Curling for Dummies

For the uninitiated, curling can appear to be a baffling sport complete with its own odd rules and arcane language. So if you are heading down to Meridian Centre this week to take in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts championship, here are a few things you need to know.

What the heck is it?

Curling is a bit like shuffleboard, but with ice, really heavy rocks, brooms and a lot of shouting. Two teams compete in each match by throwing their rocks, or stones, across the sheet — the name for the ice surface — to the “house,” the blue and red bull’s-eye. Points are scored for the stones closest to the centre of that target. Curlers will attempt to place their rocks nearest to the centre and knock their opponent’s rocks out of play. They also place their own rocks in the house to protect those in scoring position. Skilled players can curve, or curl, their rocks around others already in the house to place them where they want to be. Matches at the Scotties consist of eight “ends,” or matches. The team with the highest score after the ends are completed wins. Two-time Scotties and world champion Marilyn Bodogh of St. Catharines calls curling “chess on ice” because the game is more about strategy and craft than it is about throwing stones with brute force.

What’s with all the shouting?

The player who throws a rock pushes out from the “hack,” foot pads that resemble starting blocks used by sprinters. Once the stone has been released, other players with brooms will sweep on the ice in front of it to speed it up or help guide its trajectory. The player who threw the rock will usually shout commands to the players with the brooms. Sweeping harder will reduce some friction under a stone, allowing it to travel faster.