The Basics of Curling

Heather Ramshaw has prepared an excellent slide show covering the basics of curling.

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THE SPORT OF CURLING

Curling's origins go back to the 16th century in Scotland. A wide variety of curling stones, which can be dated, have been recovered from lochs and ponds to affirm this date, In its early stages, curling was an 'impromptu' game played on outdoor natural ice with teams varying in size from a few hardy souls up to a dozen or more on each side, And, as with many early games, one might say the rules were made up 'on the spot'. Curling has since become a sport played worldwide, and in fact, has become a full medal Olympic sport. The rules of the sport have matured over time as well, to keep play fair and entertaining.

THE BASICS

In curling, two opposing teams take turns delivering stones across an ice surface toward a target area. The target area is known as the house. After all stones have been played, the team with the stones closest to the center of the house scores points for that end. The point total is equal to the number of stones closer to the center than the nearest stone of the opposing team.
While the stone is traveling down the ice, the delivering team's players are allowed to sweep in front of the stone as a method of controlling the stone's speed and direction.
Sweeping is done with a broom designed for curling. The sweeping action very slightly melts the surface of the ice, thereby reducing friction. That allows the stone to travel further.
Also, when delivering a stone, the player induces a spin which provides a more stable line down the ice, This spin causes the stone to veer toward the right or left depending on the rotation, The sweeping action also reduces the effect of the spin because of the reduced friction. Thus, a swept rock will travel in a straighter line, and an unswept rock will veer further, sometimes as much as four feet.
Teams are made up of four people,
The 'skip' is the team leader, and calls all the shots using a series of hand and broom signals, He also gives a target for the thrower. The 'skip' throws last as he/she is usually the best on the team.
The 'third' gives a target when the skip is delivering, and throws third.
The 'second' throws second.
The 'lead' throws first, When players aren't throwing, they sweep the stones for their teammates.

CURLING TERMS

BACK LlNE the line across the back of the house. Stones that completely cross this line are not inplay.
BITER a stone touching but not fully in the house. To see if a stone is actually touching the house, a 6 foot 'loiter stick' can be used from the 'tee'.
BLANK END a scoreless end -- no stones resting in the house.
BONSPIEL a tournament among a number of curling teams.
BROOM a sweeping device made from corn straws or synthetic material used in a swinging levered motion.
BRUSH a sweeping device with animal hairs or synthetic material used in a scrubbing motion.
BURNED STONE a stone that is touched by a player or his equipment usually during sweeping. Players so touching a stone will advise that the stone has been touched. Subject to the discretion of the opposing skip it is removed from play.
BUTTON the scoring circle in the house which is 0.3048 meters (1 foot) in diameter.
CENTRE LINE a line running down the middle of the ice from hack to hack.
CHAP & LIE a stone played in such a manner as to contact the object stone on the side and roll stone(s) to desired positions. see 'Wick & Roll'
COME AROUND a played stone that is thrown with draw weight, and curls past and comes to rest behind a guard.
CORNER GUARD a stone played short of the house which does not protect the four foot circle.
COUNTER any stone in the rings or touching the house that is a potential point.
CURL the bending action of the stone's path as it travels down the ice.
DOUBLE TAKE OUT a played stone which removes 2 stones from play.
DRAW 1. a played stone which comes-to rest in the house; or
2. a schedule of curling games to be played(draw sheet/draw time)
EIGHT FOOT the scoring circle in the house which is 2.4384 meters (8 feet) in diameter.
END the alternate playing of all 16 stones in one direction by opposing teams; a game normally consists of 8 or 10 ends.

