Curling Safety and Rules

Curling Safety

• Be careful and alert on the ice at all times – ice is an unforgiving surface!
• When stepping onto the ice, always put your foot with the gripper sole down first. -
• Do not lift the stone:
  Turn it over carefully to clean it before you deliver it.
  Push the stones gently with your brush when the end is complete – but beware of other players in the way!
• Do not try and stop the stone with your foot.

Basic Curling Rules

Starting play

The game is started by the toss of a coin between the two lead players.

Which ever lead player wins the toss may choose either to play second stone or to choose the colour of stones their rink uses.

Stone in play

When delivering your stone, you must release it before it reaches the near hog line.

Once the stone has reached the tee line immediately in front of the hack, it is in play and cannot be brought back.

Any stone failing to cross the far hog line is ‘hogged’ and removed from play

Any stone that is out of play once it has come to a complete stop must be removed.

Free guard zone

Neither of the lead players may hit their opposition’s guard stone out of play although the stones can be moved.

Sweeping

Sweepers may sweep their own team’s stones from tee line to tee line.

Only the skip (or their nominee) may sweep behind the far tee line

Skips can only sweep the opposition stone once it has crossed the far tee line.

Sweepers must sweep from side to side in front of the stone without touching it.

Any stone touched by a sweeper while it is travelling down the ice is ‘burnt’ and is usually removed from play – depending upon the wishes of the opposing skip.

End of play

Any end currently in play when the bell sounds is allowed to be completed. In the event of the final skip’s stone having already come to rest, a final end can be played.

Curling Etiquette

Do:

Make sure you find a substitute if you are unable to play – your team will lose shots if no-one shows! NB Try to let your skip know what’s happening.

Arrive in good time to change and be on the ice when the starting bell goes.

Be ready to play your stones when it’s your turn.

Always listen and watch to check what your skip is asking you and/or your team to do.

Stand still at the side of the rink, especially when a player is on the hack and about to deliver their stone.

If an opposition player is about to play, wait behind the hog line, out of the line of play.

Be ready to sweep your own rink’s stone as soon as it is in play.

Travel up the ice with your rinks’ stone so that you are ready to sweep whenever asked to do so. Good sweeping will help a stone to run longer and keep it straighter – so listen hard to your instructions.

Check before you remove a stone from play.

Be alert to what’s happening on the ice at all times – especially when coming back down the ice after your rink has played its shots.

Don't:

Just not turn up or be late – your team will lose shots.

Distract or disturb anyone who is about to deliver their stone. If you are on the wrong side to sweep wait until after the stone has been delivered and cross behind it.

Get in the way of the line of play.
- be extra careful when you are coming back down the ice after you have been sweeping
- Skips and acting skips should be especially alert when they are in the house, not to distract their opposition. NB keep brushes still!

Congregate in or near the house – only the skip and acting skip should be in or behind the house.

‘Help’ the two acting skips to decide which stone lie shot at the end of play – it’s their decision.

Remove a stone from play until it has come to a compete stop – and even then it is still worth double-checking before doing so.

Happy Curling!