own your own curling equipment (broom, shoes/slider), this is
a great time to consider purchasing your own equipment for the coming season. If you cannot or do not
have a broom and slider/shoes, we recommend selecting a club broom and slider, and keep them with
you for the duration of the season. In anticipation of people wanting to not use shared equipment,
Dakota Curling Supplies is offering a 10% discount through the end of September, on brooms, delivery
aids, and shoes or attachable sliders (https://dakotacurling.supplies/collections/return-to-curling-sale).

Entering the Club: When entering, wear an appropriate mask covering your nose and mouth. Upon
entering, please sign and date the log book that we will provide. Recording who is present will help with
contact tracing in the event that someone with an active Covid-19 infection comes to the club and you
happen to be there on the same date. Also please sign in if you are there for practice or for any other
reason. Please maintain physical distancing of 6 feet or more wherever possible, in the warm room,
when entering the ice surface, and while on the ice. Hand sanitizer will be available in multiple locations
throughout the club, in addition to soap in the bathroom for proper hand hygiene. You will also notice
signage in multiple locations, including (1) a Covid-19 symptom pre-screening checklist just inside the
entrance, (2) signs indicating that masks are required at all times and those refusing to wear a mask

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must leave, (3) signs on how to clean/sanitize instructions (also at the bathroom entrance), (4) figures
indicating where to stand on the ice and on player flow between shots to maintain distancing, (5)
required hand washing on the bathroom door. Additional signs will be included as needed. To avoid on-
ice confusion, teams should consider reviewing positioning guidelines together before their match.

Masks: At this time, per the Governor’s Executive Order, people in Minnesota are required to wear a
face covering in all indoor businesses and public indoor spaces. Thus, masks will be required in the
building and on the ice except when actively eating or drinking. If you do not wear a mask – you must
leave the building. While this is clearly not convenient, it is much easier for aerosolized particles to
remain suspended indoors and be transferred between individuals. In the event someone with an active
infection inadvertently enters the club, mask wearing in combination with social distancing gives us our
best chance to minimize the likelihood of transmission.

Locker rooms: With the need for extra sanitizing and an all-volunteer staff, we ask everyone not to use
our new lockers for the time being, but to simply pass through the locker rooms to enter the ice surface
from the West side (scoreboard end).

Arrive Prepared to Curl: Please come dressed in your curling apparel. We will space chairs 6 feet apart
around the entire warm room, so choose one chair at which to change your shoes and leave your gear
while you’re on the ice. Please disinfect with sanitizing wipes when you arrive, and again when you
leave.

Match Duration: In order to maximize distancing, we want to make every effort to minimize players
departing from the early draw directly crossing paths with players coming for the late draw. As a result,
matches for this season will be limited to six ends, and will end after 90 minutes. Finish you end if the 90
minute time is reached. Tied games will be decided by a single rock skips draw, with one sweeper for the
shot.

Rock Color/Hammer: We have new rocks this season, so there should be no major differences in quality
by color, as in recent years. Thus, we will avoid a traditional coin toss, with the schedule providing a
balance of visitor and home assignments to each team. ‘Home’ team has hammer, ‘Visiting’ team
chooses rock color. Since teams play each other twice per season, each team will be home for one
match, visitor for the other, so every team will have hammer for half of their league matches.

Food and Beverages: If you bring a beverage on the ice, it must be clearly marked and kept a safe
distance from other beverage containers. Remember to mask up as soon as you finish drinking. Please
do not share food or beverages, either on-ice or in the warm room, to ensure proper distancing and to
prevent common touch points.

Game Start Positions - Alternate End Game Starts: To minimize crossing paths in close proximity with
players from the other sheets, players scheduled for sheet 2 will enter first, and start their match from
the West (scoreboard end) of the club, while teams playing on sheet 1 will enter last, and begin from the
East (restroom end) of the sheet. This will minimize pre-game congestion around the scoreboard hacks.

Handshakes: Forego traditional pre and post-game handshakes, elbow taps and broom taps. Wish
opponents and teammates a good game or “Good Curling” from a safe social distance that does not
involve contact.

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Designated Player Positions: Clearly define where each player on the ice should be located. Meaning, all
players should know exactly where to be positioned depending on whether it is their team’s turn to
throw. Remembering these physical locations will take practice, so markings will be installed in the ice to
assists with positioning.

During the match: Use the same two numbered stones throughout the match, and do not touch any
other rocks with your hands, except for your own. Your position on the team will determine where you
stand for shots, and where you will be while the other team throws. Please move quickly to the
necessary position once your team’s stone comes to rest. If you are the next person to deliver a stone,
DO NOT stand behind or beside the person who is currently in the hack. Once their rock is moving down
the ice, your team members can then move into position and prepare to throw your stone.

Sweeping: Only one sweeper per rock, and the other ‘usual’ sweeper can serve as rock timer (see
below). The two sweepers can switch off between sweeping and timing for alternating shots, or as
required. Please do not switch off in the middle of a shot thrown by your team. The throwing team will
be the only team allowed to sweep during their shot (see Skip sweeping and positioning below).