FALL slanted ice that causes a stone to move in a sideways direction opposite to the imported turn.
FOUR FOOT the scoring circle in the house which is 1.2192 meters (4 feet) in diameter.
FREE GUARD ZONE the area from hog line to the tee line excluding the house. No stones in this area (often called 'guards') may be removed from play until after the 3rd stone of the end comes to rest. (In the rest of the World, no opposition stones in this area may be removed from play until after the 4th stone of the end comes to rest.) (FGZ)
FREEZE a played stone which stops resting against the front face of another stone.
FRONT RING the area of the twelve foot circle in front of the tee line.
GUARD a stone positioned in such a matter as to protect another stone, or potentially provide protection for a stone played later in the end.
HACK a foot hold in the ice from which the thrower pushes off when throwing a stone; right-handed players use the left foot hold (hack); left-handed players use the right foot hold (when facing down the ice).
HAMMER slang term for last rock advantage in an end.
HEAVY a played stone with more than the desired weight (travelling too quickly).
HEAVY ICE ice where a played stone requires more effort from the thrower. Although this is sometimes called "slow ice", the stone actually takes less time to travel down the ice as the friction between ice and stone is very high, and the stone does not glide easily.
HIT & ROLL a played stone which, after removing the object stone from play, rolls to the desired location. (example: rolls behind a guard)
HOG LINE a line on the ice 10.0584 meters (33 feet) from the back line. Stones must be clearly released by the thrower before the stone reaches the nearer hog line, Stones which do not completely cross the farther hog line are not in the playing area unless they contact a stone in the playing area.
HOGGED STONE a played stone which does not completely cross the farther hog line -- it must be removed from play, except when it touches a stone already in play.
HOUSE the scoring area of concentric circles~ the outermost circle being 3.6576 meters (12 feet) in diameter. There is one house at each end of the sheet of ice.
IN-TURN the hand and arm action which causes a stone to rotate for a stone delivered by a right-handed thrower, a clock-wise spin is imparted to the stone; a left-handed thrower imparts a counter clock-wise spin.
KEEN ICE ice where draws to the tee line take less effort for the thrower, Although this is sometimes called "fast ice", the stone actually takes more time to travel down the ice as the friction between ice and stone is very low, and the stone glides for a longer period of time.
LAST ROCK the advantage gained by the team throwing the last stone in an end, Determined in the first end by a coin toss, or predetermined in a championship draw, in later ends, the team that scored in one end throws the first stone of the next end, giving the opponent the last rock advantage.
LEAD the player who throws the first two stones for his/her team each end.
LIGHT a played stone with less than the desired weight (travelling too slowly).
MATE alternate name for the position of "Third" (term originates in the Atlantic provinces of Canada)
NARROW a played stone that is thrown "inside" the target line from the hack area to the skip's broom. The delivered stone is travelling down a line closer to the target area (for a draw) or opponent's atone (on a takeout), and probably will need to be swept to delay the curl and achieve the desired result.
NEGATIVE ICE used on severely slanted ice; the amount of ice indicated on a shot which the stone will lose (fall) against the requested turn,
NOSE HIT a played stone after which removing another stone from play rolls neither left or right.
OUT-TURN the hand and arm action which causes a stone to rotate for a stone played by a right-handed thrower, a counter clock-wise spin is imparted to the stone; a left-handed thrower imparts a clock-wise spin.
PEBBLE water droplets sprinkled on the ice surface prior to a game. Once frozen, they become the surface over which the stones glide,
PEEL played stone which after removing another stone from play rolls out of the playing area itself.
PORT a space between two stones through which a played stone may pass.
PUSH BROOM see "Brush"
RAISE a played stone which strikes another stone so as to move (promote) that stone to the desired location.
SECOND the player who throws the 3rd and 4th stones for his/her team each end.
SHEET (OF ICE) one ice playing area approximately 44.501 meters (146 feet) long and 4.318 meters (14 feet, 2 inches) wide.
SHOOTER the thrown stone.
SHOT STONE the stone that is closest to the tee (centre of the house).
SKIP the player who throws the last t;o stones of each end for his/her team; the Skip usually directs the strategy of the game for his/her team, as well.
SLIDER a low friction material applied to the bottom of the sliding shoe (left shoe for right-handed throwers; right shoe for left-handed throwers)

STRATEGY a tactical plan developed to help with shot selection in a curling game, in order to achieve a winning result. The overall plan is based on: a team's philosophies (defensive or more conservative style, vs. offensive or more aggressive style); and team strengths, The plan as the game progresses is based on: the end, score, which team has last rock advantage, opponent's weaknesses, own team's abilities that day, which player is throwing, ice conditions, and rules (such as the Free Guard Zone Rule, and time limitations for play).
SWEEPING utilizing either a broom or brush in front of a moving stone in order to remove debris from its path, and polish the ice. Polishing the ice reduces the height of the pebble, thus delaying the curl of the stone (making it go straighter), and allowing the stone to travel further.

