Below are some basic points of playing the sport of curling that any beginner might already be aware of, and some other points that they might not:
- Players who aren’t involved in sweeping or delivering the ball should stand along the sides of the sheet between the hoglines, out of play with your brush on the ice as well as in front of you.
- Keep to the edge once you have finished sweeping your teammate’s rock and you are walking back down the sheet.
- You should avoid walking up and down or stepping onto the sheet of ice besides the one you are playing on if teams are playing on it.
- All players should pay attention to what is happening in a game to always be ready to throw your rock when it is your turn.
- Strategy and decision making is the skip’s responsibility. When it is time for the skips to throw, they need to discuss strategy with their third. Decisions by the skips, and the skips and the thirds together, shouldn’t be drawn out. Taking too much time is not fair on the opposition. Although seconds and leads can get involved in some strategy discussions, consistently being involved can slow the game’s speed down.
- Only the skips and the vice-skips are allowed to congregate behind the tee line. They should remain and make sure that their brooms are not on the ice as the opposition is preparing to throw.
Speed of Play
- It is all team members’ responsibility to make sure that the game is played at a pace which can allow 8 ends in the allocated time.
- Note and remember the following rule from the CCA Rules of Curling for General Play:
“Each player shall be ready to deliver when their turn comes. They shall not take an unreasonable amount of time to play. Delay of a game in progress by a player for any reason (excluding accident or illness) shall not exceed three minutes.”