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SPORTS AND FITNESSTEAM SPORTS

How to Score in Curling

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PARTS

1Mastering the Basic Rules

2Scoring Points

3Taking a Shot

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Article Summary

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: April 6, 2021 References Approved

A lot of people see the strange stones, brooms, and target in curling and think the rules must be very
complicated. The scoring rules are actually rather straightforward and easy to figure out by watching a
match. The team with the stone closest to the center of the target scores a point. Understanding the
strategy used to get stones into scoring positions can be more difficult to master, but getting a grasp on it
will help you enjoy games or even improve as a player.
Part

Mastering the Basic RulesDownload Article

Image titled Score in Curling Step 1

Form a team of 4 players who alternate shots. Each game of curling is played with 2 teams consisting of 4
players apiece. Team members take turns throwing stones. The turn order is determined before the
game and is followed throughout it.

The exception to this is in Mixed Doubles curling. Teams are composed of 1 male and 1 female player.
Mixed Doubles games are much faster than regular games.

Image titled Score in Curling Step 2

Aim for the target in the center of the ice. The playing surface for curling is called a sheet. You stand at 1
end of the ice and aim for the “house,” which is the target at the other end. The “button” is the bullseye
in the center of this target.[1]

Many beginners are thrown off by the size and color of the blue, white, and red rings. Ignore the rings.
They’re a visual indicator of where to aim, but otherwise don’t pay them much attention. The most
important part is how close your stones are to the button..

Players will start from a position 57 ft (17 m) away from the house.

To stay in play, the stones must stop between the hog line, which is 21 ft (6.4 m) from the button, and
the back line behind the house.

Image titled Score in Curling Step 3

Send 8 total stones down the ice towards the house. Each team plays by using granite stones, also called
rocks. Teams alternate turns, throwing 1 stone at a time. Each team member gets to throw 2 stones
total, which their teammates guide towards the house.[2]
Each stone weighs about 42 lb (19 kg), so guiding it along the ice takes some practice.

Team members alternate turns. You have to wait to throw your second stone

In Mixed Doubles, each team gets only 5 stones.

Image titled Curling score

Play 10 ends in a game. Think of an end as an inning in baseball. Once all the stones are thrown in an
end, an official counts the score and writes it on a scorecard. Each team curls a total of 80 stones in a
match.[3]

Each end begins with the team who won the previous end. If Team B scores more points in the first end,
they start the second end. This is fairer than it seems because the team that goes second in curling has
an advantage.

The amount of ends can change depending on the game format. Full-length games may be limited to 8
ends. Professional Mixed Doubles games are always 8 ends long, but recreational games may be even
shorter.

Part

Scoring PointsDownload Article

Image titled Score in Curling Step 5

Get stones into the house to score points. Only stones that stay within the house or button earn points.
This is your team’s goal for each end. Curling is a careful game of teams throwing and knocking away
stones in order to gain position in the house.[4]

It is possible to land a stone within the active play area but outside of the house. Stones in these areas
are usually guards. They never count towards any points.

Teams may end up scoring no points during an end. If nobody has a stone in the house, neither team
gets a point.

Image titled Score in Curling Step 6

2
Land the closest stone to the button to score a point. After all stones have been thrown in the current
end, the team with the stone closest to the center of the target gets a point. All of the other stones
behind it don’t count. This means that only 1 team can earn points during an end. If your opponent is
occupying the button and you’re throwing your last stone, you have to knock the other stone away to
prevent them from scoring.[5]

For example, your opponent has a stone on the blue ring. Your stone is in the bullseye. Your team gets 1
point.

Image titled Score in Curling Step 7

Have several stones closer to the target to score multiple points. Any team can score up to 8 points in an
end. You get multiple points only if you have several stones closer to the bullseye than your opponent.
Having multiple stones in the house doesn’t count unless your opponent’s stones are out of the way. This
is why knocking out your opponent’s stones strategically can be a big deal.[6]

For example, if Team B has 3 stones closer to the center than any of Team A’s stones, Team B earns 3
points.

Image titled Score in Curling Step 8

Measure the stones’ distance from the circle to see which is closer. The colored rings serve as a guide
when determining who scored. To determine the distance, stand directly over the stone and locate the
edge closest to the center. Do the same for any other stones to determine where they fall in the house.
[7]

The stone’s edge needs to touch the outermost margin of the house or fall within it to count. Any stones
outside of the circle are out of play.