TAKE OUT a played stone which removes the object stone from play.
TEE the hole in the centre of the house used for measuring .
TEE LINE the line that passes through the tee (in the centre of the house) across the sheet, parallel to the back and hog lines.
THIRD the player who throws the 5th and 6th stones for his/her team each end. Also called Vice-Skip' or Mate'.
TWELVE FOOT the outermost scoring circle of the house which is 3.6576 meters (12 feet) in diameter.
VICE-SKIP see "Third" (also called "Mate" (Atlantic Canada)). This term is commonly used in Ontario.
WEIGHT an amount of force required to propel a stone a specific distance.
WICK & ROLL a stone played in such a manner as to contact the object stone on the side and roll stone(s) to desired positions. also "Chap & Lie"
WIDE a played stone that is thrown "outside" the target line from the hack area to the skip's broom. The delivered stone is travelling down a line further away from the target area (for a draw) or opponent's stone (on a takeout), and probably will need to curl more than expected to achieve the desired result.

BACK LlNE	the line across the back of the house. Stones that completely cross this line are not inplay.
BITER	a stone touching but not fully in the house. To see if a stone is actually touching the house, a 6 foot 'loiter stick' can be used from the 'tee'.
BLANK END	a scoreless end -- no stones resting in the house.
BONSPIEL	a tournament among a number of curling teams.
BROOM	a sweeping device made from corn straws or synthetic material used in a swinging levered motion.
BRUSH	a sweeping device with animal hairs or synthetic material used in a scrubbing motion.
BURNED STONE	a stone that is touched by a player or his equipment usually during sweeping. Players so touching a stone will advise that the stone has been touched. Subject to the discretion of the opposing skip it is removed from play.
BUTTON	the scoring circle in the house which is 0.3048 meters (1 foot) in diameter.
CENTRE LINE	a line running down the middle of the ice from hack to hack.
CHAP & LIE	a stone played in such a manner as to contact the object stone on the side and roll stone(s) to desired positions. see 'Wick & Roll'
COME AROUND	a played stone that is thrown with draw weight, and curls past and comes to rest behind a guard.
CORNER GUARD	a stone played short of the house which does not protect the four foot circle.
COUNTER	any stone in the rings or touching the house that is a potential point.
CURL	the bending action of the stone's path as it travels down the ice.
DOUBLE TAKE OUT	a played stone which removes 2 stones from play.
DRAW	1. a played stone which comes-to rest in the house; or 2. a schedule of curling games to be played(draw sheet/draw time)
EIGHT FOOT	the scoring circle in the house which is 2.4384 meters (8 feet) in diameter.
END	the alternate playing of all 16 stones in one direction by opposing teams; a game normally consists of 8 or 10 ends.

