Registered: Sep 2011
Location:
Posts: 1064

So the USA rules say "All field of play equipment used at USCA competitions must meet WCF Equipment
Standards, as defined and published on the WCF website. "

and the World Rules say "All field of play equipment used at WCF competitions must meet WCF
Equipment Standards, as defined and published on the WCF website"

Problem...I'm on the WCF website, and I cannot find anything even remotely resembling Equipment Standards, for anything other than brush heads.

There is a question at my club from a member preparing for playdowns regarding her ability to wear a fitness Tracker, in order to track heartrate. She is currently required to do this by her Doctor. The device she has is not capable of receiving text messages, nor communicating with anything in any curling related fashion (it does synch with a smartphone to show the heart rates over time and upload to the doctor in batches).

I'd be tempted to allow it, but the event procedures document that was sent to them indicated that as this isn't a stopwatch, it isn't allowed (specifically "Fitbit and Smart watch type electronic devices are not considered stop watches and as such the use of these electronic devices during the game are forbidden. ")

As the penalty for using unapproved equipment is rather draconian (expulsion from the game and forfeit for 1st offense, DQ altogether for 2nd), she needs good guidance.

I've already suggested to her that she contact the appropriate officials for the event, but I cycle back to the original problem....I cannot find the document from WCF that the rules (and, presumably, ultimately the Event Procedure Documents) reference.

Anyone know where it is?

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Registered: Feb 2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 278

Found it under Rule R10 c) in the rules of curling document on the wcf site.

http://www.worldcurling.org/rules-a...tions-downloads

The way I read R10 c) it should be fine to wear as it does not communicate any information to the person wearing it or anybody else....downloading afterwards should be ok.

R 10 C
"Teams must not use electronic communication equipment, or any
device to modify the voice, during a game. With the exception of
stopwatches that are limited to providing ‘time’ data only, the use of
electronic devices during the games, which provide information to
players on the field of play, are forbidden."

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Registered: Oct 2013
Location:
Posts: 559

On this topic, the rules book is terrible. Things like dimension of the sheets in terms of width (only specifies maximum width), shape of a rock (no maximum height given)(no exact shape defined, ie the rules allow a rock to be the shape of a traffic cone), shape of a handle, how to handle a handle breaking (rules state for stones breaking, and a handle coming completely off, but nothing else)

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Registered: Aug 2012
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 41

Having just watched no less than 50 hours of Olympic qualifying curling in the past 3 weeks, many of the athletes are wearing smart watches and even more are wearing fitness trackers. If it's OK for Olympic qualifiers, I can't see how anyone would care for club play downs.

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Registered: Sep 2011
Location:
Posts: 1064

I'd love to agree with you, Courtney...but the "template" Event procedures document specifically mentions Fitbits being against the rules.

I would presume it's because at least some models of fitbits are also capable of receiving text messages, therefore could facilitate illegal coach-player communication...but the guidance is badly written if fitness trackers without that feature are allowed (which would hardly be a shocker, the template needs work...)

And since the penalty is not at all forgiving, I dare not advise someone "you should be okay", because the risk is very high if I'm wrong and there is some rationale I'm not familiar with for the devices being banned.

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Registered: Mar 2013
Location:
Posts: 1875

Why not just wear it during non qualifying games.... get an average.... and use that for her doctors info?

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Registered: Sep 2011
Location:
Posts: 1064

Without going into too many details, as it isn't my place to say...that isn't feasible due to the specific medical situation being treated. As I understand it, the competitor needs real time monitoring to ensure the heart rate does not rise above a certain level at any given moment.

IMO, given the prevalence of medical exemptions to doping rules for medical treatment, this seems very parallel to that, and I would argue that a monitor that is not capable of sending or receiving text messages should be allowed.

But, it is not my place to make a ruling, so my advice to the competitor has been to call the applicable rules officials (at the GNCC and/or USCA) and request a ruling *before* the event (so she has time to make any necessary adjustments).

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