How to Ice Curl
Ice curling is a sport played by two teams of four. Each team slides granite rocks down sheets of ice in an attempt to hit a target or take out the opponent's rock. The object of the game is to have the most rocks closest to the center of the target. Once you have joined a team, learned the play area and have a place to play, you are ready to learn how to ice curl. Read on to learn more.
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Instructions
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1
Get your position. The order in which you follow the steps depends on your position with the team. The Lead is the first person from each team to throw the rock. After the Lead is the Second, followed by the Vice Skip and then the Skip.
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2
Determine the throw. When it is your turn to throw, the Skip, or captain, of the team uses one of two hand signals. If the broom is upright and taps the ice, you are to slide your rock to that position. A tap on a rock with the broom signals that you are to take out the opponent's rock with your rock. Other hand signals may be used when ice curling to indicate different releases of the rock or weight to be applied to the rock.
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3
Throw the rock. You must release the rock before it hits the near hog line. Your body is allowed to slide past the near hog line but it must not be touching your rock. If you are still touching your rock at the near hog line, your rock is removed from play.
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4
Sweep the ice. Your turn to sweep the ice is determined by your position on the team. The Second and Vice sweep when the Lead throws, the Lead and Vice sweep when the Second throws, and the Lead and Second sweep when the Vice or Skip throws. The Vice determines if the ice needs to be swept and you sweep back and forth in front of the rock. You must not touch the rock while sweeping or it is a foul.
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Calculate the score. The first round ends when each player has thrown two stones. The Vices from each team meet by the target and determine which rocks count. In a normal round a team scores between 1 and 4 points, with a maximum of 8 points. Only one team scores per round.
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Switch sides. At the end of each round, the teams switch sides of the ice. The team that won the round begins the next. Play continues until each player throws two stones. Most games consist of eight or ten rounds and the teams switch sides after each round.
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Finish the game. The game ends after the determined amount of rounds. The team with the most points wins. Shake hands with the opponents and your teammates before gathering for a broomstacking.
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Tips & Warnings
Never throw a stone before the game begins.
