Curling Rules

The Basics

Curling is played on a sheet of ice with granite stones weighing 42 pounds each. There are four players on a team who take turns delivering (sliding) the stones down the ice.  The game is divided into segments called ends where 16 stones (8 by each team) are slid down the sheet. The goal of the game in each end is to have your team's stones closest to the center of the house (target) at the far end of the sheet. There are different types of shots to accomplish this and they are explained here.

At the completion of an end, the team with stones closest to the center of the house scores points.  One point is scored for each stone closer to the center than any of the opponent's stones.  Only one team can score in an end.  Stones must be touching the rings of the house to be eligible for scoring.  A typical game lasts eight or ten ends, depending upon the facility where you play.