Curling : Sweep Your Way To Success!

Curling, also known as the roaring game, originatedall the stones have been thrown in an end, scores
in Scotland. It was very popular there betweenare calculated and the play is reversed to the
the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, and todayother house.
Scotland houses the World Curling Federation.The skip represents the team and determines the
Curling is played on prepared ice. Two roundposition to be taken by each player during the
archery-like targets or the house are embeddedgame. He also decides on the game strategy and
in this sheet of ice and two teams of four playersholding the broom in the house. The rules do not
each are involved. Teams are called rinks andstate in which order the skip should play, and the
captains are called skip. The players are known asskip has been known to throw second or third
the lead, second, third, and skip. They generallystones.
play in that order. Each team tries to score withAs the target of each team is to throw stones
eight polished granite stones. These are callednearer to the center of the house, the maximum
stones or rocks. Other equipments are specialpoint a team can score is eight. This occurs rarely.
curling shoes worn by the players and brooms orScores are lowered due to the strategies adopted
brushes used to sweep the stones.during the game. This includes blocking or hitting
Curling games are called matches and each roundstones to change their position and removing
of play is called an end. Most games consist ofthem. These strategies are known as bump and
eight rounds, while some competitive curlingtake out, respectively.
matches have 10 ends. Friendly matches usuallyThe skip stands inside the house to direct the
last six rounds. The end of each end is to haveplayer throwing the stone, where to aim. The
the curling stones nearer the center of the targetother players of the team sweep before the
once all the stones have been thrown by bothstone. Once the stone has been thrown, players
sides. Each team takes turns in throwing thecannot touch it while it is moving. Therefore,
stones. The final position of the stone is alteredsweeping is the only way to change its position.
by brushing or sweeping the path before it. After