CURLING

EQUIPMENT

Curling is a relatively inexpensive game requiring very little equipment. A curler requires the following items.

- Warm, loose fitting clothing

- Gloves

- Clean Shoes (one shoe is the gripper and one is the slider)

- the slider is usually composed of teflon but we will simply tape that shoe

- A broom

ETIQUETTE

1. Stand well to the side while your opponent is delivering a stone or sweeping.

2. Do not talk, move around, or cross the ice in front of your opponent=s delivery.

3. Always be ready when it is your turn to throw.

4. No food or drinks on the ice.

5. Only skips and vice skips should be behind the tee line.

6. Prior to throwing your rock place your opponents next rock close to the hack for them.

7. Never lay on the ice. If you fall get up as soon as possible, unless you are injured.

8. Clean your shoes and broom prior to stepping on the ice.

9. Clean all rocks prior to throwing them.

10. Protect the hacks from fast moving rocks.

11. Always leave the ice and the curling rink the same way you found it.

12. Use of the curling rink is a privilege which can be taken away from BDHS.

RULES

1. A stone that does not clear the far hog line shall be removed from play immediately.

2. A stone that comes to rest beyond the outer edge of the back line is removed immediately.

3. No stone can be measured until the final rock of the end comes to rest.

4. In the first end the last rock advantage is determined by lot.

5. Following the first end the winner of the previous end will throw first. Blank ends will carry over.

6. The skip controls the game for their team and may play in any position they elect, but may not change position

once the game has started.

7. During the skips delivery another member of the team will take his role.

8. Only the skip and vice skip may stand behind the tee line when the opposing team is delivering a stone.

9. The player who is next to throw should take a position well behind the hack at the delivery end of the ice.

10. At no time shall any non-delivering team member take a position that would obstruct their opponent.

11. Right handed players shall play from the left side of the hack.

12. In delivering the stone the handle shall be clearly released prior to the near hog line.

13. Failure to follow rule 11 or 12 will result in the immediate removal of that rock.

14. When a player accidentally delivers a stone belonging to the other team, a stone belonging to his team shall be put

in its place.

15. The umpire shall govern any game to which they are assigned.

16. The umpire shall not intervene in any matter unless requested to do so by one of the skips.

THE GAME

A curling team consists of four players, each throwing two stones during an interval called an end.

Each end contains the delivery of sixteen stones.

Rocks are played alternately with those of the opposition.

The basic objective is to complete each end with your stones closer to the center of the house than you opponents.

A game is normally ten ends in length, but may be eight or twelve depending on the competition.

At the conclusion of each end the team with the rock closest to the button scores one point, and then scores an additional point for every rock nearer the button than the closest rock played by the opposing team.

At the conclusion of an end the thirds determine the score and must agree. They then place the score on the board.

ORDER OF PLAY / BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES

The lead is the first player to deliver two stones alternating with the opposing lead.

When the lead has thrown their last stone they move up to take over the sweeping duties with the third while the second delivers two stones.

The third (vice skip) delivers two stones that are swept by the lead and second.

The skip is the last to throw two stones, while the vice skip assumes the skipping duties.

The skip stands within the circles of the far house and directs the play except when it is their turn to throw.

The opposing team must clear the ice for the team whose rock is being played, any not interfere in any way.

The opposing skip can remain behind the house in order to watch the rival stone.

LEAD - must be able to draw effectively.

- should be a strong sweeper which requires a great deal of strength and endurance.

SECOND - must be good at take out shots.

- should be a strong sweeper.

THIRD (VICE) - must possess the knowledge and shot making ability of the skip.

- must also be an effective sweeper.

- a good vice takes a lot of pressure off the skip.

SKIP - the ice general who calls the play and determines where the broom (thrower=s target) is placed.

- must read the ice for speed and curl.

- must be an excellent player and good under pressure.

BASIC STRATEGY

1. Learn to read the ice quicker than your opponent.

2. Know when to play a draw and when to play a takeout.

3. A skip should know the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates.

4. Most curling games come down to what is known as the Alast rock advantage@ or Ahammer@.

5. The last rock advantage is so important it is now common for a skip to intentionally throw the last rock through

the house in order to maintain the last rock advantage for the next end. (They pass up the chance to score 1pt)

6. When a team has a large lead it should attempt to remove all its opponents rocks as soon as possible.

ICE

Pebble (the tiny bumps on the ice) is extremely important in curling..

Pebble is created by applying a fine mist of water to the ice which freezes immediately.

Without pebble the rock would create too much friction with a flat ice surface.

Pebble therefore allows the rocks edges to glide along the ice much easier.

Fine pebble creates fast ice and heavy pebble creates slow or heavy ice.

STONES

The underside of a curling stone has a concave area known as the cup.

The edge of the cup or rim is the only part of the rock that actually touches the ice.

A stone or rock also has a handle on top which is used during delivery.

A stone is very heavy and should never be raised off the ice or thrown with great speed as it can be dangerous.

DELIVERY

The momentum for the stone should come from the leg drive out of the hack.

The gripper foot should be firmly positioned into the hack. (Right handed curlers in left hack)

The stone is pulled back and then the back leg pushes out of the hack.

The sliding (front) foot should be flat on the ice and turned slightly outwards to maximize balance.

The sliding foot should be positioned parallel to the hack foot prior to pushing out.

The broom arm should either be stretched out comfortably from the body with the broom handle towards the small of the back or on the ice with the handle over the none throwing shoulder.

Both broom placements help to balance a curler during delivery.

