how does curling work?

Question

I was wondering if someone could try and explain the rules of curling to me

Answer 1

There are four positions on the team - Lead, Second, Third and Skip. Each player 'throws' (slides) two granite rocks each (alternatively with players of the same position on the other team)down a sheet of ice towards the 'house', which are three coloured rings on the opposite end of the ice sheet. The aim of the game is to have as many rocks as possible near the centre of the 'house' called the button. Rocks must touch a portion of the house in order to score. The team with the rock closest to the button will recieve a point and for each subsquent rock closest to the button, until a rock from the opposing team is the next closest.
During play, one person throws the rock while two other players sweep the rock down the ice. Sweeping is done to reduce the amount of horizontal movement of the rock.
There's more to to explain, but visit the site for a better explanation.

Answer 2

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February 12, 2007
Introduction to Curling
A beginners guide to curling. The Game, The Team, Equipment, How to Play, Where do I start?

The Game
Curling is a team sport, with four people in a team. It's played on a specially marked sheet of ice, roughly 150 feet long by 14 feet wide.
The object of the game is to slide a stone down the ice so that it stops in the centre of a bullseye type target, called the house.

Then, as if that wasn't difficult enough, the opposing team throws a stone and tries to knock your stones out and keep theirs in.

The teams play stones alternately until each team has thrown 8 stones (two per team member).

After all stones are thrown the score is determined and the end is complete.

The aim of the game is to get your stones as close as possible to the centre of the house. For each stone beating your opponent's, you receive one shot.

A game consists of 5 to 10 ends (Club level to Olympic)


There are four people in a curling team. The skip, third, second and lead.
Skip The skip is the team captain. He is responsible for most, if not all, of the tactics used and makes most of the decisions during play. He plays the last two stones. As these can make or break a match he has to be the best player in the team.
Third The third is the vice captain. He plays before the skip. When the skip plays the third stands in the head and holds his brush for the skip to aim at.
The two opposing thirds decide the score for each end.
Second
&
Lead The second and lead have very similar roles. Their job is to provide the tactical base for the skip and third to work with. When not playing their shots both the third, second and lead sweep the other players shots. At club level the second usually takes responsibility for filling in the scorecard.

The most important piece of equipment in curling is the stone itself. These are supplied by the ice rink. In general stones are made to a standard size with a weight of about 20kg, although smaller stones exist for children to play with.
Most curlers have a set of special curling shoes. These shoes have one "slippy" sole and one "sticky" sole. Curlers slide on their slippy foot and propel themselves with their sticky foot.

Curling brushes can be made from hogs hair or from more modern synthetic materials. Nowadays it is generally accepted that the synthetic variety is better as they don't leave fallen hairs on the ice.

The final and perhaps most important piece of equipment is warm clothing. The game is played on ice after all, and no one plays at their best if they are cold.

This is how to play the game:

Stones are delivered by a carefully balanced slide from the hack, with your brush extended to your left (helps you balance), the stone is in your right hand, weight on your left foot (on which you have a slippy sole) and your right leg trails behind you. If you are left handed this is reversed.

As you release the stone you give it a slight twist which causes the stone to draw as it travels along the ice, bending it's path, and so enabling it to curl behind another stone. You aim at the brush held upright by the skip on the head -they have positioned it so the stone will come to rest at a specific point, should your weight and line be perfect.

While one player delivers their stone, the other two follow it up the ice, sweeping in front of it should the skip request. This makes the stone travel faster, further, and straighter.

The opposing teams take alternate turns to play their shots until all 16 are played. Then the thirds decide who wins, and by how much. This concludes one end. The length of a game depends on the time allowed, but a standard game lasts for 8 or 10 ends.

There are many different shots allowed- strikes to remove a stone (or sometimes more!), point scoring draws, short and long guards- the possibilities and strategies are endless.

Answer 3

Overall, you want to get your rock closest to the center of the target however the other team can knock your rock out of the way.

Answer 4

Haven't you heard of Wikipedia? :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling

Answer 5

it's basically shuffleboard on ice.