ABOUT CURLING
This painting, "Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap"(dated 1565) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, depicts Flemish peasants curling.
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area that is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called rocks, across the ice curling sheet toward the house, a circular target marked on the ice.
GETTING STARTED
Curling is a game of strategy, finesse and strength. The principle of curling is simple – get your stone closer the center of the target circles, called the “house,” than your opponent. Players of all skill levels can participate and compete even at older ages than most sports allow.
While Curling may look easy on TV, it's actually really hard and quite a workout... especially if you're brand new!
Here's a few videos you can watch to get an idea of some of the basic techniques you'll need to learn...
Youth Curling
Balance
Sweeping Form
Broom Position
How to Score
Curling Canada - Discover Curling
CURLING ETIQUETTE
Start with a handshake. At the beginning of the game, greet the members of the opposing team with a handshake, tell them your name, and wish them “Good Curling”.
Finish with a handshake. When the game is over, offer each of the players a hearty handshake and move off the ice. The winning curlers traditionally offer their counterparts some refreshments.
Keep the ice clean. Change your shoes. Sand, grit and dirt are the ice’s worst enemy. The shoes you wear should only be used for curling. Keep them clean.
Compliment good shots, no matter which team makes them. Respect your opponent.
Be ready. Take your position in the hack as soon as your opponent has delivered his/her stone. Keep the game moving; delays detract from the sport.
Be prepared to sweep as soon as your teammate releases the rock.
After delivering your stone, move to the side of the sheet between the “hog “ lines, unless you are the skip. Leads and seconds are not permitted in “house” or “rings”, except when sweeping or to remove the stones after the count has been determined by the vices.
Be courteous. Don’t distract your opponent in the hack. Sweepers should stay on the sidelines between the hog lines when not sweeping.
Place your skip’s rock in front of the hack to help speed up the game.
All games on the ice should run approximately the same time. Therefore, if your game is an end or two behind all other games you should pick up the pace. Each player should be ready to deliver their rock when their skip puts down the broom. Most leagues are allotted TWO hours to play a game.
A few other things...
