TermsRocks / Stones: the ~44 pound (~20 kg) granite objects being thrown across the ice (I will be using both terms; they refer to the exact same thing though)
House: the colored rings at either end of the ice (it resembles and has the function of a bulls-eye target)
Button: circle in the middle of the house (bulls-eye)
Sheet: the ice, also refers to the divided segment two teams play on at a time (e.g. Sheet 1 is like Lane 1 or Court 1),
image with all the lines/circles on each sheet and their namesThrower: the individual throwing a stone
Sweeper: the individual moving a broom across the ice in a side-to-side motion or walking near the rock
Skip: most of the time, this is the person holding the broom as a target for their team
Goal: Get as many of your team's stones as close to the button across the sheet as possible.
Naturally, the game is a bit more complex then that...
The thrower has to release the stone by a thick black line called the hog line. The stone must pass the hog line on the opposite side of the sheet and not pass the line at the back of the house to be in play. No player is allowed to physically contact a stone unless the stone is not in play or all the rocks have been thrown and score decided. Sweepers may use their brooms to warm up the ice in front of the rock; this affects how far across the ice the stone travels as well as how much the rock moves to the right or left side of the sheet.
Teams take turns throwing stones.
Regular: 16 stones total, 8 stones per team, 2 stones thrown by each player
Doubles: 12 stones total, 6 stones per team, 2 or 3 stones thrown by each player (I am aware the math seems off here, but doubles is complicated that way, lol!)
When all the rocks have been thrown, this is called a complete 'end'.
Only rocks touching the house have the potential to score. Only the team with the rock closest to the button can score. They get as many points as they have rocks closest to the button until an opposition's rock is closer than their own.
Each curling game consists of multiple ends (usually 8 or 10). When the last end is finished the team with the most points wins the game.
This
image pretty much covers everything I just posted, but it's a great visual summary.
xd There's a lot more to curling than this, so let me know if you're curious about anything else!
- Game variations
- Hammer
- Shot Types & Strategy
- Player position names and duties
