GUIDELINES FOR SHOT EVALUATION

From experience, scorers tend to be hard markers. They rate shots too harshly, and where doubt exists about the value of a shot, give the lower value.
Remember that the curler is to be given the benefit of the doubt in all instances. Points are to be awarded in a generous spirit. Pretend that you were the one who delivered the stone and is being rated! It also is possible that the scorer may wish to adjust the value given to a particular shot after several more rocks have been played. Do not delay an initial evaluation of a shot and fall behind.

It also has been found that, where examples of scoring have been provided as guidelines, the scorer interprets them too literally and uses them as a bible. It would be impossible to provide an exhaustive set of examples that cover all, or even most situations. The scorer must exercise his/her judgement of the value of the shot against the requested result. The scorer's experience and knowledge of the game must be relied upon in evaluation of the result. Remember that the value of a shot is measured against what was called. What could have been called, or the value of a different result is not to be considered.

As an actual example, a team lies three with last rock advantage. The opposing skip with his last rock calls a hit on a counter, with a roll to the four-foot ring behind front stones. The stone is turned in and underthrown so it wrecks on a front stone. In doing this, he makes a double raise on one of his own rocks to the four foot - shot and guarded. The other skip has no shot, and the lucky skip steals one in the end. The score for the shot is one, though it may have greatly affected the outcome of the game, because the shot called and completely missed, was a hit and roll. A score of one is awarded because some benefit was derived from the shot.

Sometimes a skip will indicate a second or even a third desirable option on a single shot. The scorer must then evaluate the shot based on the option which actually happened. A typical example of this is a rock in the four foot that is partially guarded by a front stone. The skip desires either a takeout on the rock in the house or a clear of the front stone. Full marks may be given for either shot so long as both alternatives have been clearly indicated as desirable options. Remember that a shot must be rated without reference to the reason it was missed, even though it may not have been the thrower's fault. If the skip's broom was not placed properly or the sweepers made a mistake and the shot was partially or completely missed, it is scored on the actual result achieved. It is not rated on what might have happened.

Similarly, a burned stone resulting in a complete miss is scored as a zero. A rock that picks up debris on the ice and as a result is partially or completely missed also is scored on the value of the result achieved. The following guidelines are very basic and do not apply to many situations. It is not intended that they be rigidly applied.

HITS

A - TAKEOUT OF ROCK IN HOUSE AND STAY FOR SHOT

4  - Made as called.
3  - Hit and stay, not shot.
2  - Takeout made, shooter rolls out.

A - COME AROUND TAKEOUT OF GUARDED STONE

4 - Made as called (award full marks whether or not shooter
    rolls out unless hit and stay is specifically requested).
2 - Tick or remove guard exposing rock in house.
1 - Nudge rock in house to open position but not out of rings.

A - DOUBLE TAKEOUT

4  - Double made as called.
3  - One rock removed - thrown rock is shot.
2  - One rock removed - thrown rock in rings but not shot.
1  - One rock removed - Shooter rolls out.

B - HIT AND ROLL ON ROCK IN RINGS. (ROLL TO OTHER POSITION IN HOUSE REQUESTED)

4 - Hit and roll to indicated position
3 - Nose hit or hit and roll to useable position
2 - Nose hit or hit and roll that gives opponent opportunity to roll under cover
2 - Takeout made; shooter rolls out.
1 - Move rock, but not out of rings, shooter stays in rings.

B - TAKEOUT ROCK IN HOUSE AND ROLL OUT OF PLAY

4 - Made as called
2 - Hit and stay

C - CLEAR FRONT STONE (PEEL) (ROLL OUT REQUESTED)

4 - Front stone cleared - thrown rock rolls out of play or to within one foot of boards.
3 - Front stone cleared - shooter rolls within 2 ft. of boards or into the rings.
2 - Front stone cleared - shooter rolls away, but not near boards nor out of play.
0 - Nose hit (award one point if some possible benefit from exchange of rocks)
0 - Complete miss

C - CLEAR FRONT STONE (NOSE HIT OR ROLL TO CORNER GUARD REQUESTED)

4 - Made as called
3 - Takeout made; shooter rolls to less desirable location
2 - Takeout made; shooter rolls to very undesirable location
0 - Complete miss

C - PUSH FRONT STONE TO BOARDS BUT NOT OUT (FREE GUARD ZONE - PEEL NOT PERMITTED)

4 - Moves rock to within one foot of boards
3 - Moves rock to within two feet of boards
2 - Moves rock to within three feet of boards
1 - Moves rock
0 - Hits rock out of play (Rock returns to play)
0 - Misses Rock - shooter through house

D - RAISE TAKEOUT (OWN ROCK ONTO OPPONENTS)

