Curling Etiquette – Wine Country Curling Club

In addition to the rules of the game, curling has rules of etiquette that help maintain the dignity and fun of the game for everyone.

The Spirit of Curling

Curling is a game of skill and tradition. A shot well executed is a delight to see and it is also a fine thing to observe the time-honored traditions of curling being applied in the true spirit of the game. Curlers play to win, but never to humble their opponents. A true curler never attempts to distract opponents, nor to prevent them from playing their best, and would prefer to lose rather than to win unfairly.
Curlers never knowingly break a rule of the game, nor disrespect any of its traditions. Should they become aware that this has been done inadvertently, they will be the first to divulge the breach.
While the main object of the game of curling is to determine the relative skill of the players, the spirit of curling demands good sportsmanship, kindly feeling and honorable conduct.

Curlers' Code of Ethics

I will play the game with a spirit of good sportsmanship.
I will conduct myself in an honourable manner both on and off the ice.
I will never knowingly break a rule, but if I do, I will divulge the breach.
I will take no action that could be interpreted as an attempt to intimidate or demean my opponents, teammates, or umpires.
I will interpret the rules in an impartial manner, always keeping in mind that the purpose of the rules is to ensure that the game is played in an orderly and fair manner.
I will humbly accept any penalty that the governing body at any level of curling deems appropriate, if I am found in violation of the Code of Ethics or rules of the game.

Pre-game

Be prepared to step on the ice at the designated time. If you are unable to make a game, advise your skip ahead of time and arrange for a spare. We have plenty of subs ... no team should have to play with 3 people!
Greet each member of the opposing team with a handshake, a self-introduction and a wish for good curling.
Reminder, Wine Country Curling Club is a volunteer-run organization. There are no ice fairies setting up our league ice for us. We do it! We have members who show up early to set out rocks (all 80 of them), install hacks, sweep the ice, mop the ice, pebble the ice, and then nip the ice. Do your best to show up early and help out. We start setup at 9:00am on Sundays and 5:30pm on Tuesdays.

Delivery of stones

Be ready to play when your turn comes. As soon as your opponent has delivered (released) his or her rock, step into the hack and get your own rock ready (tilt it up, brush frost and loose dirt off the bottom, and brush any resulting debris off the ice). You should be ready and waiting for your skip’s instructions by the time your opponent’s rock comes to rest. Every end should take a maximum of 15 minutes – do your part to make sure your team stays on time.
Do not disturb a curler in the hack. If you are waiting to play, stand quietly well behind the curler on the end boards and out of reach of the broom. If you are an opposing sweeper, stand still at the side of the sheet between the hog lines.
Be a good sport. Compliment a good shot by either side. Never comment negatively on a teammate’s or opponent’s poor shot or bad luck. If you make a poor shot yourself, keep your temper.
Don’t leave a mark! Upon release of the stone, immediately stand up so that your body heat does not form handprints and/or kneeprints in the ice! If you stay down to watch the stone, make sure no part of your warm body is touching the ice.

Sweeping

Be ready to sweep your teammate’s rock as soon as it is released. It is the skip’s job to determine whether sweeping is needed to maintain the desired line; it is the sweepers’ job to determine whether sweeping is needed because the rock is lighter than what was called for, but the skip may still call you off. Let the skip know if you think the rock is heavier or lighter than what she or he called for. COMMUNICATE!!!
Behind the tee line, only one member of each team can sweep at one time. If you decide not to sweep your own rock, make way for the other team.
Clean your broom regularly.

Positioning of players

When a team is preparing to deliver, the opposing skip stands still to avoid disturbing the concentration of the player in the hack.
As soon as the delivered rock comes to rest, leads and seconds leave the house and position themselves between the hog lines and to the extreme sides of the sheet. Only the skips and vice-skips should be in the house. (There should always ONLY be 2 people behind the house - no congregating!)
At the conclusion of the end, only the vice-skips are in the house to determine the score of the end. No rocks are moved until the vice-skips agree. The vice-skips are responsible for measuring if necessary, for posting the score on the scoreboard and, at the conclusion of the game, for posting the points on the draw sheet.

Burning or touching a rock

If you “burn” (touch) a moving rock with your broom while sweeping and the infraction occurs between the hog lines, STOP THE ROCK.
If you “burn” (touch) a moving rock with your broom while sweeping and the infraction occurs after the hog line closest to the house you are playing to, do not stop the rock. Allow it to come to rest and alert both skips. The opposing skip has 3 choices:
- allow the play to stand, or
- remove the burned rock from play and replace all the affected rocks to their original positions, or
- place the burned rock and all rocks it would have affected where they would have come to rest if the violation had not occurred.
If you move a stationary rock, and if that move did not affect a running rock, then the non-offending team replaces the rock to its original position (if there is any question about whether the touched rock or another rock is closer to the button, the touched rock is replaced in favor of the non-offending team). If the move would have affected the course of another rock in motion, then the non-offending team has three choices:
- allow the play to stand, or
- remove the rock in motion and replace all the affected rocks to their original positions, or
- place the rock in motion and all rocks it would have affected where they would have come to rest if the violation had not occurred.

Post-game

The rule within the WCCC is that 35 minutes prior to the scheduled end time, you should complete the current end and one more. This will be signaled by ringing of the cowbell.
Win or lose, thank each of the opposing players for the game with a handshake and try to spend social time with them in the café (broomstacking). Each member of the winning team offers to buy a beverage for his or her counterpart on the losing team. The offer is later reciprocated by the members of the losing team.
At bonspiels, teams exchange club pins with their counterparts on the opposing team.

The Spirit of Curling