CURLING UNIT P.E. 30
1. The Game -- Courtesies
Curling is one of the few sports in the world that emphasizes etiquette. The important courtesies are as follows:
· While your opponent is delivering a stone, stand well to the sides, do not talk or move around the ice.
· Inactive players should sit on benches provided when they are not sweeping.
· Always be ready to throw.
· Only the skips and vice-skips are allowed behind the tee line in the house. Skips must keep their brooms off the ice when the opposition is ready to throw.
2. Rules of the Game
Rule 1: Stones
· A stone that does not clear the far hog line shall be removed from play, except when it has struck another stone lying in play.
· A stone that completely passes the back line shall be removed from play.
Rule 2: Team
· The winner of an end always throws first in the following end. If an end is blanked, the winner of the last scored end continues to lead.
Rule 3: Delivery
· Right-handed players shall deliver from the hack on the left of the center line, and left-hand players from the hack on the right of the center line.
· The stone must be released from the player's hand prior to reaching the nearer hog line. If it is not, the stone shall be removed from play immediately.
· A stone may be redelivered provided it has not touched the first tee line.
· If a stone is delivered belonging to the other team, the proper stone shall replace it when it comes to rest.
3. Game Objectives and Scoring
A curling team consists of four players, each throwing two stones during an end, which when completed, finds a total of 16 stones delivered. Rocks are delivered 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 those of the opposition. A game is normally 10 ends in length but may change according to the tournament.
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. The thirds or vice-skips will determine the score at the completion of each end.
4. Order of Play
The lead is the first player to deliver two stones, alternating with the opposing lead. When the lead has thrown his two stones he moves up to sweep while the second delivers two stones alternately with the rival second. The third or vice-skip then delivers two stones and finally the skip is the last to throw two stones. While the skip is delivering, the third acts as the vice-skip calling the shots in the house.
The skip is the general who calls the play and determines where the broom, which is the thrower's target, should be placed. The skip must gauge how much a particular shot will curl based on the weight thrown and the given ice conditions.
5. Ice and Stones
Curling ice is known as jet ice, which is very hard and covered with ice pebbles. The pebble greatly influences the weight and curl of the ice. Without pebble, most curlers could not throw hard enough to reach the rings at the end of the sheet. The pebble raises the stone off the ice thereby reducing the amount of friction between the stone and the ice. The stone runs on a thin edge called the cup or rim, which also helps to reduce friction.
6. Sweeping
Sweeping essentially does three things. It causes a slight melting effect on the pebble that creates moisture and helps to remove frost, which in turn causes the rock to run farther and straighter. It also aids in removing debris in the path of the stone so that it will run cleanly. Good, effective sweeping can help the stone travel an additional 3 to 5 meters. Through sweeping, the rock is able to maintain its momentum longer which in effect reduces the amount of curl causing the rock to run straighter.
· Between the back lines, a running stone or a stone set in motion by a moving stone may be swept by any one or more of the team to which it belongs.
· Between the tee lines, no player shall sweep an opponent's stone.
· No player shall start to sweep an opponent's stone until it reaches the further tee line.
· If a running stone is touched by any of the team to which it belongs, or their equipment, it is immediately removed.
· If the opposing team or their equipment touches a running stone, it is placed by the skip to which it belongs, where he feels it would have stopped had it not been touched.
7. Turns
There are two types of turns in curling, in turns and out turns. What type of turn you throw depends on what hand you throw with, and what type of movement you want on the rock. The following is based on someone who is throwing with their RIGHT hand. It is important to remember that this is a TURN, not a SPIN.
A) In Turns
The position of the handle at the start of the back swing should be such that the neck of the handle points to the 2:00 o'clock position. Prior to release, the in-turn is applied to the stone with a distinctive inward rotation of the wrist such that the neck of the handle points to the 12:00 o'clock position upon release.
B) Out Turns
The out-turn grip begins by turning the rock clockwise to the 10:00 o'clock position. Prior to release, the out turn is applied to the stone with a distinctive outward rotation of the wrist such that the neck of the handle points to the 12:00 o'clock position upon release. In either case, the rock should complete 1½ to 2½ revolutions down the length of the ice.
8. Hand Signals
Hand signals are given to the person throwing the rock by the skip, or if the skip is throwing, by the third. Hand signals are important because they communicate where the thrower is supposed to place the rock based on the skips strategy.
