Curling for beginners

Curling is a team sport in which participants move a heavy projectile across an ice surface. The essence of the game is to hit the target and at the same time push the opponent's projectile beyond a certain line. Curling involves the use of special equipment and strict adherence to the rules.

Both men and women can participate. There are also children's games.

Two teams of four people compete. Concentric circles are marked on the ice platform - targets or «houses». Each team has 8 stones. Players are holding long-handled brushes. They are used to rub ice in front of a moving stone. Participants alternately slide stones on the ice trying to get closer to the targets.

The main goal of the game is to score as many points as possible by moving your projectiles to the target and at the same time knocking out other people's stones from the «houses». The success of the game depends not only on the skill of the players but also on how well the whole team will act. For the use of special tactical combinations curling was nicknamed chess on ice.

Fit-out

Curling is played either outdoors in the winter or in a club where the temperature is kept low. Therefore, the equipment of the players should keep them warm. It is important that it does not restrict movement. It is preferable to choose tight-fitting clothes made of fabric that stretches well, for example, with the addition of spandex.

It will be more convenient to play in trousers with a high waist since curling involves constant body tilts. The inside should be lined with fleece to protect the athlete from the cold during many hours of play.

Curling players usually wear gloves with tie-down straps. They are warm and improve broom grip. In professional sports gloves with slits are used through which excess moisture evaporates.

Curling shoes are boots with different soles. The sole of the left shoe slips, the right one does not. The inside of the shoe is made of felt that can retain heat.

Equipment

1. Curling stones from heavy-duty granite which mined on one of the Scottish Isles are used. Their height is about 11.43 cm, the circumference is up to 91.44 cm. The weight of such a projectile is about 20 kg. The top and bottom of the stone is treated with diamond powder. An unpolished insert with a matte surface runs along the diameter of the projectile designed to prevent damage during a collision. High sliding speed is provided by a depression at the bottom of the stone. The projectile is equipped with a handle.
2. Curling brooms are used for rubbing ice. They come in different stiffness as they are made of fibreglass, horsehair and other materials. Brushes are available with handles of different lengths. The main requirement for them is weight up to 300 g and the ability to withstand pressure of several tens of kilograms. The material must be water-repellent and resistant to abrasion. Using a brush allows you to improve the sliding of the stone and control the direction of its movement.

The equipment includes a Teflon slider that provides good glide. It is put on the boot when throwing. When moving, it itself lags behind the sole and remains on the ice.

Knee pads help prevent injury.

Playgrounds

The curling area is a rectangular field covered with ice. Its length is about 45 m and its width is up to 5 m. On both sides of the site there are circles outlined under the ice. These are «houses» or targets. The diameter of the «house» is 3.66 m. Around each of them 4 more circles of different diameters are drawn.

Linear markings are applied on the field.

• Tee line - runs along the centre of the target along the entire field.
• Back line - The line at the end of the home runs the width of the field, 6 feet from the tee line and parallel to it. The projectile is taken out of the game if it crosses this line.
• Hog line - runs parallel to the tee line, from which athletes throw a stone at a target. Between hog-line and tee-line - 6.4 m.
• Centre line - an axis passing through the centre of the target along the field.
• Hack line - these are two lines on which the blocks are installed. They are marked at the ends of the centre line. They run parallel to the tee line.
• The reference line indicates the position of the competitors who are not currently throwing. It is applied on both sides of the field at a distance of a little more than a metre from the hog-line, parallel to it.

The temperature of the site is -5 degrees. In addition to temperature, the smoothness and moisture content of the ice cover are controlled.

Rules of the game

Each team has four members.

1. Team captain (skip). He develops the tactics of the game, chooses the direction of the throw, using a brush. The captain throws along with the rest of the players.
2. The vice-skip replaces the captain and performs his functions when the latter makes a throw.
3. The first participant makes the 1st and 2nd throws in the «ends».
4. The second participant throws the 3rd and 4th stones in each period.

The duration of the game is 2-2.5 hours. It consists of 10 periods called «ends». All players take turns throwing. Each participant has 2 throws for 1 «end».

The final throw is decisive. Whose player will carry it out is determined by a draw. The last throw can turn the tide of the whole game. The player's task is to move the enemy's shells away from the target with a thrown stone and bring his shell as close as possible to it.

The player pushes off with his foot from the block holding the stone in his hand giving it acceleration, moving along the surface of the ice. You can hold the stone until you reach the hog-line. When crossing the line, the participant needs to release the handle. Otherwise, the throw will not be counted, and the stone will be removed from the field.

When the stone moves by itself, without the help of the player, the rest of the team members, overtaking it, rub the ice with brushes for better glide of the projectile. This technique is called sweeping. It is also allowed to sweep the opposing team's projectiles in order to move them beyond the foul line. But only one person can do this.

After the end of the first period points are counted. The team whose projectile approaches the centre of the target wins. If it gets inside the circle the team is awarded a point.

In the second period the first throw is made by a player from the winning team and the last throw is made by a member of the losing team. If there are no shells inside the circle at the end of the period a draw is counted. The last stone is thrown by a player of the same team as in the previous period.

In curling there is the concept of a free guard zone (FGZ) or a zone of free defenders - a ban on knocking stones out of the game that are between the tee-line and hog-line, outside the target. However, projectiles are allowed to move. This rule is valid until the 5th roll of each «end».

If the rule is broken then the location of the stones is restored on the site before this throw. The intruder's projectile is removed.

After 10 «ends» the judges add up the points scored by the teams and determine who won. In a situation where the teams scored the same number of points they conduct another round which will show the outcome of the game.

Contraindications

Curling has practically no contraindications. Even children are allowed to play. But it must be borne in mind that the shells are quite heavy. Therefore, children are recommended to start classes from the age of 11-12.

There are also health restrictions. It is not advisable to play curling for those who have chronic diseases:

• heart and blood vessels;
• respiratory organs;
• musculoskeletal system.

Since the game is mobile, an injury can also become an obstacle to curling.

Difficulty of the game

At first glance, the game seems primitive, but it's worth a try and it becomes clear that the stone is not so easy to manage. It is even more difficult to calculate the speed of its launch. Experienced players do not try to throw a projectile and hit the target. After all, the trajectory of movement often shifts to the side. Players try to line up the stones so that they cover the shells located in the «house». Then the enemy will not be able to move them.

Not everything is so simple with the throw itself — you need to release the stone at a certain moment before it crosses the hog line. It is almost impossible to visually determine whether the participant managed to do it or not. Therefore, a sensor is provided under the handle of the stone. It allows the judges to fix the right moment.

If the sweepers accidentally touch a stone with a brush or foot during the throw, it will be removed from the game. But you can touch other people's shells. They will simply be returned to their original position.

Experts believe that curling is not a simple, but a very interesting game. And whether this is true or not, it is easy to make sure by visiting the resort «Igor». Here you can appreciate all the delights of a winter holiday and even take curling lessons with a professional instructor who will devote you to all the subtleties of the game.