Although the exact history of curling is cloudy, there is evidence that a similar game was played in Europe as far back as 1565, when it was depicted in two paintings by Peter Breugel. The development of the formalized modern game of curling, however, is generally attributed to Scotland. Curling gained global attention during the 19th and 20th centuries when it spread to the United States and was included in the Olympics. The sport was originally developed outdoors on frozen lakes but has since moved indoors where the conditions of the ice can be better controlled.
Curling Rink
Curling is played on a large ice surface called a sheet. The sheet is 138 feet long and approximately 14 feet wide. Each end of the sheet is marked with a bull's-eye, called the house, with a central mark called the tee. Behind each house is a hack from which the players begin their throw. A line called the hog line is 21 feet from the tee.
Basic Gameplay
Curling teams consist of four players and each player throws two stones. The player whose turn it is to throw starts at the hack and uses a technique specific to curling to deliver the stone toward the opposite house. The skip, the team's leader, directs the entire action of the throw. The other two players slide ahead of the stone and sweep the ice to control the direction and speed of the stone under the direction of the skip.
Winning
Curling consists of eight to 10 rounds, called ends, which each include throwing 16 stones. At the conclusion of each end, points are awarded for each stone that is closer to the tee than any opposing stones.
Types of Throws
The players can use the stone to perform one of three moves. The "draw" is the most basic and direct throw that is placed where the skip directs it. The "takeout" is a throw intended to strike and misplace the stone of an opposing team. You can also use stones to guard, which involves using a draw to place the stone in a position where it limits the opposing team's access to the tee and prevents the takeout of another stone.
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