curling glossary

1 curling glossary
2 At the end

How much do you know about the sport of curling?

It is a sport that is also an Olympic sport.

Even if you know some of the rules, there are probably many people who don’t know much or nothing about the detailed curling terminology.

Curling is a sport that is familiar to people in cold climates.

This time, I’ve summarized the terms used in curling for those who don’t understand the terminology at all.

For those who want to try curling for the first time or those who want to enjoy watching curling.

Please take a look at the explanation of curling terms.

ice maker

The person in charge of making the sheets (ice) specifically for curling and managing the ice conditions even during tournaments.

ice reading

The technique of “reading the ice” refers to the ability to assess the condition of the ice and figure out how much it will slide or curve.

There is a huge difference between professionals and amateurs. If you want to get better, get some experience!

out turn

Refers to the counterclockwise rotation a right-handed thrower makes when hitting a stone. For left-handed pitchers, the rotation is clockwise.

angle shot

A general term for shots that require a specific angle rather than a straight line when hitting or placing a stone.

Jesus

A chant that means “sweep it with a brush.” It is also called “Ya”.

intern

Refers to the clockwise rotation a right-handed thrower makes when hitting a stone. For left-handed pitchers, the rotation is counterclockwise.

wick

A shot that moves a stone that is not touching the center line in the free guard zone to a position where it will not go out.

weight

Refers to the speed at which the stone slides.

War

A chant that means “stop sweeping with the brush.”

extra end

If the score is tied at the end of the 10th end (or 8th end), an extra end to determine the winner.

end

Each team throws 8 stones, and the score is decided. A match usually consists of 10 ends (or 8 ends).

guard

A shot to protect other stones or block the line through which a stone passes.

With practice, you will be able to hit the stone where you want it!

curl

The bending of a thrown stone. Or the width of the bend.

come around

A draw shot that goes behind the guard and hides the thrown stone behind the guard.

clean

A shout that means “sweep lightly with a brush” to remove debris and frost from the ice surface.

By the way, it takes more physical strength than people who watch it imagine.

corner guard

A guard stone placed away from the center of the sheet.

call

The act of a skip or vice skip reading the line and conveying instructions to the sweeper.

concealed

Admitting defeat midway through the match.

third

This is the position of the third thrower and is responsible for the 5th and 6th pitches out of a total of 8 pitches.

sheet

The ice is prepared for competitions and is 45.72m long and 4.75m wide. Also known as “ice cream.”

jam

A stone that is hit may touch another stone behind it, or the stone may remain behind without being able to be played.

shoes

The soles of the left and right shoes are made of different materials, and for right-handed throwers, the left sole is designed to be slippery, while the right sole is designed to provide more grip. For left-handed pitchers, the reverse is true.

shooter

Point to the stone you threw.

thinking time

A time limit for each team to think about strategy during the match.

Use this time to plan your strategy properly!

sweeper

A player who performs sweeping. Adjust the speed and direction of a sliding stone by sweeping the brush in front of it.

skip

This is the position of a player who stands in the house and thinks about tactics and gives instructions when not pitching.

steel

The first team to score a point.

stone

A circular stone with a diameter of approximately 30cm and a weight of approximately 20kg. It is made of granite, and each stone has slight differences.

stone check

Check the characteristics of the stones used in the match and obtain information to determine the order of throwing.

second

This is the position of the second thrower and is responsible for the third and fourth pitches out of a total of eight pitches.

center guard

A guard stone placed in the center of the sheet.

center line

A vertical line that marks the center of the width of the sheet. Derived from Huck.

soft weight

A slow take-out weight that is used to bring out or move stones hidden in the guard. (The speed of passing between hog lines in 12 to 13 seconds)

timeout

Only once per game, players can call their coach to their seat side and speak with them for 60 seconds. It is only given once in the extra ending.

tap back

A shot that hits the target stone and pushes that stone backwards.

double takeout

A shot that knocks out two opponent’s stones with one throw.

double roll

A shot that puts both the thrown stone and the hit stone into the house. Also called double roll-in.

chip

To slightly hit the stone.

tea line

A horizontal line passing through the center of the house.

