“Imagine if everyone respected their teammates and opponents in life, shook hands after every confrontation and bought each other a drink. Imagine if we all stood still while others were concentrating on their life’s work, offering encouragement, not distraction. Imagine if we celebrated our opponents’, as well as our own accomplishments. No, it’s not a perfect world, but it could be. And it is – on a sheet of curling ice!”
….. Jean Mills
- Start with a handshake. At the beginning of the game, greet the members of the opposing team with a handshake, tell them your name, and wish them “Good Curling”.
- Finish with a handshake. When the game is over, offer each of the players a hearty handshake and move off the ice. The winning curlers traditionally offer their counterparts some refreshments.
- Keep the ice clean. Change your shoes. Sand, grit and dirt are the ice’s worst enemy. The shoes you wear should only be used for curling. Keep them clean.
- Compliment good shots, no matter which team makes them. Respect your opponent.
- Be ready. Take your position in the hack as soon as your opponent has delivered his/her stone. Keep the game moving; delays detract from the sport. Be prepared to sweep as soon as your teammate releases the rock.
- After delivering your stone, move to the side of the sheet between the “hog “ lines, unless you are the skip. Leads and seconds are not permitted in “house” or “rings”, except when sweeping or to remove the stones after the count has been determined by the vices.
- Be courteous. Don’t distract your opponent in the hack. Sweepers should stay on the sidelines between the hog lines when not sweeping.
- Place your skip’s rock in front of the hack to help speed up the game.
- All games on the ice should run approximately the same time. Therefore, if your game is an end or two behind all other games you should pick up the pace. Each player should be ready to deliver their rock when their skip puts down the broom.
We will endeavour to play eight end games. An alarm will ring at 8:45 and 10:45 p.m. At this time you will finish the end you are in but must not start another end. An end may continue only if the first stone has been delivered prior to the alarm. This rule will be enforced in regular season as well as playoffs.