When in doubt, use a measuring stick to determine how far the stones are from the button. Referees do
this when they can’t make a determination by sight alone.

In professional matches, referees make the final decision on scoring issues. However, most leagues
across the world don’t have officials supervising matches, so the players have to measure the stones
themselves.

Image titled Score in Curling Step 9

Tally up your points after all ends are completed. Scorekeeping in curling is similar to writing out a
baseball scorecard. After each end, determine which stones are closest to the center. Then, record the
number of points scored. At the end of the game, add up all the points. The team with the most total
points wins the match.[8]

If you have a scorekeeper, they can maintain a scoreboard updated after each end concludes.

Part

Taking a ShotDownload Article

Image titled Score in Curling Step 10

Throw the stone by gliding it towards the house. During your turn, crouch down by the stone at the
starting block. Push the stone forward to generate momentum, then let it go towards the target. The
goal is to get it in the house, usually as close to the button as possible.

The speed, force, and direction of a throw are all important. While success is not entirely dependent on
the throw, your stone isn’t likely to get near the button without a good throw.

Image titled Score in Curling Step 11

Sweep the stone to help it along the ice. You may have seen curling players use brooms to sweep the ice
ahead of the stone. The players who didn’t throw the stone all do this to guide the stone towards the
house. The amount of sweeping can change the stone’s speed or direction.[9]

The ice of a curling sheet is rougher than it looks. If a stone is moving left on its own, for example, it will
hit the rough patches and spin further towards the left.

Sweeping melts the ice, allowing the stone to move across it more smoothly. To keep the stone moving
fast and straight, sweep the ice directly in front of it.

Image titled Score in Curling Step 12

Perform a guard shot to block the opposing team. Guard shots land in front of the house but within the
curling scoring area. This kind of shot is easy to remember, as the stones guard the house so opponents
can’t sneak in. It’s a very useful kind of shot for protecting your stones in the house.

For example, you throw a guard in front of the outer blue ring. If your opponent hits it, they may knock
the stone into the house. They need to either knock the stone away or go around it.

Areas with lots of guards can create headaches for the opposing team. Getting stones to the house
involves working around guards and understanding how they will move when hit by an incoming stone.
Image titled Score in Curling Step 13

Make a draw shot to get a stone into the house. Draw shots are designed to get stones around guards.
While they can be straight shots, many involve curling the stone with great precision. To curl a draw shot,
turn the stone’s handle right before you let go of it. Then, let the sweepers guide the stone around the
guard and back towards where you want it to end up.

These are some of the most strategic shots you can choose and some of the hardest to implement. They
become more integral as stones begin filling the playing area during each end.

For instance, if you have a guard in front of the house, aim your stone to the right of it. Turn the handle
counterclockwise to spin the stone back towards the house.

Image titled Score in Curling Step 14

Use a takeout shot to remove guards from the playing area. Takeout shots are thrown with such force
that they knock the opposing team’s stones out of play. Stones thrown for speed and power are often
takeouts. Takeout shots have to be performed carefully, or else you can knock your own stones out of
the house.

For example, if your opponent has a guard in the button, you can knock it away with a takeout shot.
Throw your stone with the right amount of power to bump your opponent’s stone while stopping yours
in the house.

Be careful when knocking out stones. You can easily knock your opponent’s stone into the scoring area.
You can also knock in your own guard stones or take your stones out of play.

Scoring Rules and Template

Curling Rules

Tips for Scoring in Curling

Scorekeeping Card Template for Curling

Community Q&A

Question

What happens if someone hits the rock with a broom?

Community Answer

Community Answer
If a travelling rock is hit by the sweeper's broom, it is considered 'burned' and must be taken out of play.
Etiquette and the honor system dictates that sweepers call their own burns.

Not Helpful 6Helpful 37

Question

What happens to the hammer if neither team scores on an end or if there is a tie?

Community Answer

Community Answer

The team that begun the end with the hammer would have the hammer in the next end.

Not Helpful 6Helpful 30

Question

How do I score in curling?

