Curling is a precision sport similar to bowls or bocce, but played on
ice with polished heavy stones rather than plastic balls. The game is generally
believed to have been invented in 16th century Scotland, although two paintings
by Pieter Brueghel the Elder depict Dutch peasants curling. Whatever the truth
of the matter, outdoor curling was very popular in Scotland between the 16th and
the 19th centuries when the climate was cold enough to ensure good ice
conditions every winter and as a result the international governing body for
curling, the World Curling Federation, is based in Perth, Scotland.
The game is currently most firmly established, however, in Canada. The Royal
Montreal Curling Club, the first sporting club of any kind in North America, was
established in 1807. The first curling club in the United States began in 1832,
and the game was introduced to Switzerland and Sweden before the end of the
nineteenth century. Today, curling is played all over Europe, and has spread to
Japan, Australia, New Zealand and even China and Korea.
Curling has been an official sport in the Winter Olympics since the 1998
Winter Olympic Games (some sources also include the competition held in 1924
Winter Olympic Games as an official Olympic tournament).
Playing surface
The curling arena is a sheet of ice 146 feet (45.5 m) long by 14 feet 2
inches (4.32 m) wide, and is carefully prepared to be absolutely level and to
allow the "rocks", as the polished granite stones are called, to glide with as
little friction as possible. A key part of the preparation is the spraying of
fine water droplets on the ice to create what is called pebble. The pebble
creates friction with the bottom of the stone. As the bottom catches on the
pebble, it turns to the inside or outside, causing the stones path to 'curl'.
The curling action of rocks changes during a game as the pebble evens out from
wear.
On the rink, a 12 foot (3.7 m) wide set of concentric rings, called the
house, is painted near each end of the rink. The centre of the house, marked by
the junction of two lines which divide the house into quarters, is known as the
pin, tee, or spit. The two lines are the centre line, which
is drawn lengthwise down the centre of the sheet, and the tee line, drawn 16
feet (4.9 m) from the backboard and parallel to it. Two other lines, the
hoglines, are drawn parallel to each backboard and 37 feet (11.3 m) from it.
The rings which surround the button are defined by their diameter as the
four-foot, eight-foot, and twelve-foot rings. They are usually distinguished by
colour. The inner rings are merely a visual aid for judging which stone is
closer to the centre, they do not affect scoring, however a stone that is not at
least touching the outside of the 12-foot ring (ie. more than 12 feet from the
centre) is not in the house and therefore does not score.
Twelve feet behind the junction of the centre and tee lines, the centre line
is crossed at right angles by the hack line. The hack is a device used to
provide traction to the curler making a shot; the curler places the foot he or
she will push off with in the hack. On indoor rinks there are usually two fixed
hacks, rubber-lined holes, one each side of the centre line with the inside edge
no more than three inches from the centre line and the front edge on the hack
line. A single moveable hack may also be used.
Curling stone
The curling stone or rock used in the game weighs a maximum of 44 lb (19.96
kg) and is fitted with a handle on top allowing it to be rotated as it is
released. If the handle is rotated away from the body, the shot is said to be an
in-turn, and if rotated across the body, it is an out-turn. A special feature of
the rock is that its bottom is not flat, but concave and the actual running
surface of the rock is only 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6 to 12 mm) wide on the rim of the
concave bottom. This small running surface allows the pebble applied to the ice
to have an effect on the action of the rock. On properly prepared ice the rock's
path will bend (curl) in the direction the front edge of the rock is turning,
especially toward the end of its trip. The degree of curl depends on several
factors, including the preparation of the ice and the flattening of common paths
to the house during the game. Ice on which the rocks curl well is said to be
swingy.
Although the rock is designed to be delivered by players grasping the handle
as they slide down the ice, a special "delivery stick" may be used by players
incapable of delivering the rock in this fashion. Such a stick is designed to
attach to the handle so that it can be released without requiring the player to
place a hand on the handle in a crouched position. This allows the game to be
played by handicapped players, as well as those unable to crouch comfortably.
According to the Canadian Curling Association Rules of Curling, "The use of a
curling aid commonly referred to as a "delivery stick" which enables the player
to deliver a stone without placing a hand on the handle is considered
acceptable."
A special handle has recently been developed for high-level tournament play,
which integrates electronics to ensure a rock is released before it crosses the
hog line. The handle is coated in metallic paint; the circuitry detects the
relative charge of the thrower's hand contact to determine if they are still in
contact, and a linear field is established at the hog line to indicate its
location to the internal sensor. Lights at the base of the handle indicate
whether contact was sustained past the line or not.
The Scots in particular believe that the best quality curling stones are made
from a specific type of granite called "Ailsite", found on the Ailsa Craig, an
island off the Ayrshire coast.
The players
Curling is a team game, played between two teams of four curlers each. The
team members are named according to the order in which they throw in each end.
