Championships rules and schedule You may have noticed some changes to this
year’s championship rules book, including a title change to 2012-2013 USCA Rules of Curl- ing & Competition. Aſter listening to sugges- tions for improvements, including reducing the thickness, getting it posted sooner, and making it possible for officials to fit it into their officiat- ing jacket pockets, we went to work. Informa- tion that is most subject to change each season – event and deadline dates, host site locations, chairpersons and entry fees – were removed from the rules book and put into a separate document called the Championships Schedule. Te Championships Schedule can be found on the Championships page of the website in the menu under “2012-13 Playdowns.” Removing the information that changes each year should allow us to get the rules out there sooner in fu- ture years, as we won’t have to wait to find out certain things, like the location where an event will be held. Te Championships Schedule can always remain posted and information can be added as it becomes available. Te same change also helped to slim down the size of the book. A new pocket-size version was created for the
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head officials to have available during cham- pionship events. A list of changes to the rules also has been published for those who are inter- ested. Are there other things that you’d like to see improved? If so, let us know so we can give it some thought and consideration. Winter World University Games (WWUGs) Information relating to the upcoming 2013
Winter World University Games has been included in the newest edition of the USCA Rules of Curling & Competition that is posted on the USA Curling website at www.usacurl. org/curlingrocks. Te selection process for the WWUGs event has been delegated to the High Performance Program, directed by Der- ek Brown. Te WWUGs Trials will include a double round robin format. Two teams will be selected to receive byes into the WWUGs Trials, with the remaining two spots to be de- termined through an open qualifying event. Te WWUGs Trials process will be completed prior to the end of May 2013. It has not yet been determined if the U.S. has earned a berth to participate in the WWUG. Te berths will be announced aſter the 2013 Men’s World Cham- pionship has concluded. Te winning teams will represent the U.S.
(subject to NGB qualification) during the Win- ter World University Games Dec. 11-21, 2013,
in Trentino, Italy. National Program Project 2018 coaches will serve as head coaches during this event. Winning teams from the Trials will auto- matically be invited to join the USCA’s Project 2018 High Performance Program. Tis format is subject to change, depending upon the number of registered teams. Keep an eye on the USA Curl- ing website for more information as it becomes available. Club Nationals registration deadlines
Earlier deadlines for the Club National play-
downs were granted for 2012-13 regional events for regions that had playdowns scheduled to oc- cur prior to the national deadline. Information was provided to all regions to inform each that the USCA would accommodate earlier event deadlines. At the same time, the later deadlines allow other regions the time they need to increase participation. Te Club National deadline is Jan. 9. Regions that will be using the national deadline date of Jan. 9 include Alaska, the Colorado/Ne- braska/At-Large region, GLCA, GNCC women, MoPac, Minnesota and Illinois. North Dakota has an early deadline date established as Dec. 27. Washington, Wisconsin and the GNCC men’s playdown will use Nov. 28 as the deadline. Tis approach has accomplished the goals that the USCA set out to do while simultaneously keeping everyone’s best interests in mind. n