Community Answer

Community Answer

You have to get rocks into the house. The rocks closest to the button (the middle dot), count for points.
For example, if there are two red rocks closest to the button, the red team gets two points for that end.
If there's a rock closer to the button than one of the two, only one counts for points.

Not Helpful 15Helpful 34

Question

How does the rate and direction of the stone rotation influence the amount and rate of a curl?

Community Answer

Community Answer

A faster spin usually makes the rock curve, or "curl," less. If it's very rapid, it will be unstable and kind of
wobble. A slower turn curls the rock harder. As far as the direction of the turn, it curls the same direction
it is rotated.

Not Helpful 9Helpful 23

Question

Why would a player put the first stone on the back edge of the house?
Community Answer

Community Answer

No particular reason unless the skip called for that shot. Usually the first stone would be before the
house to serve as a guard to start the game.

Not Helpful 7Helpful 17

Question

Can I get two points with one stone on the button in curling?

Community Answer

Community Answer

While it would be cool to have a curling equivalent to the 3-point shot, you can only score one point per
rock (provided it it is closer than any opposing rock).

Not Helpful 8Helpful 20

Question

On the scoreboard there is an H and then a star beside one of the teams. What does this mean?

Community Answer

Community Answer

This indicates who had the hammer in the first end. This helps people determine the score every end.

Not Helpful 11Helpful 19

Question

How much time do you have to play a full game?

Community Answer

Community Answer

It depends on the speed of play and if there are other games scheduled behind you. Typically 15 - 20
minutes per end. In club play, it is not uncommon to end a slow game early to allow the ice to be
resurfaced and prepared for the next group of players.

Not Helpful 13Helpful 19

Question
Is the house all of the space within the blue ring or red ring? Explain the target rings please.

Community Answer

Community Answer

The colors of the rings have no significance. There is the button in the center. The next ring is the 4 foot
ring because it is 4 feet in diameter. The other two are the 8 and the 12 for the same reason. They are
there to make it easier to discern which rocks are closest to the center.

Not Helpful 12Helpful 18

Question

How do I keep score?

Community Answer

Community Answer

The score goes across the board similar to a baseball scoreboard. The ends are numbered on a separate
tile. you take that time for end number one if you scored two points that end number goes over the
number two, in the next end if you score two more points the number two end tile goes over number 4,
it is a progressive scoring system.

Not Helpful 9Helpful 14

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Tips

Scoring rules are the same no matter how you play curling. However, special formats like Mixed Doubles
may feature unique playing rules you need to familiarize yourself with before a match.

Watch a professional curling match to get a sense of how the scoring works. Games at the Winter
Olympics are typically broadcast worldwide.

The color of the rings in the “house,” or target, aren’t important. They don’t affect the scoring.

A lot of beginning players may think of it like a dartboard. The goal is to hit the bullseye, although your
stone needs to stay there as well.
Stones forced out of the house don’t count in scoring. Even if you have stones in the house, they don’t
get you points unless they’re closer to the button than any of your opponent’s stones.

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Things You'll Need

Curling sheet

Curling stones

Curling brooms

Scoreboard

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References

↑https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_GeFv-1KMQ&feature=youtu.be&t=33

↑http://www.worldcurling.org/curling-the-basics

↑https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Olympics/Olympics-blog/2010/0221/From-curling-with-love-
scoring-explained-in-seven-easy-steps

↑https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Olympics/Olympics-blog/2010/0221/From-curling-with-love-
scoring-explained-in-seven-easy-steps

↑http://www.worldcurling.org/curling-the-basics

↑https://www.curlingbasics.com/en/scoring.html

↑https://www.curlingbasics.com/en/scoring.html

↑https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Olympics/Olympics-blog/2010/0221/From-curling-with-love-
scoring-explained-in-seven-easy-steps

↑https://www.cbssports.com/olympics/news/curling-at-the-2018-winter-olympics-your-guide-to-rocks-
buttons-and-brooms-on-ice/

About This Article

wikiHow Staff

Co-authored by:

wikiHow Staff

wikiHow Staff Writer

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate
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the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our
high quality standards. This article has been viewed 288,716 times.

19 votes - 81%

Co-authors: 11
Updated: April 6, 2021

Views: 288,716

Categories: Featured Articles | Team Sports

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