Rules

Sections:

Ethics, Equipment and Conduct

Introduction to Sliding

Balance – Part 1

Balance – Part 2

Delivery – Three Step Technique

Delivery – Five Step Technique

Grip, Rotation and Release of a Rock

Position of the Rock for a Three or Five Step Delivery

Delivery with a Stick

Sweeping

Sweepers’ Roles and Responsibilities

Rules

Roles and Communication Between Players

Sliding – Traps to Avoid

Turn and Release of the Stone – Traps to Avoid

Different Shots and Signals

Timing

Strategies

Strategies – Continued

Curling, as is the case for most sports, is regulated. In Canada, this set of rules is presented in a document entitled “Rules of Curling for General Play” and is available on the Curling Canada website. All players should consult this document to ensure curling is played correctly.

Here are a few recaps of the Rules for General Play affecting player positions, touched stones, sweeping and the Free Guard Zone:

Position of Players

Members of the non-delivering team:

• Only skips and vice-skips may be positioned inside the hog line at the playing end. They shall position themselves behind the back line when the delivering team is in the process of delivery.
• The player who is next to deliver may take a stationary position to the side of the sheet behind the hacks at the delivery end. The player shall remain silent and motionless when the delivering player is in the process of delivery.
• The other players shall position themselves between the hog lines and to the extreme sides of the sheet when the opposing team is in the process of delivery. The non-delivering team members shall not take any position or cause such motion that would obstruct, interfere or distract any member of the delivering team.

Touched Moving Stones

A stone in motion shall not be touched by any player, equipment or personal belongings.

Between the tee line at the delivery end and the hog line at the playing end:

If a moving stone is touched by the team to which it belongs or by its equipment, the touched stone is removed from play immediately by that team.

Inside the hog line at the other end:

If a moving stone is touched by the team to which it belongs, all stones are allowed to come to rest, after which the non-offending team has the option to:

• emove the touched stone and replace all stones that were displaced after the infraction to their original positions; or
• leave all stones where they came to rest; or
• place all stones where it reasonably considers the stones would have come to rest had the moving stone not been touched.

Displaced Stationary Stones

If a stationary stone that would have had no effect on the outcome of a moving stone is displaced or caused to be displaced by a player or external force, it is replaced to its original position to the satisfaction of the non-offending team. If there is any question as to which stone was counting, the displaced stone shall be positioned in favour of the non-offending team.

If a stone which would have altered the course of a moving stone is displaced, or caused to be displaced by a player, all stones are allowed to come to rest and then the non-offending team has the option to:

• leave all stones where they came to rest; or
• remove the stone whose course would have been altered from play and replace in their original positions any stones that were displaced after the violation; or
• place all stones in the positions the team reasonably considers they would have come to rest had a stone not been displaced.

Sweeping

• A stationary stone must be set in motion before any sweeping may occur.
• Only the skip or vice-skip of the non-delivering team may sweep their team’s stone(s) when set in motion.
• Behind the tee line at the playing end, only one player from each team may sweep at any one time. This may be any player of the delivering team, but only the skip or vice-skip of the non-delivering team.
• Behind the tee line, a team has first privilege of sweeping its own stone, but it must not obstruct or prevent their opponent from sweeping.
• An opponent’s moving stone shall not be swept until the front end of the stone reaches the farther tee line and sweeping shall only take place behind the tee line.

Free Guard Zone (FGZ)

• The FGZ is the area between the hog line and the tee line, excluding the house.
• Any stationary stone belonging to the opposition located in the FGZ shall not be removed from play by the delivering team prior to the delivery of the sixth stone of the end. When an opposition’s stone(s) is removed from play from the FGZ prior to the sixth stone of the end, directly or indirectly and without exception, the delivered stone must be removed from play and any other displaced stones replaced as close as possible to their original position(s). Any stone previously in the FGZ whose location is now not in the FGZ may be removed at any time without penalty.
• A delivered third, fourth or fifth stone of an end may hit an opposition stone(s) located in the FGZ on to a stone(s) not in the FGZ providing that any opposition stone originally located in the FGZ remains in play.
• A team may remove their own stone from the FGZ providing its removal does not cause an opposition stone to be removed from play from the FGZ.

Free Guard Zone (FGZ)