Skip positioning and sweeping: The skip of the throwing team can sweep rocks in the house only if their
sweeper drops off sweeping rocks entering the house. This applies to their stones, and they can also
sweep an opponent stone after the T-line. The skip cannot come out to assist their sweeper in dragging
the rock further in, as it defeats the social distancing aspect of having only a single sweeper per shot.
Once the current shot is over, the throwing team’s skip should exit the house to the right. The incoming
skip should enter the house from the left. For now, to avoid potential contact between people in the
house, the skip of the non-throwing team is NOT ALLOWED to sweep any rocks in motion during an
opponent shot, either their own rock in play, or an opponent stone crossing the T-line.

Rock Timing (alternative to a second sweeper): An opportunity exists with the “second sweeper” to
keep teams of 4 intact and have the fourth position active on the ice. The player who is non-sweeping
can be located at an appropriate distance from their teammates and use a stopwatch to time rocks (one
timer per person – DO NOT share timers). Club members can provide instruction of rock timing
techniques for members who are not familiar with doing so.

Positioning and Game Flow: Please refer to the attached images for on-ice positioning and for proper
movement in and out of your position when your team is throwing and when waiting for your
opponents shots. Markings will be placed on the ice to assist with positioning and to promote social
distancing.

Skip and Vice communication: Discussion privacy may not be possible at this time. If a Skip and Vice
need to discuss strategy or a potential shot, this should be done while maintaining 6 feet or more
distance. Suggestion: Since the non-throwing team Skip cannot sweep during an opponent shot, they
can make use of that time to discuss strategy with their Vice in private by doing so above the hogline.

Benches: To minimize additional items requiring sanitizing, we will not use on-ice benches this season.

Scoreboard: It is normally the responsibility of Vice Skips to put up the score for their team. Please
minimize handling of the scoring numbers, and one person from the winning team should sanitize them
at the end of the match when returning them to their original location. Please sanitize the numbers after

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the second match as well so that they are ready for the following day. Sanitizer will be located by each
scoreboard for this purpose.

Measuring Device: If you need to use the measuring device to determine which rock is closest at
completion of an end, this is also the responsibility of Vice Skips. The one handling the device should
sanitize it immediately after use and return it to where it normally hangs.

Leaving the Ice: When you finish your match, congratulate your opponent on a ‘good game’, but avoid
handshakes. Return the rocks to the East end of sheet 1, and the West end of sheet 2 for the next match
to start at the designated end. The winning team prepares the ice for the next match. One member of
the winning team should use sanitizing wipes to clean the handles of all 16 rocks on their sheet while
their teammates prep the ice for the late draw. Once ice prep is complete, please sanitize as necessary
before and after use of any brooms (push broom, smaller brooms), the pebbler, and the nipper. Ideally,
the team prepping the ice should do both sheets to minimize handling of equipment. Please leave the
ice from the East side (restroom end) of the sheet, making sure to sanitize door handles as you exit.

Between Draws: With limited seating available, extra time between draws is being built in to enable
departure of curlers from the early draw before arrival of curlers for the late draw, to avoid congestion.
This will help us ensure reduced occupancy requirements and promote social distancing.

Restroom: If you use the restroom while at the club, please clean up immediately after use by sanitizing
anything you touch while in there (door handles and paper towel dispenser, primarily). We will do our
best to keep the bathroom well stocked with soap and paper towels, in addition to hand sanitizer and
sanitizing wipes elsewhere.

Sanitization: Sanitization should occur before, during and after play. Seating areas, broom handles,
shared equipment, rock handles, measuring devices, doors and door handles, toilet handles, bathroom
sink taps, and scoring numbers should all be included. Cleaning/sanitizing check lists will be provided for
completion after the early and late draws, with one team from the late draw assigned to complete the
end of night check list.

Ice Preparation: If we have multiple people preparing or maintaining the ice prior to the evening
matches, any equipment used (Ice King, etc.) must be sanitized after use.

Post-Curling Socialization/Broomstacking: Unfortunately, post-match socializing within the club itself
needs to remain very limited. At this time we recommend following local and state guidelines for
restaurants and bars.
    • If the weather permits early in the season, we may be able to use outdoor space to socialize
    further apart.
    • Extended post-game socializing should be done at a nearby bar or restaurant. Curlers are
    welcome to stay for a short period of time to finish any open beverage brought in from the ice and
    enjoy a quick personal snack, if desired. However, curlers should be sure to clear the clubhouse area
    before the next draw. This temporary practice will help the club reduce the amount of aerosolized
    particles in the warm room, and maintain necessary social distancing practices.

Bonspiels: At this time, the only possibility we have is to either have a club-only bonspiel, or to partner
with and create a ‘curling bubble’ with a nearby club (e.g., Curling Club of Rochester) to hold an
extended, socially distant bonspiel. Doing so would require following protocols similar to league rules

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above, with proper social distancing procedures and sanitization steps in place. Thus, a bonspiel might
require an extended duration to complete (i.e. over two weekends). Unfortunately, no communal food
or beverages would be allowed in the event we hold a club bonspiel. Additional details of a potential
bonspiel will be discussed and distributed as soon as possible.

In closing, let’s do our best to follow these guidelines. It will ensure we have a great season of curling,
competition, and social interaction, while still looking out for the health and safety of ourselves and
those around us.

Good curling!

Prepared by members of the OCC Covid Task Force:
Kent Arrell
Jon Hanson
Ryan Claussen

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