IV.

Rules

A curling game consists of ten segments, called ends. During an end, each player on each team slides two stones from one end of the ice to the other. The teams play from the same end of the ice, and a coin flip determines which team throws first in the first end that is played.

The players alternate throwing, between teams. The order in which players throw is determined by their positions. The lead throws first, followed by the second. The third, also called the vice skip, then throws. The skip, who usually serves as the team captain, throws last. When all throws have been completed, the teams move to the other end of the ice and begin a new end from there.

During the other players’ throws, the skip directs the strategy of the game by standing in the house at the far end of the ice and indicating with a broom or brush where the stones should be delivered. The other players then aim for that spot, allowing for the curl of the stone as it travels down the ice. When the skip throws, the third indicates where the stone should go. During a throw, teammates run or slide down the ice in front of the stone as it travels. They are allowed to brush the ice in the stone’s path with their brooms or brushes, but if they touch the stone with their brushes, it is removed from play.

Players aim their stones close to the tee, or they attempt to knock the opposing team's stones away from the tee. The object of the game is to complete each end with as many stones as possible closer to the tee than any of the opponent’s stones. Stones must be in the house to count. Curling games have no referees, and the house’s colored scoring rings help players judge which stones are closer to the center.

Only one team can score in each end, and one point is given for each stone that is closer to the tee than the other team's nearest stone. In most matches, only a few stones remain in play after the final throw. For example, if most of the stones have been knocked out of play during the end, only four stones may remain in the house after all throws have been made. If one team has two stones closest to the center, and the other team has one stone farther out, and the first team has one more stone even farther out, the first team is awarded two points. The points come from the two stones that are closer to the tee than the opponent’s nearest one.

The team that scores in one end throws first in the next end. The team with the most total points after ten ends wins. Ties are broken by playing an extra end. A team can concede a match if it believes it is too far behind in points to catch up.