Curling is played by men, woman, seniors, and juniors. It is a game of finesse, strategy, friendship, teamwork, fitness, and the most important two, sportmanship and fun. Curlers can enjoy the game whatever their interest -- recreational, family time, or highly competitive -- there is something for everyone.
the game is played on a sheet of ice that is approximately 14' wide by 140' long and with a set of rings (called the house)marked on each end of the ice, with the center being called the button. each team consists of four players, a lead or first, second, third or vice, and the skip or captain). Each player delivers two 42-pound stones per end (an end is when all 8 rocks per team is thrown), generally 8 ends per game.
At the beginning of the game a coin is tossed to decide on who goes first. once this process is done, the losing team then sets up to have their lead throw first. The two teams alternate throwing until the final rock of the winning team is thrown. After the final rock is thrown, The score is marked up(who ever is closest to the center of the rings) and the next end begins with whoever scored the point(s) shooting first. If the end is blanked (no score) then the person who shot first will shoot again to start the new end.
There are generally two different types of delivery,the "flat foot" delivery and the "tuck slide" delivery. Now adays the flat foot delivery is the slide that is more commonly used. It is easier to correct if something goes wrong in your delivery and causes less damage to the knee's. There are a lot of curlers that use either slide the more notables being Pat Ryan with the "tuck slide", and Wayne Middaugh with the flat foot side. Either slide works just depends on what you are comfortable with.
There is also different ways to control the rock. The two main delivery's are the back-swing delivery and the no-lift delivery. The back-swing delivery has a curler pull the rock back lifting the rock in a swinging motion
then pushing forward using the mommentum to push the rock out. the no-lift delivery is when a curler pulls the rock back but the rock never leaves the ice.
RULES
For a more comprehensive showing of the rules per divison please see one of these divisions
International curlingFor all your answers to international curling
Curling CanadaThe Canada Curling Assoc. homepage
O.C.AThe Ontario Curling Assoc. homepage
Northern Ontario organization curling in Northern Ontario
this page and all pictures are © of the McIntyre Curling Club unless otherwises stated. The two pictures of the curlers sliding were gratiously given to me from the Madison curling club and are therefore © by them
