Curling is a winter sport, originating in Scottland, described in many ways. The goal in curling, like many other team sports, is to score more points over the course of the game than your opponents. Teams score points by getting the most closet stones to the middle of the curling rings (the button).
A game consists of 8 or 10 ends (similar to baseball innings). Points are scored each end. Only one team scores per end. The scoring team is the team that has their stone closest to the center of the rings (the button).
The scoring team scores one point for all stones closer to the button than the other teams stones. Meaning, if Team 1 has the closest stone, but Team 2 has the second closest, Team 1 scores 1 point.
Each team includes 4 players, the 1st, 2nd, Vice-Skip, and Skip. Each team throws 8 stones per end, 2 stones per player.
Teams alternate throwing stones, with 1st players alternating every other stone, followed by 2nds, Vices, and ending with Skips taking turns throwing stones.
The team with the Hammer throws the final stone of the end. The team that does not score a point in the end gets the Hammer for the next end. If no points are scored, the team with the Hammer gets to keep the Hammer for the next end.
Delivering a perfect curling shot involves many components. The thrower has to get the stone on the right line and with the right weight (distance the stone should travel). But that is only step one. To get the perfect shot, the team has to communicate from selecting the shot up to the shot coming to rest.
In our league, we encourage players to take turns playing all roles, to learn about each position. In bonspiels (tournaments), there are often rules about when and if you can switch positions in the middle of games.
The skip is essentially the CEO of the team for the end they are in the skip position. Meaning, they are the person responsible for picking out the shot (with input from the team).
During throws, the skip stands in the house and holds their broom for the thrower to aim at. During the shot, the skip communicates with the sweepers about the line of the shot, and whether the sweepers need to hold the line by sweeping.
The throwers job is to understand the shot, and get the stone on the right path with the right weight. Its important that the thrower lets the skip know what shot they feel comfortable throwing. There are almost always multiple options for each shot, and finding the shot the thrower feel most confident throwing will often lead to a more accurate shot.
The primary job of the sweepers (other than sweeping) is to tell the Skip the weight. If you watched the Olympics, you may have noticed the constant communication between the thrower, sweepers, and Skip. The sweepers yell how far they think the stone will travel.
For example, if the sweepers yelled to the skip,“top 12” the skip would understand the sweepers are estimating the stone will only get to the top 12 foot ring with the current weight. If the Skip wants the stone to get to the 4 foot ring, the Skip will yell to the Sweepers to sweet harder to carry the rock further down the sheet. Or the Skip may yell to get it to the 4 foot, meaning, sweep as hard as you need to reac the 4 foot.
Sometimes the Skip needs the stone to continue down the sheet straight, and will yell to the sweepers to keep sweeping hard to prevent the stone from curling.
As a team, its important to figure out your system to communicate. All teams will have slightly different terms and ways to communicate the important information.
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USA Curling rules for bonspiels and our league curling rules do not align perfectly, so be sure to check the league curling rules section.
Add some history…
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