Curling Rules, Scoring, and Facts

Curling is not the most popular game in the world and has also not received a lot of television coverage. However, it is a fascinating game all about shuffleboard, bowls, and ice. It is similar to lawns but is played on ice. Curling is also known as “chess on ice.” Here is an article with all you need to know about curling rules and how to win the game.

What is Curling?

Curling sport is an ice sport in which the players have to slide the stones over an ice sheet. The game was invented in the 16th century in Scotland and is popular in the entire UK. Curling is also popular in the countries where Scots have exported, like the US, Switzerland, Canada, Sweden, and New Zealand. At the present time, Ice Curling is played in other countries, also including many areas of Europe, Korea, China, and Japan. 

Object of Curling

Curling sport is somewhat similar to shuffleboard and bowls. The game includes sliding granite stones or rocks into a specific area present at the end of a long ice strip with the “pitch.” 

The objective of Curling is to slide the rocks on the concentric circle, which is made on the ice base. Two teams with four players in each team compete in this game. Each team gets eight stones, and they need to push their stone towards a circle. They need to position the stone as close as possible. The closer the rock is to the circle area, the higher the score will be. At the end of the match, the team with the highest score wins the match. 

Equipment

Curling is a fascinating sport, and its craziness can be seen in the ice countries. Before moving to the curling rules, let’s have a look at the curling equipment. There are three basic equipment in Curling:

• Curling Sheet
• Curling Stone
• Curling Broom

Curling Sheet

The game a smooth and flat surface that enables good friction. The curling sheet is rectangular and has dimensions of 4.5x5m. It is a smooth ice area measuring 45-46m in length and 4.4-5m in width. A backline is made at the back of the house. One tee line is drawn parallel to the backline bearing a length of 4.3-4.75m. A line passes through the sheet’s center, and it is called the centerline. 

A target house is made at the intersection of the tee line and centerline. There are one central circle and three other circles. 

 A house is present at both the end. The house contains a blue outer circle of 12 ft diameter and a white circle inside it with a diameter of 8-feet. Finally, a red circle is made inside the white circle, and its diameter is 4-feet. 

Curling Stones

Eight stones are given to each team. The weight of stones is usually between 38-44 pounds, and they have a maximum circumference of around 36 inches. The height of the stones is usually 4.5 inches. The stones are made of granite, and they have handles that are usually yellow on one side and red on the other. 

Curling Broom

A curling broom is a brush and is used for two purposes. 

• Balancing the stones when delivering them.
• Sweep the path on which the stone moves. 

The sweepers who take the rock down the ice use brooms or brushes made of fabric and fiberglass or horsehair. However, there is no restriction on the material from which it is made. 

Curling Shoes

There are different types of curling shows according to the construction. One type of shoe is known as slider shoes, and they are used to slide on the surface. The other type of shoes are gripper shoes, and they are used to hack the surface. In addition to this, the curling shoes have a rubber coating, which is used to protect the players from wear and tear when they move through the rough ice. 

Players wear gloves and curling trousers. They also use a stopwatch in order to understand the pace of the ice and the requirements for sweeping. 

Curling Shots

Curling sport does not require physical sport. However, it is a sport that needs good statistics and strategy. The players use different types of shooting strategies to push the stone to the target. Below mentioned are different types of curling shits. Knowing about the curling shots will help you better understand the curling rules.

Guard Shots

• The players throw the stone in the free zone to protect the shot rock.
• The stones close to the buttons are called shot rock.
• Teams use guard shots to make it difficult for the opponent team to play the shots. 

Takeout

• The basic purpose of the match is to remove the stones. 
• If a stone reaches the back bumper and removes the opponents’ stones, it is called bumper weight or hack. 
• When one stone removes an opponent team’s stone and then spinning happens in a new direction, then it is called hit and roll.
• A shot that leads to the removal of the guard while rolling out the shooter is called a peel.
• In case the stone removes more than one stone, then this strategy is called double (if it takes out two stones) or triple (if it takes out three stones), etc. 

Draws

• The main aim of this shot is to get in the house.
• If a stone positions itself in front of the opponent team’s rock, then it is called Freeze. 
• If a stone changes the angle of play of the other team’s rock without changing its position, then it is called Tap back. 

Scoring

In Curling, scoring is done according to the position of the stone near the center. The curling scores are determined on the asiss of the distance of the stone from the center. It means, the closer the stone is to the center, the higher the points are. In order to score the points, the players need to have at least one stone “in the house.” It means they need to stay in touch with any of the circles or overhanging the circles. 

Winning the Game

The team that scores the highest points after completion of all the ends is the winner. Usually, the matches or curling take place over eight or ten ends. If there is a tie after completion of the determined ends, then a sudden-death end is played. 

Read More – Dive in the World of Underwater Sports

Curling Rules

• A match is conducted between two teams with four players in each team. Each player curls two rocks towards the target area. The scores are counted after all the sixteen rocks have been thrown.
• In international matches, each match has a time limit of 73 minutes on each side. There are two timeouts lasting for around one minute each. 
• The stones should be released in a way that their front edge crosses the hog. Foul throws are removed so that they do not come in contact with other stones.
• Two members do the work of sweeping, and they sweep up to the tee line. After the tee line, the other player from the opposing team can also sweep. 
• If a stone is moved or touched during the play, it is either removed or replaced according to the situation. 
• A coin-toss decides which team will go first. 
• Fair play is highly essential in the match. Therefore, in this game, there is a culture of self-referring when it comes to fouls. 

Final Words

Curling is an amazing game which is popularly played in ice countries. The game was discovered in Scotland but played in some other nations like China, New Zealand, and Canada. Curling rules are simple, and the game is easy to understand. Now that you know everything about Curling, enjoy the game. Do share your experience with us by dropping a comment.