Double Tap- this is where you want to rock that is being thrown to end up. If you are taking out another rock, be sure to double tap the rock you want.
Held Broom- this is the line that you want the stone being throw to be released on. The stone will be released to the held broom, but will end up where you double tapped
Arm signal- this tells the thrower what type of turn to put on the rock being thrown. The thrown rock should always go ”up the arm to the chest”.
Take out- this is signaled by a large sweeping motion of the broom.
9. Basic Strategy
A) Draw Strategy
This type of strategy involves the use of delicate shot making in an attempt to score points. Such shots include; raises, freezes, come around's and guards. The draw game is normally used in situations where a team is behind and needs to score points. The team throwing first without the hammer generally tries to clog up the middle of the ice in an attempt to steal one or two points. A common approach is to throw center guards in front of the rings which will allow you to draw in behind to the four foot if the opponent misses the take-out. The team with the hammer generally tries to play towards the outside of the rings in an attempt to split the house so that the inner rings are clear if he needs to go there on the last rock. A common approach is to use corner guards when you have last rock or to freeze to opponents' rocks behind the tee line. As the game wears on and the skips become more familiar with the ice, draw becomes more important to the strategy of the game.
The difficulty involved in the draw game involves more difficult shot making, changing ice conditions, debris on the ice and greater difficulty in reading the ice.
B) Take-out Strategy
This type of strategy is very defensive in nature often used by teams who are leading or, early in a game when the skips are still trying to read the ice. The strategy is to remove any of the opposing team's stones in or in front of the house. In general, teams without the hammer should rely more on take-out as it involves easier shot making thereby reducing luck as a factor.
10. Safety
Important to remember:
- Never step on the ice with your slider. Use you non slider foot first.
-Do not use a slider unless you are throwing or have special permission
- If you are not throwing or sweeping, get out of the way!!!
- First chance you get put a rock onto the hack you are shooting at to protect it and the ice.
- Your broom can be used for balance, but it is not a weapon or a toy
- If at the end of the day we are moving all the rocks to the proper end, one person will go down and push all of the rocks back with their broom laid flat on the ice. Everyone else will get off of the ice!!
- If you are going to stop an oncoming rock, use your broom, not your foot.
-Its OK to fall. It’s not ok to not tell me about any chips or damage you may cause to the ice.
11. Terminology
Back Ring The portion of the 8 foot and 12 foot rings behind the tee line.
Biter A rock that barely touches the outer edge of the 12 foot circle.
Blank End A scoreless end with no rocks in the rings.
Bumper Weight A stone thrown with sufficient weight to reach the back boards.
Burned Stone A stone in motion touched by a member of either team resulting in the stone being removed from play.
Button The center of the house.
Counter Any rock in the rings which is in a counting position.
Draw Weight The force required on a stone to reach the house at the far end.
End A portion of a game that is completed when each team has thrown eight stones. A game consists of 10 ends.
Freeze A shot where a moving stone comes to rest against a stationary stone without moving it.
Front Ring The portion of the rings in front of the tee line.
Guard A stone that is placed in a position so that it can protect another.
Hack The foot hold from which the rock is delivered.
Heavy A stone delivered with a greater weight than is required.
Heavy Ice Ice that offers more resistance than normal.
Hog Line (far) The line which the stone must completely cross to be considered in play.
Hog Line (near) The line by which the stone must be clearly and fully released by the thrower.
House The four rings to which the rocks are delivered.
Light A stone delivered with less than ideal weight required.
Off the Broom A stone delivered off the target, which is the skip's broom.
On the Broom A stone delivered on the imaginary line toward the skip's broom.
Pebble A fine spray of water applied to a sheet of ice.
Port An opening between two stones that is large enough to allow passage of another stone.
Raise When one rock is bumped ahead by another.
Runner A stone travelling very fast that does not curl.
Shot Rock At any time during an end the rock closest to the button.
Tee Line The line that goes across the house intersecting with the middle of the button, splitting it into two halves. If the rock currently being thrown is not your teams, you may not sweep for it until it crosses this line.
Take Out Removal of a stone from the playing area by hitting it with
another.
Weight The momentum imparted to a curling stone in delivery.