As far as curling experiments go, a new rule that will be used at the next Grand Slam competition looks like a doozy.
Organizers plan to test a setup that will see a team lose hammer after a second consecutive blank end. The mid-season change, an attempt to boost scoring and entertainment, should have a significant impact on team strategy.
“I’m excited that they’re trying something,” said Curling Canada chief executive officer Nolan Thiessen. “It’s going to change the game. I see a lot of scoreboard management now just because the hammer means so much.”
A spokeswoman for the five-event circuit, which has been a testing ground for game tweaks in the past, confirmed the change will come at the Jan. 14-19 WFG Masters.
“We will evaluate following that event if it’s a change we want to implement permanently,” Grand Slam events manager Jenni Cram said in an email.
The …