Source:

02-12-2009 17:00

Curling is a team game played between two 4-player teams on a frozen pitch, the concept of which is very similar to boules. It consists of sliding 19.96 kg blocks of stone, complete with handles, (called rocks) so that they stop as close as possible to the center of a target drawn on the ice (called the house).

The team

Each team consists of four players. The lead makes the first throw. The second must have a good aim, but also be good at knocking away the stones of the opponents that are in the way. The third is faced with a more tricky game. The fourth player, the skip, is the most experienced player, who decides on tactics, advises his/her teammates on each throw and throws last. Each player throws two stones alternating with their counterpart on the opposing team. When all 16 stones have been played, the ‘end’ is complete and a point is scored for every stone nearer to the centre of a target (‘house’) than any stone of the opposing team. Only stones in the house count towards the score, and only one team can score per end. Play then resumes in the opposite direction and the team that scored in the previous end delivers the first stone. A game usually consists of 10 ends and the team scoring the most points wins.

The delivery of the rock

A rotation is applied to the handle of a stone at the end of the delivery. The turn applied makes the stone rotate in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The ‘skip’ or team captain determines the shot to be played and indicates the shot while positioned in the house at the far end of the ice. The player delivering the stone pushes off from a fixed support (‘hack’), and aims at the skip’s brush. The stone must be released before the near hog line and pass the far-end hog line to be in play. If a stone touches the sidelines or passes the far-end back line it is removed from play. The other two team members follow the stone and are ready to sweep if necessary.