The Hot Shots League is a little different, in a good way. Each player registers individually and indicates which position they prefer to play.
At the beginning of the season, teams are selected randomly from the pool of players for the different positions. Adjustments are made so that spouses do not curl together or if two player have played together the year before.
The team rooster is completed and sent to all the player.
Why can’t I play with my spouse/partner?
The main reason spouses/partners don’t play together is we have some couple that take extended vacations in winter months. Apparently our warm smiles don’t make up for it being -20 C. Can you blame them some years?
If spouses/partners played together and went on vacation their team would end up folding like a cheap tent. With each on a separate team, a spare can be used to replace the vacancy.
The Spare advantage
The other thing the Hot Shots league does is look after spares. You are not required to find a replacement if you are going to miss a game or two. There is a Spare Captain that will find a spare for the times you cannot make it. However, you required to give the spare captain as much notice as possible if you will be missing a game.