The lead for each team throws first, followed by the second,
third (vice skip or vice or mate), and the skip
who is the team captain; this order is not mandatory and some prominent teams
(for example, Randy Ferbey's) reverse the order in which the skip and third
throw. While the first three players throw their rocks, the skip remains at the
far end of the ice to guide the players; while the skip is throwing, the vice
takes this role. Thus, each time a rock is thrown, there is one player throwing
the rock, and another player at the far end. The two remaining players follow
the rock and assist in guiding its trajectory by sweeping the ice before the
rock, usually under direction from the skip and their own instincts for the
weight of the rock, as well as stopwatch split timing.
Equipment
When curling, players need to wear special shoes. The sole of one shoe has a
thin strip of teflon or another type of smooth surface, called a slider.
Inexpensive sliders can be purchased that can be attached to any shoes by means
of an elastic band. This enables curlers to slide out of the hack when
delivering a rock. Left handed curlers have this special shoe on their right
foot, while right handed curlers have it on their left foot. The other foot has
a thin layer of rubber, to maximize traction on the ice. An additional piece of
foot wear is the gripper, which can slide on and off the shoe with the slippery
surface. This is also usually made of rubber. This piece of equipment is needed
when a player is sweeping, and needs traction of both feet.
Another piece of equipment is the curling broom. The curling broom is used by
the sweepers to sweep the ice surface in front of the rock. Sweeping in front of
the rock lessens the deceleration of the rock, and also straightens the
trajectory of the rock. The broom can also be used to clean debris off the ice,
and is also used by the skip to show where she or he wants the rock to go. The
skip will also hold the broom at the opposite end of the rink from the
delivering player to show the deliverer where to aim the rock. Brooms can come
in many different shapes and sizes depending on preference.
The game
Curling is played between two teams of four curlers. A competitive game
usually consists of ten ends, while recreational games are more commonly only
eight or even six ends. In each end each player on each team throws two rocks in
turn, the players on each side alternating shots. When throwing the rock, it
must be released before the near hogline is reached (players usually slide while
releasing their shots) and must cross the far hogline; otherwise it is removed
from play. On each shot, two players are equipped with brushes or brooms with
which they can vigorously sweep the ice in front of the rock so as to alter its
trajectory or increase the distance of travel. A player in the house, either the
skip (captain) or vice-skip (also known as the third), will often coach the
sweepers as to when they should sweep.
Free Guard Zone
Until four rocks have been played, guard rocks left in the area between the
hog and tee lines, excluding the house — known as the free guard zone —
may not be removed by an opponent's stone. If they are removed, they are
replaced and the opponent's rock is removed from play. This rule is known as the
four-rock rule or the free-zone rule; some people and leagues play
with a three-guard rule, where the rule is in place until three rocks are
played.
This rule, a relatively recent addition to curling, was added in response to
a strategy of "peeling" opponents' guard stones (knocking them out of play at an
angle that caused the shooter's stone to also roll out of play, leaving no
stones on the ice) that skilled teams leading a game would employ to prevent
their opponents from "stealing" an end (scoring without having the last rock, or
hammer) by placing guard stones and later trying to draw around them and using
them for protection. The team with the hammer could peel rock after rock which
would blank the end, keeping the last rock advantage for another end. While a
sound strategy, this made for an unexciting game.
Scoring
After both teams have delivered eight rocks each, the team with the rock
closest to the button is awarded one point for each of its own rocks that is
closer than the opponent's closest rock. Rocks that are not in the house
(further from the center than the outer edge of the 12-foot ring) do not score
even if no opponent's rock is closer. (A rock is considered in the house if any
portion of its edge is over any portion of the 12-foot ring. Since the bottom of
the rock is rounded, a rock just barely in the house will not have any actual
contact with the ring, which will pass under the rounded edge of the stone, but
it still counts.) The winner is the team with the highest score after an even
number of ends — usually in high level curling this is ten, however at club play
it is usually eight, or less. The score is usually marked on a scoreboard of
some sort. There are two different types of scoreboards used for curling. One is
the baseball type scoreboard, which is usually used for televised games. On this
scoreboard the ends are marked by columns 1 through 10 (or 11 for the
possibility of an extra-end to break ties) plus an additional column for the
total. Below this are two rows — one for each team. The number of points each
team gets in an end is marked this way. The other form of scoreboard is the one
used in most curling clubs. (see photo) It is set up in the same way, except the
numbered row indicated points not ends, and it can be found between the rows for
the team. The numbers placed are indicative of the end. If the red team scores 3
points in the first end (called a three-ender), then a one (indicating
the first end) is placed beside the number three in the red row. If they score
two more in the second end, then a two will be placed beside the five in the red
row indicating that the red team has five points in total (3+2). This scoreboard
works because only one team can get points in an end. However, some confusion
can exist if no team gets points in an end. This is called a blank end
and the end number usually goes in the furthest column on the right in the row
of the team who has the hammer (last rock advantage). When a team feels
it is impossible , or near impossible to win a game, they will shake hands with
the opposing team to indicate surrender. This may occur at any point during the
game, but usually happens near the end. When a game is ended by normal means,
both teams will shake hands as well. This is often accompanied with saying "Good
Game!". Hands are also shaken prior to the game and is accompanied by saying
"Good Curling!" to the opposing team.
