Basics

Etiquette

Curling is a game of skill and traditions that upholds the highest standards of sportsmanship. A shot well played is a delight to see as is a game played in the true spirit of curling. Curlers play to win but never to humble their opponents.

Curling has always relied on the common sense, honesty and the good manners of the players and a sporting approach to the game. While the main object of the game of curling is to determine the relative skill of the players, the spirit of curling demands good sportsmanship and honourable conduct.

Safety

  • Ensure nobody is standing in a position to be hit by your brush or stone when you are about to deliver
  • Use your brush to stop stones, using your hands or feet can result in injury.
  • When cleaning stones from the house, avoid walking in front of moving stones
  • If a stone is in danger of hitting someone, shout the warning ‘ICE’
  • Do not lift stones
  • Finish your slide before standing up

Consideration for Other Curlers

  • Do not disturb a player in the hack; remain quiet and outwith his / her line of vision
  • When your opposition is playing, stand at the side of the rink, between the hog lines
  • Never cross the ice in front of a running stone
  • Only skips and acting skips should be in the house at any time and they should keep their brushes hidden when the opposition is playing
  • At the finish of an end, only the acting skips should be in the house until a score is agreed

Pace of Play

  • Be ready to start when the bell rings; don’t be late!
  • Ensure you are at the hack when it is your turn to play
  • Place the skip’s stone at the hack ready for him / her to play
  • Keep play at a good pace and make decisions in a reasonable time; delays result in shortened games
  • If a team member fails to appear on time, penalty shots will apply as stated in the RCCC rule book

Care of the Ice

  • Ensure you are wearing clean foot wear before stepping onto ice
  • Body heat melts the ice; keep hand and knee contact with the ice to a minimum
  • Stop stones from colliding with the rink edges and the hack as it can cause damage
  • Avoid banging your brush on the ice; it can cause cracking or chipping
  • Keep food and drink away from the ice surface

General

  • If you are unable to play, ensure a substitute is arranged
  • Switch off your mobile phone before play
  • Compliment good shots and refrain from passing adverse remarks about poor shots
  • Keep your scorecard updated throughout the game (normally the responsibility of the second player)
  • At the start and the end of the game shake hands with each of your opponents and if you win, offer your direct opponent a drink

10 Most Commonly Broken Rules

  • Ensure you are wearing clean foot wear before stepping onto ice
  • Body heat melts the ice; keep hand and knee contact with the ice to a minimum
  • Stop stones from colliding with the rink edges and the hack as it can cause damage
  • Avoid banging your brush on the ice; it can cause cracking or chipping
  • Keep food and drink away from the ice surface
  • Only the skip and vice-skip should be behind the house when the opposing team is playing
  • Players, other than skip/vice-skip, should remain between the hoglines (or courtesy lines) when the opposition is playing especially at the delivery end
  • Other than the person in charge of the house for each team, players should not stand in the house whilst the score is being decided or any measure is taking place. Players should stand behind the back line or beyond the hog line
  • Damage to the ice; keep hands or knees off the ice
  • Sweeping motion must be across the running path of the stone: in other words no “snowploughing”
  • Sweeping behind the tee line: only the skip or vice skip of the non playing team may sweep when the opposing team is playing
  • Time wasting / ready to play
  • Measuring: don’t use a brush to measure as risk of moving stone and automatically losing the shot
  • Don’t use mobile phones on the ice during a game
  • Don’t cross from one side of the sheet to the other in front of the playing team when they are about to deliver or their stone is in motion