How to Curl: A Beginner’s Guide to the Sport on Ice
What is curling? It’s one of wintertime’s most unique sports! Mixing strategy, strength, and finesse into an intense on-ice showdown, the game may seem complicated to a beginner, but with guidance, you can become an expert in no time. Follow this guide on how to play curling for a history lesson, terminology breakdown, and so much more.
What is Curling?
Curling, also referred to as chess or shuffleboard on ice, is a popular winter sport. In a curling match, two teams take turns sliding down a long, thin sheet of ice. They use a handle to push heavy granite stones towards circular targets known as a house located on either end. Additionally, teams use brooms to “sweep” the ice, trying to affect their stones’ speed and curl towards the target. The objective is to have your stones closer to the center of the house (or “the button”) than your opponent’s.
The History of Curling
Curling’s exact origins are a mystery, but today Scotland is considered the game’s home, with its players among the best in the world. As early as the beginning of the 16th century, Scottish people were playing the game on ponds and lakes, making curling one of the oldest team sports in the world. Eventually, the sport spread to Canada and the United States. The Royal Caledonian Curling Club (RCCC) is a governing body that was created to regulate competition and major international contests.
Curling Players
Curling teams, called rinks, consist of four players/curlers. The curling positions include the lead, the second, the third (also the vice or mate), and the skip. Here’s what curling positions do on the ice:
- The lead: Delivers the first two stones of an end, then sweeps the next six.
- Second: Sweeps the first two stones of an end and throws the third and fourth.
- Third (mate/vice): Throws the fifth and sixth stones of an end.
- Skip: The captain of the team that dictates their strategy, shouting commands at their team on where to throw their shots and when to sweep. Plus, they throw the last two shots of an end.
Curling Terminology
The key to learning how to play curling is understanding the game’s vocabulary. There are several words and phrases you’ll need to know before playing or watching. Follow along to see how they define teams, gear, and more:
Curling Gear
- Gripper: The sole of one curling shoe, used to help players stay on their feet.
- Slider: The sole of a curler’s other shoe, used to help them move around the ice.
- Stone (Rock): Curling’s equivalent of a ball that players try to deliver to the house using a handle. Rocks typically weigh over 40 pounds.
On the Ice
- Sheet: The ice that a match takes place on.
- House (Rings): The bull’s eye on either end of the sheet, with concentric 12-foot, 8-foot, and 4-foot circles.
- Button: The center of the house/rings.
- Hog line: A line that runs across the ice, dictating rules for delivering stones.
- Tee line: The line that runs through the middle of the house, influencing scoring and sweeping.
- Hack: A foothold in the ice players push off from when sliding a stone.
Curling Matches
- Bonspiel: A curling tournament.
- Cashpiel: A curling tournament with a cash prize.
- End: Dividing playing time, this is curling’s equivalent to an inning or quarter. There are usually ten ends in a match, with mixed doubles contests played in eight.
- Blank end: When no points are scored in an end.
- Eight-ender: An end where every stone scores a point.
Curling Play
- Burning a rock: Touching a stone while it is already traveling.
- Hurry hard: A command given to sweep as aggressively as possible to keep a rock from moving forward.
- Guard shot: Strategically delivering a stone to protect the stones already in the house.
- Delivery: Sending a stone to the opponent’s house.
- Hammer: The last stone of an end.
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How to Play Curling
Curling is typically played in teams of four players. There’s also a doubles version of the game played in pairs. Here’s how to curl:
Delivering
In the team game, all four players slide two stones in an end, for a total of eight per team. Players throw against the person on the other team at their position (i.e., each team’s third throws against each other). The delivery begins at the hack, using the hold opposite the dominant hand to push off and start sliding, pushing the rock ahead with the handle. Players must release their rock before the hog line closest to them, and it must travel over the further hog line to be in play.
Sweeping
Depending on the throw, stones will curl in a certain direction, giving the game its name. The curl of a stone is heavily affected by the conditions of the ice. This is where sweeping comes in. Both teams’ lead, second, and third strategically sweep the ice based on their skip’s commands to warm the surface, reduce the curl, and make the stone glide further. When a stone crosses the tee line, the opposing team is allowed to sweep it and employ their strategies to combat a good throw. The sweeper’s broom or body cannot touch a moving stone. How team’s sweep and throw is up to their skip.
Scoring
Once teams have thrown all their stones, the score is tallied based on their position in the house. For every stone closer than the other team’s, you earn a point. The team with the highest score receives those points for their total, while the other team gets a score of zero. The team with the highest point total at the end of 10 ends wins, with an option to concede for teams too far behind. Extra ends are played if the score is tied.
More Winter Sport Breakdowns
What is curling? Now you have the answer and so much more! Use all this information to get on the ice yourself or follow along when it takes center stage on wintertime TV. If you want a breakdown of another skating-based sport, check out our “Ice Breaker” guide. It has everything beginners need to know about how to play ice hockey, from rules and regulations to understanding the rink and mastering the game.
Curling FAQs
Why do they brush the ice in curling?
Brushing, or sweeping, the ice in curling is done to control the path of the stone. Strategically sweeping the ice warms the surface and reduces the curl, potentially leading to more precise shots and higher scores.
How physically demanding is curling?
Curling requires significant leg strength and core stability to maintain balance during deliveries and sweeping. Players must be able to endure the length of matches and maintain consistent power with everything they do on the ice.
Where is curling most popular?
Curling is very popular in Canada, where there are almost 1,000 rinks to play on and Scotland, the place considered to be the game’s home, where professionals dominate competition.
What do you yell in curling?
Curlers yell commands to their teammates, usually during sweeping, like “hurry hard” (sweep fast), “whoa” (stop sweeping), and “clean” (brush lightly), as well as directional cues and zones on the ice.
What happens if a curler touches the stone?
Touching a stone in curling before it reaches the far hog line has the stone removed from play. If it’s touched after, the skip for the non-violating team decides if it is removed, left, or placed where it would’ve ended up without the violation.
What is the largest curling club in the United States?
The St. Paul Curling Club (SPCC) has over 1,200 active members and a history dating back to 1885.