Revise con-flip end selection to require choice of end

5.A.1. Any fair method shall be used to determine which player or team has first choice of an end, serve, receive, or defer (e.g., a 1 or 2 written on the back of the score sheet, flipping a coin). Once a selection has been made, it cannot be changed.

5.A.1. Any fair method shall be used to determine which player or team has first choice of end, serve, receive, or defer (e.g., a 1 or 2 written on the back of the score sheet, flipping a coin). Once a selection has been made, it cannot be changed.

There is some ambiguity with the choices offered when the “coin-flip” is performed. There are those that believe the current rule only requires a tem to choose “end” but that choosing which end they want to start on can be made and changed multiple times up until the initial serve. This can create multiple issues. One example; If team A wins the coin-flip and chooses end and then team B chooses to serve or receive based on team A’s choice of end, some believe that the choice of end can be changed prior to the first serve.

It is clear that once serve or receive choice is made, that choice cannot be changed.

This can create a possible unfair advantage. If one team is allowed to change their end choice but the opposing team is unable to change their serve/receive choice an unfair advantage can be created.

This can create unneeded confusion and friction.

Not clearly defining that an end choice must be made can also contribute to confusion of a referee that is required to setup the scoresheet prior to the start of the match. No limit on the number of times the end choice can be changes can also delay the start of a match.