The rules and scoring patterns of Curling are a stifle complicated for someone not already familiar with the game. But as Winter Olympics is on and American curlers are fairing pretty well so far, there is a renewed interest on the game. So in case you are cheering your native curlers your hearts out, yet at a loss about what is really happening out there, here’s a very very short synopsis. Hope it helps you.
The game consists of ten Ends. Each of the four players on each side throws two stones per end.
The order in which the players appear is like this- first (the lead), second, third (vice-skip) and fourth (skip, the team leader).
You must have already noticed a series of concentric circles in the middle of the ring. That is called the House. You score by moving the stone into the house.
The very core of the house is called “tee” or “button.” And you get the maximum point by placing your stone at the tee.
Once a stone is being thrown, the players can touch it no longer. But they can try to glide it by sweeping the ice by their brooms.
Players always try to knock an opponent stone as further from the house as possible, this giving them greater chance to position their own stones into the house.
You can position more than one stone into the house or tee. In fact, that is what you aim it. For example, if you can place two stones at the tee, opponent finds it harder to sweep them from there.