FALL	slanted ice that causes a stone to move in a sideways direction opposite to the imported turn.
FOUR FOOT	the scoring circle in the house which is 1.2192 meters (4 feet) in diameter.
FREE GUARD ZONE	the area from hog line to the tee line excluding the house. No stones in this area (often called 'guards') may be removed from play until after the 3rd stone of the end comes to rest. (In the rest of the World, no opposition stones in this area may be removed from play until after the 4th stone of the end comes to rest.) (FGZ)
FREEZE	a played stone which stops resting against the front face of another stone.
FRONT RING	the area of the twelve foot circle in front of the tee line.
GUARD	a stone positioned in such a matter as to protect another stone, or potentially provide protection for a stone played later in the end.
HACK	a foot hold in the ice from which the thrower pushes off when throwing a stone; right-handed players use the left foot hold (hack); left-handed players use the right foot hold (when facing down the ice).
HAMMER	slang term for last rock advantage in an end.
HEAVY	a played stone with more than the desired weight (travelling too quickly).
HEAVY ICE	ice where a played stone requires more effort from the thrower. Although this is sometimes called "slow ice", the stone actually takes less time to travel down the ice as the friction between ice and stone is very high, and the stone does not glide easily.
HIT & ROLL	a played stone which, after removing the object stone from play, rolls to the desired location. (example: rolls behind a guard)
HOG LINE	a line on the ice 10.0584 meters (33 feet) from the back line. Stones must be clearly released by the thrower before the stone reaches the nearer hog line, Stones which do not completely cross the farther hog line are not in the playing area unless they contact a stone in the playing area.
HOGGED STONE	a played stone which does not completely cross the farther hog line -- it must be removed from play, except when it touches a stone already in play.
HOUSE	the scoring area of concentric circles~ the outermost circle being 3.6576 meters (12 feet) in diameter. There is one house at each end of the sheet of ice.
IN-TURN	the hand and arm action which causes a stone to rotate for a stone delivered by a right-handed thrower, a clock-wise spin is imparted to the stone; a left-handed thrower imparts a counter clock-wise spin.
KEEN ICE	ice where draws to the tee line take less effort for the thrower, Although this is sometimes called "fast ice", the stone actually takes more time to travel down the ice as the friction between ice and stone is very low, and the stone glides for a longer period of time.
LAST ROCK	the advantage gained by the team throwing the last stone in an end, Determined in the first end by a coin toss, or predetermined in a championship draw, in later ends, the team that scored in one end throws the first stone of the next end, giving the opponent the last rock advantage.
LEAD	the player who throws the first two stones for his/her team each end.
LIGHT	a played stone with less than the desired weight (travelling too slowly).
MATE	alternate name for the position of "Third" (term originates in the Atlantic provinces of Canada)
NARROW	a played stone that is thrown "inside" the target line from the hack area to the skip's broom. The delivered stone is travelling down a line closer to the target area (for a draw) or opponent's atone (on a takeout), and probably will need to be swept to delay the curl and achieve the desired result.
NEGATIVE ICE	used on severely slanted ice; the amount of ice indicated on a shot which the stone will lose (fall) against the requested turn,
NOSE HIT	a played stone after which removing another stone from play rolls neither left or right.
OUT-TURN	the hand and arm action which causes a stone to rotate for a stone played by a right-handed thrower, a counter clock-wise spin is imparted to the stone; a left-handed thrower imparts a clock-wise spin.
PEBBLE	water droplets sprinkled on the ice surface prior to a game. Once frozen, they become the surface over which the stones glide,
PEEL	played stone which after removing another stone from play rolls out of the playing area itself.
PORT	a space between two stones through which a played stone may pass.
PUSH BROOM	see "Brush"
RAISE	a played stone which strikes another stone so as to move (promote) that stone to the desired location.
SECOND	the player who throws the 3rd and 4th stones for his/her team each end.
SHEET (OF ICE)	one ice playing area approximately 44.501 meters (146 feet) long and 4.318 meters (14 feet, 2 inches) wide.
SHOOTER	the thrown stone.
SHOT STONE	the stone that is closest to the tee (centre of the house).
SKIP	the player who throws the last t;o stones of each end for his/her team; the Skip usually directs the strategy of the game for his/her team, as well.
SLIDER	a low friction material applied to the bottom of the sliding shoe (left shoe for right-handed throwers; right shoe for left-handed throwers)

TAKE OUT	a played stone which removes the object stone from play.
TEE	the hole in the centre of the house used for measuring .
TEE LINE	the line that passes through the tee (in the centre of the house) across the sheet, parallel to the back and hog lines.
THIRD	the player who throws the 5th and 6th stones for his/her team each end. Also called Vice-Skip' or Mate'.
TWELVE FOOT	the outermost scoring circle of the house which is 3.6576 meters (12 feet) in diameter.
VICE-SKIP	see "Third" (also called "Mate" (Atlantic Canada)). This term is commonly used in Ontario.
WEIGHT	an amount of force required to propel a stone a specific distance.
WICK & ROLL	a stone played in such a manner as to contact the object stone on the side and roll stone(s) to desired positions. also "Chap & Lie"
WIDE	a played stone that is thrown "outside" the target line from the hack area to the skip's broom. The delivered stone is travelling down a line further away from the target area (for a draw) or opponent's stone (on a takeout), and probably will need to curl more than expected to achieve the desired result.