WHY CURLING
Curling is a great sport that is deeply rooted in sportsmanship. It is self regulated, meaning there is no umpires,
no referees, teams and players are left to report any infractions to their own accord. Trash talking and hazing are not
part of the game.
Curling also offers many benefits;
Its great exercise!
For those who say curling isn't very physical, we would say those people have never really curled. In an 8 end
game you will walk on average 3 km up and down the ice. As an active sweeper it won't be long before you are
sweating up a storm. Throwing the stone down the ice requires and builds strong leg and core muscles.
Reports have shown you will burn on average 300-350 calories an hour curling, and most game are
2 hours long.
It is affordable!
Curling is great sport to start out in, as it doesn't require a huge investment off the hop. The club can provide
most of the required gear for beginners. The rocks are provided, you can borrow a house broom, as well as a
slider. You only need to wear clean shoes and comfortable pants. We are offering shorter seasons in some leagues
to allow opportunity to access your interest in the sport at minimal cost. Junior curling is a great investment to
keep the kid active for only $50 for the whole season.
Curling is great at any age!
People of all ages can curl with and against each other, don't think you are automatically going to beat someone who
is much younger or older then you. Younger curlers get to start out with weight appropriate rocks and for those who
require them there are delivery aids and devices.
Competition!
Curling is great for those who are competitive by nature. Assessing and reassessing the game as it moves forwards
and adapting strategies as needed. The satisfaction of giving your opponent a tough shot or the enthusiasm of
making an amazing throw and stealing the game. The best part is you don't have to play at high level to have great
competition.
IT'S FUN!
Plain and simple curling is just fun! It is a game that is very much based on a social and sportsmanship aspect.
Every game starts and finishes with a hand shake; you will often hear someone tell their opponent "nice shot".
Keeping with its Scottish roots, after the game both team enjoy a beverage together. It is a fun way to get out,
meet people, socialize and relax.
CURLING BASICS - Back to top
Traditional 4 Person Curling
Doubles Curling
Although there are many similarities between traditional curling and doubles curling including; the size of the
ice, the house and pattern of play, there are several significant differences that make it its own unique game.
For club play we have opted to have only the midpoint guard.
Although this does not cover all rules of play or etiquette it is a good base to get you started and you can pick up
the other details as you go. If you require help understanding something most experience curlers will be more than happy
to explain the situation. For more information and videos on curling please visit:
Curling Canada .
GLOSSARY - Back to top
Curling like many other sports has its own unique lingo. This list will help you understand some of the phases you will
hear at the club and on TV.
-Back line: A line that is located at the back of the house, rocks passing this line are out of play
-Biter: A rock that is barely touching the outermost ring of the house
-Bonspiel: The name of a curling tournament
-Brush/broom: A piece of equipment used to brush the playing surface in front of a rock
-Burned Rock: When a player touches a rock in motion, the effected rock is taken out of play
-Button: The very center of the house
-Center line: A line on the playing surface which run down the center of the sheet
-Curl: The amount of bend a rock makes while travelling down the playing surface
-Draw: A rock thrown with enough weight to come to rest in the house
-Delivery: The action of throwing a rock from one end of the playing surface to the other
-End: An increment of the game, the conclusion after all rocks have been thrown, at club level there are
6-8 ends per game
-Guard: A rock placed to cover another rock or to block a path of travel
-Gripper: A texture rubber sole worn on the shoe for traction on the ice
-Handle: The turn that is placed on the rock to make it curl
-Hammer: The last rock to be thrown in an end
-Hack: An embedded platform in the playing surface used to push off of during the delivery
-Hard: A word used to indicate the skip wants the rock swept vigorously
-Hog line: A line on the playing surface that all delivered rocks must be let go off by the delivering player
-Hog line: A line on the playing surface at the far end that all rocks must pass to be in play
-Hogged rock: A rock that did not pass the far end hog line
-House: The large bulls eye at each end of the playing surface, consist of 12 foot, 8 foot, 4 foot rings and button
-Lead: The first person on a team to throw their rocks delivers rocks 1 and 2
-Rock: A piece of granite weighing 44 lbs used as play piece of the game
-Sheet: The rectangle shape frozen playing surface
-Slider: A smooth piece of material worn on the shoe to allow players to slide on the ice
-Second: The person to throw second for their team delivers rocks 3 and 4
-Skip: The captain of the team, dictates the strategies and course of the game for their team, delivers rocks 7 and 8
-Sweep: The action of sweeping in front of the rock to make it travel further
-Take out: A rock thrown with enough force to remove another rock out of play
-Tee line: A line on the playing surface that runs though the center of the house, intersected with the center line
forming a T
-Third: The person to throw third for their team delivers rock 5 and 6, AKA Vice or Mate
-Weight: The amount of force put on the rock during delivery.