The head should be erect with the eyes concentrating on the skips broom which is the target.

The trial leg (gripper foot) should be extended behind the curler with the top of the shoe dragging on the ice like the rudder of a boat. This also aids balance.

THE GRIPS

IN-TURN

The index finger is the dominant and guiding force since it is tucked in close to the turn of the goose neck.

The thumb presses slightly against the side of the neck and combines with the index finger to provide grip control.

The AV@ found between the thumb and index finger should point toward the opposite shoulder. This is important.

The last three fingers tuck gently toward the end of the handle with the little finger having no bearing on the grip.

The palm of the hand is never in contact, and the handle should rest on the second joint of the fingers.

The curler should resist any temptation to tighten or close the fist on the handle.

The handle should hang from the fingers, with most of the weight supported by the index and middle finger.

The wrist should be slightly cocked and definitely not flat.

The handle position must remain the same during the backswing and the forward push out of the hack.

The inturn (inward rotation) should be placed onto the rock just prior to release.

The handle should move from a 10 to a 12 oclock position.

The rock is released with the delivering hand in a handshake position.

The inturn rotates the stone in a clock-wise direction for a right-handed curler.

OUT-TURN

Contrary to popular belief the out-turn should be easier to throw since it is a more natural motion.

The handle should move from a 2 to a 12 o=clock position.

The out-turn and in-turn therefore both end with the hand in a handshake position.

THE BACKSWING

The forward press is a slight motion forward of the rock and body which serves as a starting point for the backswing.

Then the rock is drawn back by the fingers.

As the stone begins to move backwards both legs aid in the lift of the lower body.

Once the lower body begins to move upward the majority of the body weight shifts to the hack leg and foot.

The body weight remains on the ball of the hack foot during the entire backswing and until the push out of the hack.

Weight does not shift to the heel at any time, and maintaining a head farthest point forward position ensures this.

The upper body should not raise during the backswing as it throws off timing and balance.

As the stone is brought back the sliding foot should move backwards just slightly deeper than the hack foot.

The sliding foot should move backwards to a point of 20-30 cm behind the hack just as the rock reaches its deepest

point.

FORWARD SLIDE / DELIVERY

During the entire forward swing, the stone is extended forward by the throwing arm to the farthest point in a comfortable reach.

The stone should precede the sliding foot at all times during the backswing, forward slide and delivery.

The speed of leg drive out of the hack will vary for different shots.

The point of delivery, however should remain consistent.

The momentum for the shot should be generated by the leg drive, and not the arm.

The arm should never push the rock.

A common error for beginners is to wait too long to release the rock.

A beginner often pushes the rock with their arms after their sliding momentum is lost.

A good follow through is imperative.

The proper follow through calls for eyes on the skip=s broom, the throwing arm reaching forward and the sliding motion continuing in behind the stone.

The throwing arm hand and fingers are still pointing along the imaginary line until the stone is half way down the ice.

A consistently released stone with a solid release applied to its handle should take one and one half to two complete revolutions from hack to house.

This will ensure the stone reacts (curls) consistently each time.

A stone that turns too much or not at all (dead handle) will not curl consistently.

SWEEPING RULES

1. Between the tee lines a running stone, or a stone set in motion by a moving stone may be swept by one or more of the team to which it belongs.

2. Between the tee lines no player shall sweep an opponent=s stone.

3. Behind the tee line the players of the playing side have the first privilege of sweeping their own stone. If their choice is not to sweep, they cannot obstruct their opponent from doing so.

4. No player shall start to sweep an opponent=s stone until it reaches the further tee line.

5. Behind the tee line only one player form each team may sweep at any one time.

6. The sweeping motion may be in any direction in front of the stone providing no sweeping or debris are being

deliberately left in front of the stone.

In addition to having rhythm and applying proper techniques, effective sweepers must also:

1. Learn to judge the weight of the running stone.

2. Develop a rapport with their sweeping partner.

BODY / BROOM POSITIONING

The stance should be at right angles to the path of the stone, with the knees slightly bent and the feet shoulder width apart.

The front (sliding) foot should point in the direction the stone is traveling so the weight of the body rests on the sliding foot.

A right handed curler should be on the left side of the stone as their slider is on their left foot.

Place the right hand on the broom handle fairly close to the bottom, palm down.

Put the left hand in the same palm down position at the point on the handle that is comfortable for you (usually half way down the shaft)

The handle may be allowed to rest against the left thigh which can provide a leverage point for the broom.

In this position the stroke of the broom can be kept short with the force of the entire upper body available.

A left handed curler would follow the above procedures on the opposite side of the stone.

SWEEPING RATIONALE

Sweeping is used to melt the ice and maintain the momentum of the stone. It does not speed up the rock.

Sweeping can also decrease the amount of curl since the rock maintains its speed and has less time to curl.

It is also an excellent way to keep warm.

SWEEPING TOGETHER

Since the majority of curlers are right handed most sweepers will be on the same side of the rock.

It is imperative that the inside sweeper (closest to rock) and the outside sweeper work together to maximize their effectiveness.

The inside sweeper is responsible to judge the speed (weight) of the traveling stone and relay this information to the skip.

The inside sweeper should be positioned behind the stone with their feet to the rear and side with the body bent over the top of the stone.

With both sweepers on the same side of the stone they can get extremely close to the rock in order to maximize their sweeper effectiveness.

If any part of the broom or the sweepers body touch any part of the stone it is considered Aburned@ and is immediately removed from play.

Intentionally burning a rock to avoid a poor shot is considered extremely poor sportsmanship and should not occur