What happens when a curling game is tied?
B · Beginner · The game · 3 of 5The team with more points after the scheduled ends wins. A tie goes to an extra end, and the first team to score wins. A team may concede, but only when it is the delivering team and only after the minimum ends are played. A team arithmetically eliminated may finish the end but cannot start another.
How it works
- Result: the most points when the scheduled ends are done.
- Tie: extra ends until one team scores.
- Concede: only when it is your team's turn to deliver.
- Minimum ends: in 10-end events, 8 in play-off games and 6 in others; in 8-end events, 6.
- Arithmetically eliminated: finish the current end; no new end starts.
- Forfeit score: recorded as W and L.
- Late start: 1 to 15 minutes late costs one end and a point; 30 minutes is a forfeit.
- Interrupted game: restarts where it stopped.
The glossary has the extra end, the concede, the forfeit, the interrupted game, the Spirit of Curling and the end.
Tricky cases
Can a team concede after two ends?
Not in a 10-end game before the minimum has been played; the minimum is 6 ends, or 8 in the play-offs.
A team is 20 minutes late. What happens?
Two ends count as played, and the opponent gets 2 points and the hammer.
Both teams are 30 minutes late. Who wins?
Neither. The game is over and both take a loss.
What happens if the ice must be cleared mid-end?
If stones are removed for ice work, the end is replayed.
Why the rule exists
Extra ends avoid shared results, and the first to score wins so a game cannot run on. Conceding reflects the Spirit of Curling, where a team does not prolong a game it cannot win.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 10-end events | Minimum 6 ends, 8 in play-offs | WC C5 (a) |
| 8-end events | Minimum 6 ends | WC C5 (b) |
| Mixed doubles | Late-start bands of 10 and 20 minutes | WC R12 (k) |
From the rule book
World Curling, The Rules of Curling and Rules of Competition (1 September 2026), rules R12 (a), (i) to (k), R13 and C5. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Curling's rules, reviewed every year.