Curling Etiquette (December, 2016)
Etiquette is the courtesy and sportsmanship that you show your teammates and your opponents so that everyone can enjoy the game and play as well as possible without being distracted.
- Make sure your footwear is absolutely 100% clean and in good condition, and your brush is free of debris.
- When a person is delivering a rock, the opposing team players should position themselves, single file, between the hog lines and to the extreme sides of the sheet. The non-delivering team member who is next to deliver may take a stationary position behind the hacks and to the side of the sheet at the delivery end. That player must remain silent and motionless during the opponent’s delivery.
- The ice is very fragile. Please stand or squat as soon as possible after your delivery to avoid hand and knee prints that melt the ice leaving flat spots or divots which will catch debris that can cause rocks to pick.
- Only the skips and thirds should be in the rings. Seconds and leads should only be in the rings when they are sweeping or clearing rocks. Sweepers should pay attention to the shot being called.
- Be aware that the ice is slippery and grippers should always be worn except when delivering a rock. Always step on the ice gripper foot first.
- When the buzzer goes you play the end you are on and one more. An end is considered to have started when the first rock delivered has passed the nearest tee line.
Tips to Keep Up the Pace of Play
- Most teams expect to play 8 ends within two hours. If your team is rarely able to complete 8 end games please review these tips and discuss them with your teammates.
- Make sure you show up for your game on time and be ready to throw your first rock at 1:00 pm on Mondays and 1:15 pm on Wednesdays. This means being on the ice, warmed up, and coin tossed by the time the buzzer sounds.
- Each player should be ready to deliver their rock when their skip puts down the broom. Stone cleaning should take place while the other team’s rock is in motion.
- After an end, only the second and third should push the stones to the boards. The lead gets her numbered rock and prepares to deliver.
- Do not sort the rocks. Simply push them to the corner. Everyone can get their own numbered rock when it is their time to deliver.
- Only the skip and the third should be discussing strategy. The front end should move to the delivery hack and pull out their third’s or skip’s stones to save time.
SKIPS
– It is your job to ensure the pace of play is maintained. If you find your team is regularly finishing only 6 or 7 ends chances are your team is playing slow. By thinking ahead about what shots you could call and avoiding long conversations with your team members, your pace of play will fall in line with those teams completing all 8 ends.