How much time does a curling team get?
I · Intermediate · Competition · 4 of 5Each team has its own thinking time: 38 minutes in a 10-end game, 30 in an 8-end game and 22 in mixed doubles. The clock runs only while it is that team's turn, and stops when the stone reaches the near tee line. A team that runs out of time forfeits. Each team gets one 60-second time-out per game.
How it works
- Thinking time: 38 minutes (10 ends), 30 (8 ends), 22 (mixed doubles), 38 (wheelchair).
- Running: only while the team is delivering.
- Stops: when the stone reaches the tee line at the delivery end.
- Out of time: the team forfeits.
- Extra end: clocks reset to 4 minutes 30 seconds (3 minutes in mixed doubles).
- Team time-out: one of 60 seconds per game, plus one per extra end, called by an on-ice player with a "T" signal.
- Technical time-out: for a ruling or an injury; the clocks stop.
- Breaks: 1 minute between ends; 5 minutes at halfway.
The glossary has the game clock (curling), the team time-out and technical time-out, the breaks (curling), the forfeit, the extra end and the alternate.
Tricky cases
A stone reaches the tee line as time runs out. Does it count?
Yes. A stone that reaches the tee line before time expires is delivered in time.
Who may come onto the ice in a time-out?
One team member from the team officials' area, plus a translator if needed.
An umpire warns a team for slow play. What next?
The next stone must reach the tee line within 45 seconds, or it is removed.
The wrong clock ran by mistake. What happens?
The team whose clock ran wrongly gets double the agreed error time back.
Why the rule exists
Separate clocks charge each team only for its own thinking. A fixed allowance keeps games to a schedule without rushing any single shot.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 10-end games | 38 minutes | WC C6 (a) |
| Mixed doubles | 22 minutes; extra 30 seconds between ends for placing stones | WC C6 (a), (j) |
| Wheelchair mixed doubles | 26 minutes; 7-minute halfway break | WC C6 (a), (j) |
From the rule book
World Curling, The Rules of Curling and Rules of Competition (1 September 2026), rules C4, C6 and C7. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Curling's rules, reviewed every year.