How the Draws works

The Lucerne Curling Trophy starts with 20 teams playing in four groups according to the Round Robin principles. Each game is played over eight ends. If teams are tied after eight ends, one extra end will be played. If this end is blanked, then the team without the hammer in the additional end wins the game. Shake hands is allowed after six ends.

After the group games all teams will be ranked in a group-ranking according to their results. 
The following criteria (in order) will be used to rank the teams at the completion of the round robin:
(1) Teams will be ranked according to their win/loss record;
(2) If two teams are tied, the team that won their round robin game will be ranked higher;
(3) Where three or more teams are tied, the record of the games between the tied teams shall provide the ranking (should this procedure provide a ranking for some teams but not all, then the record of the games between the remaining teams that are still tied shall determine the ranking);
(4) For all remaining teams whose ranking cannot be determined by (1) or (2) or (3), ranking is determined using the Draw Shot Challenge (DSC).

The team ranking first and second in the group qualifies for the quarter finals.

The games of the quarter finals will be set by draw.

At the quarter finals a straight knock out game is played, from where the four winning teams qualify for the semi-final. The positions five to eight hold the fifth rank together. The semi-final winners qualify for the final, positions tree and four are ranked with the third place.

The games are played without any time constraints, but the teams are requested to keep to the time schedule. A designated member of the game management retains the right, to use the "30 seconds rule" of Swiss Curling Association (SCA).

Draw Shot Challenge (DSC)

To be able to determine a clear ranking after the group games, each team has to play a stone game straight after the first group game. Each player from the previous group game hat to play a stone, whereby sweeping is allowed. The average of the stones played count as follows:

Stones in or touching the house:        distance to the button
All other stones:                                     185.42 cm
Stones on the button:                                      0 cm

All measured distance are summed together and divided by the stones played. If teams have the same amount of points after the group games, then the team with the smaller average will be ranked better. Measuring of the distance will always be conducted by a member of the game management.