Curling is one of the first sports up at the 2022 Winter Games. Here’s what you need to know about the sport to enjoy the show.
There are 15 variation at the Winter Olympics . For the most part , those sport diminish into one of two categories . There are play you ’ve heard of and at least mistily understand . ( Hey , pep pill skating , field hockey , and figure skating . ) Then there are the ones you may kind of figure out the gist of just by watching . ( Bobsledding ? You need to get to the bottom of the hill tight , correct ? ) Curling , however , is as mysterious as time itself .
It take those big rock and slide andshoutingand sweeping andMatt Hamilton ’s moustache . It ’s confusing , and that ’s ok . Still , it occur to be a playfulness sport to play and take in . It ’s been liken to chess for good reason . It ’s a game of skill and scheme that is n’t too unmanageable to understand once you get the basic shape of the plot . We can help you get there .
Wait, what is curling?
Curling is credited with being one of the oldest team sport . It was formulate in16th - 100 Scotlandand was played on fixed ponds . Yet , it did n’t find its way of life to the Olympics until 1998 . Since the year ofSpice World , curling has been a mainstay in the international competitor .
The plot sport two squad of four players going head - to - head . Competitors slide called stones that must press between 38 and 44 pounds along the playing field , which is a narrow strip of pebbled ice . Each squad bring forth two stone per end ( fundamentally like an inning in baseball ) . The bottom of the gemstone is concave to reduce the amount of clash .
Those stones slide toward a bullseye on the frappe , which is called the firm . Like you ’d guess from the bullseye , the finish is to get your stones as close to the center as potential .
Photo by Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty Images
While one player slip the gemstone , another two have specialized brooms , and they ’re brush the deoxyephedrine intensely in front of the sliding stone . The goal is to control the friction to help direct the Isidor Feinstein Stone to where you want it to go . Not only are players trying to strike the center object , but there ’s gamesmanship in play since you could bump your own stones or the stones of the opposing team . ( This is the guinea pig in men ’s and woman ’s curling . Mixed doubles have just two participant per terminal figure with only one individual see a broom . )
The squad captain , or skipper , post up behind the house and coif the scheme for the other three on their squad . Each team gets a modified amount of scheme time in each game . It play out a second like a chess equal . A single game can last up to three 60 minutes .
How points and scoring works in curling
Players want to land their stones closer to the middle of the house than their opponent . Only one squad can score in any given closing . However , teams can score multiple points even though only one team can seduce . You want to have your stones closest to the center to get the point , but you could score up to two points if you have both stones closer to the center than your adversary ’s unaired gemstone . Only rock that stop inside the sign of the zodiac are eligible to tally points . If they ’re too short or go too long , they ca n’t score a point .
The drop off team in any give round give the " hammer " for the next round . That means they get the concluding crack of the oddment . It ’s a strong position because , as the team throwing last , you get the last say on knocking stone out of the way ( if the throw goes how you want it to go ) .
What sweepers are doing in curling
Sweeping might be the most inscrutable part of curling if you ’re raw to the sport . The sweeper are primarily concerned with the stop number and " curl " of the Edward Durell Stone .
The sweepers tangle faster if they desire to help the Edward Durell Stone go further . They tangle more tardily or stop entirely if the stone has enough ( or too much ) impulse already . The sweepers can also apply friction to make little alterations to the twist or curve of the stone ’s path .
When does a game conclude?
As mentioned in the first place , the game endure up to three hours . The secret plan is divided into ends , which function a bit like innings in baseball . Points from each final stage are tallied up to determine the final score .
Each team has a fixed amount of " Thinking Time , " which is altered bet on the discipline and number of ends run , perWorld Curling . There are ten ends per game in man ’s and woman ’s Olympic rivalry . World Curling says that each team traditionally gets 38 second of full thinking time to separate how ’d they ’d like in a ten - end game .
There is a lot more to curling , peculiarly in the realm of scheme . However , that is enough to get you on the way of life to being an armchair expert in Olympic curling . ( At least , liken to everyone else in the way with you . )
