Terminology

A division of the game. An end is complete when all sixteen rocks (eight per team) have been thrown. A club game is usually six or eight ends, or about one&ahalf to two hours long.

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Extra End

An additional end played to break a tie at the end of regulation play.

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Freeze

A draw that finishes touching or nearly touching another rock.

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Front End

The lead and second player on a curling team.

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Guard

A rock between the hog line and the house that can be used to protect rocks in the house.

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Hack

The rubber starting block embedded in the ice from which the curler begins deliver of a stone.

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Hammer

The last rock in an end.

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Heavy

A stone that is delivered with more than the desired amount of weight or force.

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Heavy Ice

Opposite of fast or keen ice. Heavy ice requires a stone to be thrown with more than normal weight.

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Hit

A rock intended to collide with another rock.

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Hit and Roll

A takeout that removes a stone, hitting it off center and then moving to a target area.

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Hit the Broom

When a curler releases his rock directly on the skip's target broom.

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Hog

A stone that stops short of the far hog line.

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Hog Line

A line located 21 feet from each tee. A rock must be released before the near hog line, and travel beyond the far hog line.

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House

The round scoring area, 12 feet in diameter, with concentric circles 1, 4, and 8 feet in diameter.

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Hurry

A call used by some teams to tell the sweepers to sweep quickly.

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In-turn

A rock whose handle is rotated inward toward the body. An in-turn for a right-handed curler rotates clockwise.

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Keen Ice

When little effort is required to deliver the rock. Also known as fast ice.

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Last Rock

The last rock to be thrown in an end.

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Lead

The player who delivers the rink's first two rocks of each end.

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Lie Shot

Having the stone closest to the tee.

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Light

A stone that is delivered with less than the desired weight or force.

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Long Guard

A guard near the hog line.

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Lose Handle

A stone that loses its initial rotating motion during its travel down the rink.

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Narrow

A rock delivered inside the intended line of delivery (between the skip's broom and the target).

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Off the Broom

A stone that is not delivered on the line of the skip's broom.

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On the Broom

A shot that started out on a line toward the skip's broom.

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Out-turn

A rock whose handle is rotated outward or away from the body. An outturn for a right-handed curler rotates counter-clockwise.

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Pebble

A light spray of water that freezes on contact with the ice creating small bumps that cut down the amount of the ice surface the rock is in contact with.

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Port

An opening between two or more rocks that is wide enough to allow a stone to pass through.

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Raise

The action of promoting a stone from one position to another closer to or in the house.

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Rings

The circles that make up the house.

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Rink

A curling team that consists of four players: the skip, third (vice-skip), second, and lead. Also refers to the place where curling is played.

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Rock

Stone.

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Roll

The movement of a stone after it hits another stone off center.

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Second

The player who delivers the team's third and fourth rocks.

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Second Shot

The stone that is second-nearest to the tee.

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Sheet

The 146-foot-long area of the ice on which the game is played.

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Shot

The stone that is nearest the tee during the play of an end (also known as shot rock). It may also refer to the playing of a stone (i.e., making a shot).

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Shot Rock

The rock that is closest to the tee.

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Skip

The player who calls the ice and determines the strategy. Almost always plays the last two rocks for his team (but may throw in a different order in some games.

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