Spare Rules: (from the Riverdale Orientation Guide)
A team must have at least 3 players, and a minimum of 2 registered team members (including fifth players if applicable) must play, or the game is forfeit. There are many instances when a team member cannot attend a scheduled game. For these circumstances a team can call upon spares. We are all here to play and have fun, so it is expected that teams should accept all opponent spares unless there is an extreme concern with the appropriateness of the spare.
Rules for sparing have been established to help choose players that have an appropriate skill level for the position required and do not provide undue advantage to the team. Skips or vices are asked to prearrange spares and advise the opposing skip in advance, where possible.
- Wherever possible find someone who plays the same position in your division or any division below you.
- No demotion of regular team players with spares. Players can be moved up to a higher position for spares, but they cannot be moved down for the spare to play in that player’s usual position. E.g., can’t move the vice to second and have spare play vice.
- If a spare player is coming down from a higher division, they must spare at least one position higher than their usual role (B vice must play C skip/C second must play D vice or skip).
- If a spare is coming up from a lower division, they may spare up to one position lower than their usual role. (B vice may play A second or higher, D second may play C lead or higher, etc. See diagram below.)
- There are no restrictions on who can play lead in order to help ensure teams are able to field a team.
- Fifth players can play any position on their own team, but must spare at the lead position when playing on other teams.
Any arrangement can be permitted with the express permission of the opposing skip. Once a game has begun, the agreed positions and results of the game must be allowed to stand. Any protests about choice of spare must be made to the Drawmaster or, in their absence, one executive member before the game commences. The decision of the Drawmaster/executive member concerning suitability of the proposed spare(s) is final.
Riverdale members and registered fifth/sixth players can spare as often as they wish with no extra fees.
Spare list players and non-members of the league may spare twice before and twice after New Year’s Day without spare fees. Non-members playing more than twice in each half will be allowed, but will be assessed a $20 fee for each occurrence to a maximum of $180 per half. Non-members are ineligible to play in the playoffs or win prizes.
The Spare List will be re-set at the end of each season. Please sign up again in October for next season.