Many people don’t know that Curling is one of the oldest team sports in the world, but there was not enough popularity before social media came. Recently, sports have gotten attention and popularity. But there are still so many confusions about curling rules, people face issues while understanding the rules.
At the start of this year, John Shuster, a five-time Olympic curler server, was the flag bearer. The Curling champions of the 2022 Winter Olympics were Great Britain (Men), Switzerland (Women), and Italy (Mixed). The Curling community is still small. On the one hand, the community loves the dance of brooms and stones, but on the other hand, curious people come to witness the play every four years to understand the game.
Curling
Before going into the rules, let’s dive into the game. Though the game looks confusing, after going through this article, I am sure that there will be no confusion at all. However, if someone is on the dark side of the game, then simply put, the sport consists of a granite rock that needs to be put in the bullseye.
A curler needs to slide the stone toward the bullseye, and the stone closest to the spot will win, so the player throws it. The sport plays on an iced surface, where the stones move smoothly. The game also consists of a mix of elements of hockey, chess, and shuffleboard.
In this article, you will learn about curling rules, scoring, positions, and equipment. So, the next time you will watch a curling game, there will be no doubts and confusion.
Read more: Hedon Texist Net Worth: NBA Player With The Biggest Net Worth
Curling History
The game was first played in the 16th century in Scotland. At that time, the sport was played on frozen lochs and ponds. The first recorded match was played between a relative of the Abbott and a monk at Paisley Abbey in 1541. After that, immigrants helped the sport to expand to North America. Montreal (1807) was the first Canadian curling club, and Pontiac (1828) was the first American club.
So, how did Curling rules come? The so-called mother club of the Curling Club, Royal Caledonian, was behind in making curling rules in 1838. And after that, the rules were considered official rules of Curling. But the breakthrough of this game came after so many years.
Curling And Olympics
The game was first introduced in the Olympics in 1924 in Chamonix, France. But, there was only Men Curling tournament. The Great Britain team won the gold medal, but the team was Scottish. After that, the game had five appearances.
- 1932, Lake Placid
- 1936, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
- 1964, Innsbruck
- 1988, Calgary
- 1992, Albertville
In 1998, the game was added to the Olympic games as a full-time competitive sport. Currently, Canada is in first place for winning the most Gold Medals. They have three gold medals in the sport. Here is a list of countries and medals that won in the Olympics after 1998.
| Countries | Total Medals | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Canada | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Sweden | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Switzerland | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Norway | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Great Britain | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| United States | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Denmark | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Finland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Korea | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| China | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
According to curling rules Olympics, the official weight of the Stone is 44lbs or 19.1 kg. And the curling stone is harvested from Ailsa Craig. This is an island in Scotland.
Read more: Is Sha’carri Richardson Transgender? Was She A Man?
Curling Rules
The sport may seem complicated, but the rules are relatively simple. If you have heard of innings like a baseball game, so the game has a total of 10 innings or ends. In every end, four players from each payer throw two stones. So that means, in a single end or innings, there will be a total of 16 stones.
The first thrower is called the lead, then the second, and after that, the vice skip or third, and the final throw is called the skip. The most important player is the skip because they throw the last stone, and that determines the curling score rules.
A curler needs to put one foot on the hack, this is the starting point. After that, they slide and release the stone before a line. The sliding is called the sheet, and the line is called the hog line. If a curler crosses the hog line, then the stone will not be considered a valid throw. The bullseye is called the house, or where the stone is headed.
Curling Rules And Scoring
The scoring is simple in this game. The team that has the most stones closest to the button (Curling Bullseye) will win the innings. And there is only one team that can score in a single end. Suppose the first team has a stone in the middle area, and the second team has a stone far away from the button. Then the first team will be awarded one point.
There are also other circumstances, like the first team has no stone in the button area and all its stones are away from it. And the second team has a stone in the button, a stone is one foot away from the button, then the second team will be awarded two points.
If any team scores no points, then the team will be awarded an advantage by throwing the last stone, this is called the hammer. If there are no stones inside the house, then there will be no points. After 10 ends, the team with more points wins the game.
Read more: Best Free Sports Streaming Sites
Curling: Other Things To Know
There are also important things to know about curling that you must know.
- Curling Brooms
After throwing the stone, a team member sweeps the ice so that the stone can slide further. A curling broom is important to reduce friction.
- Mixed Doubles Curling Rules
This variation of the game was introduced in the 2018 Olympics. The game is shorter, there are five stones per end and eight ends.
Further Words
So, what are your thoughts right now about this unique game? I guess now you have no confusion about the Curling rules and the game. So, next time you are watching a Curling game, there will be no second thoughts, and you can also be excited like the players.
If this article is helpful, then please give your valuable feedback in the comment section below.
Thank You.
Read Also:
Your article gave me a lot of inspiration, I hope you can explain your point of view in more detail, because I have some doubts, thank you.