Nov 27, 2015
Curling Canada sets rules on broom technology
Ahead of its first big event of the year, Curling Canada has come out with rules regarding the surge in broom technology.
By Bob Weeks
Ahead of its first big event of the year, Curling Canada has come out with rules regarding the surge in broom technology.
With the Home Hardware Canada Cup set to start Wednesday in Grande Prairie, Alta., the governing body has put in places limitations on the controversial brooms that some say allow sweepers to guide rocks down the ice. The same rules will be in place for all provincial and territorial playdowns set to begin in December, and will continue for the remainder of the 2015-16 season.
The new rules will limit the use of a number of the newer broom heads such as the Hardline IcePad and the Balance Plus EQ+ models. There has been a controversy over some of the technology available for much of the season, with top players pointing fingers and manufacturers speaking out. One company deeply affected, Hardline Curling, said this week in a release that it has retained legal counsel to look at its situation.
Under the Curling Canada guidelines, the fabric covering the broom head may not be embossed, sealed, textured or modified from its original woven form. That includes waterproofing the fabric with materials such as polyurethane.
As well, the regulations prohibit the use of “stiffening” inserts. In some models, a hard piece of plastic has been placed between the outer fabric and the inside pad. This is said to make the broom face ride more on the top of the pebble.
Only brooms that are for sale to the general public may be used.
The ruling from Curling Canada came after it consulted with both the World Curling Tour Players Association and the Grand Slam of Curling, which represent the top players and top cash events in the game.
While these rules essentially put Curling Canada on the same page as the World Curling Federation, which put out a similar notice prior to the start of the Asia-Pacific Championships two weeks ago, the Canadian document is more detailed and also states consequences for use of a non-complying broom.
The penalty for a team caught using one of the outlawed brooms is severe: it forfeits the game.