Who gets the last stone in curling?
I · Intermediate · The game · 1 of 5Having the last stone of the end, the hammer, is an advantage. Who has it in the first end is set by a coin toss or the last stone draw. After that, the team that scores plays first in the next end, so the hammer passes to the side that conceded points. A blank end leaves the order unchanged.
How it works
- First end: coin toss, last stone draw or set in advance.
- After a score: the scoring team delivers first next end.
- Blank end: the order stays the same.
- Last stone draw: two stones to the tee after practice, by different players.
- Rotations: one clockwise, one counter-clockwise.
- Time: 60 seconds for each LSD stone.
- Missed or wrong: recorded as the maximum, 199.6 cm.
- Lower total: chooses to play first or second in the first end.
The glossary has the hammer, the Last Stone Draw, the in-turn and out-turn, the blank end, the pre-game practice (curling) and the draw.
Tricky cases
Why would a team blank an end on purpose?
To keep the hammer for a later end where it can score two or more. This is tactics, not a rule.
An LSD stone is thrown with the wrong rotation. What happens?
It is recorded as the maximum distance.
Must the players who throw LSD stones play the game?
No. An alternate may deliver an LSD stone and not play.
Two teams have the same LSD total. Who chooses?
The team with the best single non-equal stone; if every stone is equal, a coin toss decides.
Why the rule exists
Passing the hammer to the team that did not score gives it a chance to answer. Blanking an end keeps the hammer, so teams with it sometimes choose not to take a single point.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Round robin | LSD decides the first end | WC C8 (b) |
| Play-offs | Better record or ranking chooses | WC C8 (f) to (h) |
| Mixed doubles | LSD decides who places the stones | WC R17 (g) |
From the rule book
World Curling, The Rules of Curling and Rules of Competition (1 September 2026), rules R5 (a) and (b) and C8. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Curling's rules, reviewed every year.