4 - Made as called; raised rock stays in rings
3 - Made as called; raised rock rolls out
2 - Front stone removed; missed raised rock
1 - Missed front stone but clipped out rock behind
0 - Nose hit on front stone but missed raise takeout

D - RAISE TAKEOUT (OPPONENTS ROCK ONTO OPPONENTS)

4 - Kill both rocks
3 - Raised rock misses shot rock; shooter rolls into rings
2 - Raised rock misses shot rock; front open
2 - Raised rock removes one in rings but stays; front open
1 - Raised rock removes one in rings but stays; shooter now covering raised rock
0 - front rock hit on nose; rock in house missed (award one point if possible benefit from exchange of rocks)

DRAWS

E - DRAW INTO RINGS OR RAISE OF ROCK INTO RINGS

4 - Draw to desired location (normally in front of teeline and shot rock)
3 - Draw to rings as requested but possible double set up
2 - In house; not shot rock but in good location for subsequent promotion to shot rock
2 - In house for shot rock but in undesirable location such as well behind teeline
1 - In house; undesirable location; not shot
1 - Just short of house or just through house; tight to the rings but usable

E - DRAW AROUND CORNER OR CENTER STONE

4 - Draw to desired location (normally in front of the tee line and shot rock)
4 - Player raises front stone to desired location and then guards raised stone
3 - Shot rock and behind guard; well ahead of or behind tee
2 - Behind guard; ahead of tee; not shot rock but good opportunity for subsequent promotion to shot rock
2 - Not behind guard; shot rock
2 - Shooter raises front stone into rings and then rolls onto rings for second shot. Award four points if this is a desirable option
1 - Behind guard; well behind tee
1 - Not behind guard and not shot but usable
1 - Short of rings but close enough to be usable

E - SPLIT FRONT STONE TO 2 CORNER GUARDS (Free Guard Zone)

    Score as a draw (E)

F - FRONT STONE

4 - On line and proper distance in front of house (allowable distance from house depends on how much the ice is swinging and is normally between two and five feet)
3 - Slightly off line but proper distance from house
3 - On line but too close to house
2 - On line but in house in front of tee (Scorer may also award one or zero points depending upon the situation)
0 - In house behind the tee
0 - Completely off line (for example an attempted center guard which ends up as a corner guard for the opponent)

G - GUARD ROCK IN RINGS

4 - Completely covering shot rock and proper distance in front of shot rock making raise takeout or come around take out very difficult
3 - Shot rock partially exposed but proper distance
2 - On line but distance too long (permitting come around takeout) or too short (allowing raise takeout)
2 - Shot rock almost fully exposed but proper distance
1 - Shot rock fully exposed but guard still useful

H - FREEZE

5 - Shot executed perfectly and changing apparent outcome of the end (bonus)
4 - Within six inches and no more than two inches off line
3 - Six inches to one foot in front and/or two inches to six inches off line
2 - One to three feet in front and/or six inches to two feet off line
1 - Shooter in house, but considerably off line but still usable

J - TAP BACK

4 - Own rock tapped back proper distance to be shot
4 - Opponents rock tapped back proper distance so that it is not shot
3 - Stationary stone moved back but not far enough
3 - Shooter misses stationary stone but comes around to a desirable location
2 - Rub stationary stone; roll to be shot but open
1 - Stationary stone is missed or moved only slightly; shooter is not shot but still usable

COMMON SCORING ERRORS

1. MISUSE OF CODE G (GUARD): A corner guard or a center guard is coded as F not E or G). Code G is only used when guarding an existing rock in the rings. A rock placed in front of the rings and not protecting another rock is coded as F (even though it may subsequently become a guard later in the end)

2. MISUSE OF CODE B (HIT AND ROLL): Code B is only used in the situation where the skip desires to hit a rock in the rings and roll to another location in the rings or out of play. The roll must be clearly called by the skip. A routine hit in which the shooter happens to roll to the other side of the house (or out of play) is a code A. A clear of a front stone (with a desired roll to corner guard or out of play) is a code C

3. MISUSE OF CODE J (TAP BACK): Code J is only used when lightly bumping ones own rock or the opponent's rock so that the shooting team's rock will be shot or their opponent's will not. The tap back must be clearly indicated by the skip. In all cases, the shot to be bumped must be in the rings. An example of the incorrect use of code J would be an attempted draw that is heavy and taps the opponent's rock back and out of play. If this shot were an attempted draw in front of (but not frozen to) the opponent's rock, it should be code E. If this shot were an attempted freeze to the opponent's rock, it is code H. A raise of a team's own rock into the rings is a draw (code E) and not a tap back.

4. LEFT-HANDED PLAYERS: Scorers sometimes fail to notice left-handed players or to record the turns for these players correctly. Rocks for left-handed players have the opposite rotation from rocks for right-handed players.