Take-out

A shot that shoots out the target stone. Also called a hit. (The speed of passing between hog lines in 9 seconds)

takeout weight

A weight used to release the stone you hit. (The speed of passing between hog lines in 9 to 10 seconds)

delivery

The action of throwing a stone. The form is reversed for right-handed and left-handed pitchers, and the position of the kicking hack is also reversed.

top weight

Very fast weight. (The speed of passing between hog lines in 6 to 8 seconds)

triple takeout

A shot that knocks out three opponent’s stones with one throw.

draw

A shot that stops the stone in the house.

draw weight

Weight enough to stop at the house. (The speed of passing between hog lines in 14 seconds to 15.5 seconds)

Draw Shot Challenge (DSC)

Average distance of Last Stone Draw (LSD) excluding the worst value. Used for ranking.

nautical rules

A rule in the Five Rock rule that states that an opponent’s stone that is in the free guard zone and touching the center line cannot be moved from the center line.

No.1 stone

The stone closest to the center of the house. They are called No. 2 and No. 3 in that order.

nose

Hit it almost in the center of the target stone.

narrow

Pitching to the inside of the direction.

half time

In a 10-end game, there is a 5-minute break after the 5th end. In the case of an 8-end game, it is set after the 4th end is completed.

vice skip

The name of the position that is in charge of the house when Skip pitches, and gives instructions and calls on Skip’s behalf.

biter major

A rod-shaped measuring device with a diameter of approximately 1.83m, which is the same as the radius of the house, and is used when it is difficult to visually determine whether the house is in the house.

House

Concentric circles on either side of the sheet with targets for scoring. The diameter of the outermost circle is approximately 3.6m.

hack

A kick stand for pitching. There are two on each side of the seat; right-handed throwers use the left side, and left-handed throwers use the right side.

back guard

A stone that acts like a wall behind it to prevent it from being thrown out when it is taken out.

back line

A horizontal line drawn at the very back of the house. Stones that fall outside this line are removed from play.

harry

A chant that means “sweep harder.”

hammer

The 8th pitch of the second team in each end. It also has the meaning of being the last to attack, and is also called the last rock (last stone).

hit

A shot that shoots out the target stone. Also called takeout. (The speed of passing between hog lines in 9 seconds)

hit and stay

A shot that stops the thrown stone in place when the target stone is taken out (hit). Also called hit stay.

hit and roll

A shot that moves the thrown stone to another position when the target stone is taken out (hit). Also called hit roll.

peel

A take shot that takes out (hits) the target stone and also takes out the thrown stone.

five lock rules

The rule is that the opponent’s stone in the free guard zone cannot be thrown out until the fifth pitch for both teams (two pitches each for both leads and the first pitch for the first team’s second pitch).

Fifth

The fifth player. Also called reserve.

force

This is the position name of the fourth (last) player who throws, and is in charge of the 7th and 8th pitches out of a total of 8 pitches.

brush

A tool for scraping ice. The surface that touches the ice is primarily made of nylon material.

blank

The end ends with a score of 0-0 without the second attacking team scoring a point. A blank end is an end in which neither team scores.

free guard zone

The zone other than the house between the hog line and the tee line.

Freeze

A draw shot that stops the target stone in a position with no gaps.

heavy

A weight that represents the speed of the stone and is stronger (faster) than the target. When referring to ice conditions, it can also mean “non-slip ice.”

pebble

Fine grains of ice on the ice surface.

hog line

A horizontal line located approximately 10 meters ahead of the pitcher’s hack.

A delivered stone must be thrown before it touches the hog line and is removed if it does not cross the opposite hog line.

major

A measuring instrument used when checking scores that cannot be determined visually. This tape measure can measure differences up to approximately 0.25mm.

line

Stone’s trajectory after pitching. As a message to the sweeper, it is conveyed to the sweepers that they need to clean inward, meaning that the stone’s orbit is inside the planned path.

Last Rock (Last Stone)

It is the 8th pitch of the team that goes next in each end, meaning the team that goes next, and is also called the hammer.

Last Stone Draw (LSD)

During practice before a game, two different players pitch clockwise and counterclockwise. The team with the lowest total value to the center of the house can choose to attack first and last in the first end.