Last rock
The last rock in an end is called the hammer. Before the game, teams
typically decide who gets the hammer in the first end by coin toss or similar
method. (In tournaments, this is typically assigned, giving every team the
hammer first in half of their games.) In all subsequent ends, the hammer belongs
to the team that did not score in the preceding end. In the event that neither
team scores, the hammer remains with the same team. Naturally, it is easier to
score points with the hammer than without; in tournament play, the team with the
hammer generally tries to score two or more points. If only one point is
possible, the skip will often try to avoid scoring at all in order to retain the
hammer until the next end, when two or more points may be possible. This is
often called a blank end. Scoring without the hammer is commonly referred
to as stealing, or a steal, and is much more difficult.
Dispute resolution
Most decisions about rules are left to the skips. However, all scoring
disputes are handled by the third, or vice-skip. No players other than the third
from each team should be in the house while score is being debated. In
tournament play the most frequent circumstance in which a decision has to be
made by someone other than the third is the failure of the thirds to agree on
which rock is closest to the button. An independent official then measures the
distances. If no independent officials are available, the thirds measure the
distances.
Curling culture
Curling is most popular in Canada, but is played in other countries including
the United States, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and even
Japan, all of which, with other countries, compete in the world championships.
Improvements in ice making and changes in the rules to increase scoring and
promote complex strategy have increased the already high popularity of the sport
in Canada, and large television audiences watch frequent curling telecasts,
especially the Tournament of Hearts (the national championship for women), the
Brier (the national championship for men), and the women's and men's world
championships. The Tournament of Hearts and the Brier are contested by
provincial and territorial champions, and the world championships by national
champions.
The first world curling championship in the sport was limited to men and was
known as the "Scotch Cup" held in Falkirk and Edinburgh, Scotland, 1959. The
first ever world title was won by the Canadian team from Regina, Saskatchewan
skipped by Ernie Richardson.
While Canadian bonspiels (tournaments) offer cash prizes, there are no
full-time professional curlers. Curling survives as a people's sport, making its
Winter Olympic Games debut in 1998 with men's and women's tournaments (some
sources are also including the competition held in 1924 as an official Olympic
tournament). Because accuracy, strategy, skill and experience are more valuable
in curling than traditional sports virtues of speed, stamina and strength, most
competitive curlers are older than their counterparts in other sports. However
there are many young teams who turn heads, and junior curling is quite popular,
with national finals being televised nation-wide in Canada.
Curling is the provincial sport of Saskatchewan, home of one of the most
famous curlers, the late Sandra Schmirler who led her team to the first ever
Gold Medal in the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Curling probably does not take its name from the motion of the stones. In the
early history of curling, the rocks were simply flat-bottomed river stones which
were sometimes notched or shaped; the thrower had little control over the rock,
and relied more on luck than skill to win. The origins of the word "curling" are
not known. It was first used in print in 1630 in Perth, Scotland. One possible
derivation is that it came from the old verb "curr" which describes a low
rumble, a sound that is strongly associated with the game (curling is often
called the roaring game). Nevertheless, today a rock which deviates from a
straight line is said to curl.
| 2006 Winter Olympics
medal count |
| Pos |
Country |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Total |
| 1 |
Germany |
11 |
12 |
6 |
29 |
| 2 |
United States |
9 |
9 |
7 |
25 |
| 3 |
Austria |
9 |
7 |
7 |
23 |
| 4 |
Russia |
8 |
6 |
8 |
22 |
| 5 |
Canada |
7 |
10 |
7 |
24 |
| 6 |
Sweden |
7 |
2 |
5 |
14 |
| 7 |
Korea |
6 |
3 |
2 |
11 |
| 8 |
Switzerland |
5 |
4 |
5 |
14 |
| 9 |
Italy |
5 |
0 |
6 |
11 |
| 10 |
France |
3 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
| Netherlands |
3 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
| 12 |
Estonia |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| 13 |
Norway |
2 |
8 |
9 |
19 |
| 14 |
China |
2 |
4 |
5 |
11 |
| 15 |
Czech Republic |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
| 16 |
Croatia |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
| 17 |
Australia |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| 18 |
Japan |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| 19 |
Finland |
0 |
6 |
3 |
9 |
| 20 |
Poland |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| 21 |
Belarus |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Bulgaria |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Great Britain |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Slovakia |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| 25 |
Ukraine |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| 26 |
Latvia |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| |
|
84 |
84 |
84 |
252 |
|
