Curling words · Beginner

The words you will hear in your first match, grouped the way you meet them.

B · Beginner · 24 words · Step 1 of 2

Basic setup terms

Sheet

The ice a game is played on, at least 45.720 m long between the back boards and no more than 4.750 m wide. Lines across it at each end mark the tee line, back line, hog line, hack line and courtesy line, and a centre line runs down the middle.

Stone

The granite object that is delivered down the sheet. It is circular, no more than 914 mm round and at least 114 mm high, and weighs between 17.24 and 19.96 kg including handle and bolt. A team uses a set of eight stones, with the same handle colour.

Also called: rock
See also: Sheet, Handle

House

The area within the four concentric circles at each end, centred on the tee. The outer edges have radii of 1.829 m, 1.219 m and 610 mm, and the innermost circle a minimum radius of 152 mm.

Button

The small circle at the centre of the house. The exact centre is the tee, and a stone is scored by its distance from the tee.

Broom

A sweeping device, used to clean the ice in front of a moving stone. Each player declares an approved sweeping device at the start of a game and only that player may use it for sweeping during the game. Brush heads may not be changed during a game without the Chief Umpire's permission.

Also called: brush
See also: Stone, Sweeping

Team

Four players who each deliver two stones in each end, in consecutive order, alternating with an opponent. A team may also have a fifth player as an alternate and team officials. Mixed doubles teams have two players, one male and one female.

End

A part of a game, finished when each team has thrown eight stones (five in mixed doubles) or the score has been decided. Competitions schedule 10 ends, or 8 ends for mixed, wheelchair and mixed doubles curling.

Scoring terms

Point

At the end of an end, a team scores one point for each of its own stones in or touching the house that is closer to the tee than any stone of the opponents.

Hammer

The stone that will be the last delivered in an end. The team that delivers it has the last stone advantage.

Also called: last stone
See also: Stone

Blank end

An end in which neither team scores. An equal measure that cannot decide which team scored also blanks the end.

Steal

Scoring in an end without having the last stone. The rules do not use the name.

Playing terms

Delivery

The motion a player makes when playing a stone. The stone must be delivered using its handle and clearly released from the hand before it reaches the hog line at the delivery end. Right-handed players deliver from the hack on the left of the centre line and left-handed players from the hack on the right.

Curl

The curved path a stone takes as it travels down the sheet. The turn given to the handle at delivery is the rotation, either in-turn or out-turn.

See also: Sheet, Stone, Delivery, Handle

Sweeping

Moving a brush back and forth in front of the path of a moving stone to clean or polish the ice. The brush head may not be raised in front of the stone and debris may not be deposited in front of it. A delivering team may sweep its stone anywhere in front of the tee line, and an opponent's stone may be swept only behind the tee line, by the skip or vice-skip.

Guard

A stone placed in a position where it may protect another stone.

Takeout

Removal of a stone from the playing area by hitting it with another stone.

Also called: hit
See also: Stone

Draw

A delivered stone that stops inside or in front of the house.

Hog line

A line 102 mm wide across the sheet, with its inside edge 6.401 m from the tee. A stone must be released before it reaches the hog line at the delivery end, and a delivered stone must come to rest completely beyond the inside edge of the hog line at the playing end, or it is removed from play unless it strikes another stone.

Team roles

Skip

The player who directs play for the team and is in charge of the house when not delivering. The vice-skip directs play when it is the skip's turn to deliver. A team declares the skip and vice-skip functions and its delivery rotation before the game.

Lead

The first player on a team to deliver two stones in each end.

Second

The second curler on a team to deliver two stones in each end.

Also called: Second player

Third

The third curler on a team to deliver two stones in each end. The fourth player delivers the last two.

Also called: Third player

Match and rule terms

Extra end

An additional end played if the score is tied after the scheduled ends. The team that scores first wins.

Spirit of Curling

The tradition that curlers play to win but never to humble opponents, never knowingly break a rule, never try to distract opponents and are the first to admit a breach. It is also used to decide where to place a stone that is broken in play.