Curling Information sheets

What to wear on the ice

A new curler will be encouraged to go along to a Try Curling session where the basic skills involved in delivering a stone from the hack at one end to the house at the other end.

Following the Try Curling session new curlers will be directed to attend the three session Beginners course which will develop the basic skills further while introducing other curling basics such as weight control, sweeping, etc. The fee for all coaching course sessions will be £10.

Safety

• Place the gripper foot on to the ice first
• Do not step over parked stones
• Do not get up until you have finished sliding
• Stand on your gripper foot first
• Do not swing your brush around
• Stop stones with the brush instead of your feet
• Move stones with the brush – no lifting
• Clear stones away carefully after an end
• Prevent stones from hitting the hack or travelling into another sheet
• Do not cross in front of anyone playing or about to play
• Do not run on the ice
• The emergency call to alarm players is ‘ICE’

Etiquette

Curling is a game of skill and of traditions. A shot well played is a delight to see as is a game played in the true spirt of curling. The following are points of etiquette for curlers:

• Play to win, but never to humble your opponents.
• Play with common sense, good manners and a sporting approach.
• Wear clean appropriate footwear that will not damage the ice.
• Shake hands with the oppositions before and after a game.
• The opposing leads will toss a coin at the start of the game to determine last stone advantage for the first end.
• The second keeps the score.
• Always be ready to play your shot.
• Acknowledge good shots.
• Never turn your back on a stone you have played.
• Never waste time.
• Avoid melting the ice by touching it with hands or knees after delivery.
• Avoid hitting the far hack with stones.
• The team that wins the game should offer to buy their opposition a drink.
• Mobile phones should not be used during a game.
• Remember: Curling relies on common sense, honesty and good manners.

Standard Delivery

• Step into the hack from behind.
• Grippy foot on correct hack pointing towards target.
• Head up and eyes towards target.
• Brush/Delivery Aid held in correct hand and in forward position.
• Stone is positioned in front of hack foot.
• Hip lift or in raised position prior to stone movement.
• Pull back stone and sliding foot.
• Stone moves forward and leg drive initiates slide.

Stick Delivery—Standing

• Check stick length.
• Position the stone, touching centre line with correct handle.
• Step into the hack, from behind.
• Foot on correct hack (left-handed, right hack, right handed, left hack) pointing towards the target.
• Attach the delivery stick to the stone and adjust the position of the stone – check handle and grip.
• Stone in line with the delivery hand, toe and skips brush.
• Head up and eyes towards target.
• Step forward – may need to press forward if stone has stuck to the ice.
• Walk forward and lunge as the opposite leg to the delivering arm steps forward – therefore on step 1, 3, 5, 7 etc.
• Apply appropriate handle at the release and finish re lease – stick pointing to target.

Sweeping

• Try to sweep as close to the stone without touching it
• Body should be facing forward towards the skip
• Both hands are on the brush shaft
• Hands apart on brush shaft (roughly equivalent to knee and hip height)
• Thumb and forefinger of each hand should be lower on the shaft than pinkie
• Pad down
• Sweep directly in front of stone without touching stone

Communication Of Skip Signals

The skip will usually use hand actions to inform players of the shot they wish to be played.

• A Guard: Hold the brush horizontally above their head.
• A Draw: Have the brush vertically and tap the end of the brush creating a T sign.
• A Take Out: Arm crosses the body and taps the opposite shoulder.

Curling Terms

The skip will usually use hand actions to inform players of the shot they wish to be played.

18” lines - the lines that the stone needs to be delivered between when in a wheelchair (only in the Free Guard Zone)

Brush - A device used to sweep the ice that is in the path of a moving stone. It is also used as a balance device during the curling delivery.

Draw - The moment required for a stone to reach the house at the far end of the sheet of ice.

Delivery Aid - Used in place of a brush for balance during delivery.

End - A portion of a curling game that has been completed when each team has thrown eight stones and the score has been decided.

Free Guard Zone - The area, not including the house, between the hog line and the tee line.

Gripper - Covering to go over slider to allow grip on the ice

Guard - A stone that is placed in a specific position as to protect another stone.

Hack - The footholds at each end of the ice from which the stones are thrown in a balanced, flatfoot delivery.

Hammer - The term used to identity which team gets to throw the last stone of and end.

Hog Line - A line 33 feet from the hack at each end of the ice. Stones of delivery must be released prior to this line and cross the far hog line to be in play.

House - Also called the target, it is made up of four coloured, concentric circles, which are referred to as button, 4 foot, 8 foot and 12 foot.

Lead - The first player to deliver stones 1 and 2 for their team.

Second - The curler who delivers the second pair of stones for their team. Usually completes the scorecard.

Third Player - who throws the third pair of stones. Generally this player will act as skip when the skip is delivering their stones.

Skip - The player who determines the strategy and directs play. The skip also delivers the last pair of stones for their team.

Slider - Teflon material which is place on the bottom of a shoe to help players slide. Sweep - The action of moving the brush back and forth in the path of a moving stone.

Take out - Knocking a stone out of play by hitting it with another stone.

Tee Line - The line that passes through the centre of the house.

Back Line - The line across the ice at the back of the house. Stones that go completely over this line are removed from play.