Based on Curling Canada’s Official Rules

1. Objective of the Game

Traditional curling is played between two teams of four players. Each team slides stones (“rocks”) toward a large set of rings called the house.

After each end, the team with the stone closest to the centre of the rings, called the “button”, scores points.

2. Game Play & Stone Status

• Each team delivers eight stones per end, alternating shots

• A stone must be released before the hog line near the delivering end

• A stone must completely cross the opposite hog line to remain in play (unless it has contacted a stone already in play)

• A stone that fully crosses the back line is out of play

• A stone that touches a sideline is immediately out of play and must be removed

Hammer (Last Stone Advantage)

• A coin toss before the game determines which team starts with the hammer (last stone of the end).

• After each end, the non-scoring team receives the hammer for the next end

3. Measuring Stones During an End

Physical measuring devices are not permitted during an end except:

Backline determination

If the skips cannot agree whether a stone has fully crossed the backline and the stone is near the centre line, the six-foot measure stick may be used.

Free Guard Zone vs. House (early stones)

After the delivery of any of the first three stones, if both skips cannot agree whether a stone is in the Free Guard Zone or touching the house, the six-foot measure stick may be used.

All other measurements must wait until the final stone of the end has come to rest.

4. Player Order & Delivery Rules

• The skip may place themselves anywhere in the throwing rotation for their two stones, but the order must be set prior to the first stone played, and it cannot be changed 

• Right-handed players deliver from the left hack; left-handed players deliver from the right hack

• If a team acknowledges they released a stone after the near hog line, that stone is removed from play by the non-offending team

• A team must have at least three players to continue play

• If a player throws a stone of the wrong colour, it is replaced with a stone of the correct colour, and play continues

5. Burned Rock (contact with the stone) 

If a moving stone is touched by the delivering team (player, broom, or equipment), the offending team must declare the violation.

The non-offending team may choose to:

• Let the play stand, or

• Remove the touched stone and reposition all disturbed stones to where they would likely have finished

6. The Free Guard Zone – Five-Rock Rule 

• The Free Guard Zone is the area between the hog line and the tee line, outside of the house (rings)

• Under the Five-Rock Rule, no team may remove an opponent’s stone in the Free Guard Zone until the sixth stone of the end has been delivered

• If an opponent’s Free Guard Zone stone is removed too early:

  • The affected stone is moved back to its original position, and

  • The delivered stone is removed from play

• The delivering team may move/remove their own stones in the Free Guard Zone at any time

7. Sweeping Rules

Sweeping helps control how far a stone travels and how much it curls.

General Sweeping

• Only the delivering team may sweep a stone until it reaches the tee line at the playing end

• No player may begin sweeping an opponent’s stone until it reaches the tee line

• A sweeper must not touch a moving stone with a broom, body, or equipment

• Sweepers may not deposit debris or intentionally slow a stone with foreign material

Behind the Tee Line

• The delivering team has the first right to sweep its stone

• Only the Skip or Third(Vice) of the non-delivering team may sweep behind the tee line

• Only one sweeper per team may sweep a stone behind the tee line at any time

8. Scoring

• Only the team with the stone(s) closest to the button scores in an end

• A team scores one point for each stone that is closer to the button than any opponent stone

• A stone must be in or touching the house to score

9. Etiquette

• Shake hands with your opponents before and after the game

• Treat teammates, opponents, and officials with courtesy

• Call your own fouls

• Only the Skip and Third (Vice) of the non-playing team should be behind the house when the opponent is shooting. Lead and Second players must stay between the hog lines off to the side

• Keep the ice clean; if you notice debris or other objects on the ice surface, remove them

10. Player Positions

• Lead – Throws the 1st and 2nd stones. Focuses on setting up guards or positioning stones in the house. They play a key role in sweeping for the rest of the team’s shots

• Second – Throws the 3rd and 4th stones. Often plays takeouts and also plays a key role in sweeping for the rest of the team’s shots

• Third (Vice) – Throws the 4th and 5th stones. Assists with strategy and holds the broom in the house when the skip is delivering their stones 

• Skip – Throws the 7th and 8th stones and is the team’s captain and strategist. It is the skip’s job to tell the other players where to throw their shots and when to sweep