What does it mean to peel in curling?

Peels. A peel in curling is a special type of takeout shot that involves removing guards from play. As per the Free Guard Rule (Five Rock Rule), peels cannot occur until the first five stones of the end have been thrown.

What is peel weight in curling?

Peel Weight - A stone delivered with heavy take-out weight. Port - An opening between two stones that is wide enough for another stone to pass through.

What does it mean to freeze in curling?

A freeze is a form of a draw shot that stops in front of and next to another rock. This is typically so the rock is so close to another that it is more difficult to take out.

What are the terms used in curling?

Glossary of curling terms

• BACKLINE. The line across the ice at the back of the house. ...
• BITER. A stone that just touches the outer edge of the circles.
• BLANK END. An end in which no points have been scored.
• BONSPIEL. A curling competition or tournament.
• BRUSH. ...
• BURNED STONE. ...
• BUTTON. ...
• COUNTER.

What are the 3 main types of shots in curling?

There are three primary types of shots in curling: a guard, a draw and a takeout. Each type of shot serves a different function. The GUARD is a stone intended to stop in front of the house, not too far past the hog line.

What is a jam in curling?

Jam: Attempting to take out a rock but it makes contact with another stone and it stops to stay in play. Flash: A rock that is thrown through the house; either a draw that is heavy or a hit attempt that goes untouched.

What is a steal in curling?

A steal in curling is an end in which the team that doesn't have the hammer scores. Steals are an important part of curling and winning a game.

What does 14 mean in curling?

As a point of reference, a draw to the button requires a hog-to-hog split time of about 14 to 15 seconds, and a hack to hog line split time of 3.5 seconds. The ice conditions for a given game may be slightly different, and may require slightly shorter or longer split times.

Why is last rock in curling called the hammer?

By knocking all stones out the opponents could at best score one point, if they had the last stone of the end (called the hammer). If the team peeling the rocks had the hammer they could peel rock after rock which would blank the end (leave the end scoreless), keeping the last rock advantage for another end.

What are the numbers they yell in curling?

1 to 3 indicates a rock in the free guard zone, 4 to 6 the rings in front of the tee line, 7 being on the button, and 8 to 10 the rings behind the tee line. Sometimes, 11 is used to indicate a stone thrown so that it passes through the house and out of play.

What does hammer mean in curling?

The team that gets to throw the last stone in a given end is said to have the “hammer.” When a team scores points in an end, their opponent gets the “hammer” in the next end. 0:23.

What does Buried mean in curling?

Buried: When a rock is completely guarded by another rock above it. There is no way to take it out when it's buried. Come Around: A draw shot meant to “come around” a guard and become “buried”. Circus Shot: A very difficult shot usually called in desperation.

What do the circles mean in curling?

At each end of the sheet there are two circles that look like target, known as houses. Each house consists of four rings which help define which curling stones are closest to the centre, commonly known as the Button.

What does hurry hard mean in curling?

Hurry Hard!

' is a directive given to the sweepers to have them begin sweeping harder and faster. This is the most common phrase used and has become engrained in Curling culture, however, any sort of directive that is short and sweet can be used.

Why is it called a hog line in curling?

The “hog line” gets its name from an old Scottish slang term for a weak lamb, which was likely to be culled from the flock. Likewise, a “hogged stone” is one that doesn't reach the far hog line and must be removed from play.

What does normal weight mean in curling?

– Normal/Takeout/Hit: Several names, all the same thing. This is your general, all purpose, garden-variety takeout weight, one that ends up with the hit rock moving enough to leave play. This is heavier than control, but lighter than peel.

What are the green lights on a curling stone?

A heat sensor in the stone handle is able to detect whether a player has released prior to the line. Athletes who legally release before the hog line are given a shiny green light on top of the stone to confirm to officials that it is a legal play.

What does a blanked end mean in curling?

A blank end is when neither team scores points, meaning there are no stones on the sheet in the house. It is common for a team to purposely blank an end to retain the hammer for the next end.

What does brushing do in curling?

Sweeping in front of the stone reduces friction and helps the curlers control the amount of curl the stone undergoes. The sweeping quickly heats and melts the pebbles on the ice leaving a film of water. This film reduces the friction between the stone and ice.

Why do curlers use a stop watch?

The first function of the stopwatch is to anticipate how far a rock will go based on the time it takes between the Backline to the Hogline, which is generally 3.4-3.9 seconds, according to a guest on CurlingZone. Another purpose for the stopwatch is to determine how fast the ice is while the rock is in motion.

Do all curling stones weigh the same?

Not all curling stones are made the exact same weight. While the most common weight of a curling stone is 42 pounds, curling stones generally weigh between 38lbs -44lbs. That may sound very heavy, and it is! But curlers don't need to lift that weight, they simply need to slide them down a sheet of ice.

How fast does a curling stone go?

The stone can be delivered with a velocity of ~2 m·s^-1 and be sliding for up to 30s (Buckingham et al., 2006). The stone will obviously be moving fastest when it is released by the curler and moving slowest as it crosses the hog line and moves into the house.

How many ends does curling have?

How many curling ends are there per game? There are 10 ends in the women's and men's events, with each player throwing two stones per end. In the mixed doubles event, there are eight ends with each player throwing five stones per end.

Where is the T line in curling?

The tee line in curling is a line that runs through the middle of the house and is parallel to the hog lines and back lines. It runs from sideline to sideline and is 13mm (½ inch) in width. The tee line splits the house evenly into two equal parts called the back of the house and the front of the house.

How difficult is curling?

Curling may seem relatively easy compared to other Olympic sports such as, say, ski jumping. But launching a 40-pound rock down a sheet of ice toward a specific target requires a high-degree of balance, precision and athleticism.