What Is A Hog Line In Curling?

Curling contains a number of lines and markings all over the ice, including the hog line. This line allows for competitors and judges to recognize illegally delivered shots and remove stones when necessary. Before participating in a curling event, you must understand the hog line and its influence on the sport.

Location

You will find a hog line 21 feet from the center tee line on both ends of the rink at its inside edge. These 4-inch-wide lines run across the entire width of the ice surface.

Delivery

When delivering a stone, you must make sure that you release it before you reach the nearest hog line, as your shot becomes illegal if you fail to do so. Try to release your stone well before the hog line, as this will eliminate any debate. If you fail to release your stone before in time, you must immediately remove the stone from play and lose your shot. If you cannot remove your stone from play before it strikes another stone, you must replace any stones that your illegal stone struck and remove your stone from play. This became a rule in 1955, as players began sliding much farther than before and could easily slide beyond the hog line before releasing their stone.

Shot

After you release your stone, it must travel beyond the farthest of the two hog lines to stay in play. If your stone does not come to rest completely beyond the inside edge portion of the line, you have to remove it from play. A shot that does not reach the hog line will surely gain you some attention, as other players will rib you about this failure. Some curling clubs have instituted rules calling for you to pay a fine for every shot that does not reach this line, although the amount usually is nominal.

Electronic Hog Line

To eliminate the need for judges to determine hog line violations, competitive curling events started using electronic hog lines in 2005. When using these devices, you must ensure that you activate the stone's handle, which contains a sensor. The handles of the stones have a green light and a red light. If you deliver the stone legally, the green light will activate, while an illegally delivered stone will activate the red light.