The sport's history

Curling originated in 16th-century Scotland, when the summer sport of bowls was adapted into a winter version. The name curling refers to the stone’s curved motion on the ice.

The sport spread from Scotland to the rest of the world, and Canada became its superpower – with over a million players. In Europe, Scotland, Switzerland, and Sweden have been internationally successful, but in recent years Asian countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea have emerged as challengers, especially in women’s competitions.

In Finland, curling is a small sport. Finland won Olympic silver in 2006 and European Championship gold in 2000, but in recent years its success has declined due to a shortage of players.

The idea of the game

Curling is a team sport played on ice. A typical curling game lasts about two hours and usually consists of 6–8 ends (rounds). During each end, both teams take turns throwing eight stones each, trying to place their own stones closer to the center of the house (the target circle) than their opponents’.

There are different types of throws in curling: a draw shot (the stone stops inside the house), a guard (the stone stops in front of one’s own stone to protect it), and a takeout (the stone removes an opponent’s stone).

Curling is a highly tactical sport – it is often called “chess on ice.”

The team

A curling team consists of four players. Each player throws two stones per end. The team’s captain, or skip, stands in the house and shows the “target” to the player who is throwing, while the other two players act as sweepers.

The first and second players are responsible for setting up the play. They throw guards and draws when the team is attacking, or takeouts when defending. Both are usually excellent sweepers. The third player (or vice-skip) is expected to make tactical decisions and perform more varied shots.

The fourth player throws the team’s final, decisive stones. This player must possess strong tactical and strategic understanding as well as the ability to make good decisions under pressure.

Scoring

Curling’s scoring system is similar to that of pétanque. In each end, only one team scores points (unless the end is blank). The team whose stone is closest to the center of the house scores points.

A team receives as many points as the number of its own stones that are closer to the center than the opponent’s nearest stone. Only stones that are within the house count for scoring.

The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

Glossary