Curling Glossary
-B-
- back line
- A line at the back of the house marking the boundary of the ice. If a stone crosses the back line, it's out of play.
- biter
- A stone that's touching the house and may be a counter.
- blank end
- An end in which no points are scored.
- bonspiel
- A tournament. probably from the dutch for "league game."
- broom
- An instrument used to sweep the ice ahead of the stone.
- burned stone
- A stone that must be removed from play because it has been touched by a curler.
- button
- See tee.
-C-
- center line
- A line down the middle of the ice from one hack to the other.
- chip and roll
- To play a shot that caroms off an object stone to the desired position.
- clean house
- The strategy of reducing the number of stones in play in order to keep the scoring area open for the last stone in an end.
- counter
- Any stone in the house or touching the ring surrounding the house that may be worth a point.
- crash
- To miss a shot because the shooter struck another stone.
- curl
- Turn (spin) put on the stone by twisting the handle at release to make it curl, or curve. Also, the curvature of the stone's path.
- cutter
- A stone that runs slow and straight, with little or no curl.
-D-
- dead handle
- A stone that either has no turn or loses its rotation during travel.
- double
- A takeout shot which removes two of the opposition's stones from play.
- draw
- A shot that enters the house.
-E-
- end
- A round of play, in which eight stones are delivered by each team from one end of the sheet. When an end is complete, the stones are scored and play proceeds from the other end of the sheet. There are usually 10 ends in a game, but an extra end is played if the game is tied.
-F-
-G-
- guard
- a shot made either to protect a stone in the scoring area or to block the other team's attempts to score.
-H-
- hack
- A metal or wooden plate from which the curler can push off to begin delivery. There are usually two hacks at each end of the rink, for right- and left-handed curlers.
- hack line
- A line, 1.2 meters from the backboards at each end of the rink, that marks the location of the hacks. The front of each hack is on the hack line.
- hammer
- The last stone delivered in an end.
- heavy ice
- Ice on which stones will travel slowly.
- hit
- A shot which strikes an opponent's stone.
- hit and roll
- See chip and roll.
- hog
- A stone that doesn't reach the hog line.
- hog line
- A line, 21 feet from the tee, that marks the minimum distance the stone must travel. if it doesn't pass the hog line, the stone is removed from play.
- house
- The scoring area, which is marked by a circle, 12 feet in diameter, that contains three smaller concentric circles.
-I-
- in turn
- Rotation applied when the curler turns the elbow inward upon release. Clockwise, for a right-handed curler.
-K-
- keen ice
- Ice on which stones will travel rapidly.
-L-
- lead
- The player who delivers stones first in an end for his or her team.
-O-
- out turn
- Rotation applied when the curler turns the elbow outward upon release. Counter-clockwise, for a right-handed curler.
-P-
- pebbles
- Small bumps applied by spraying the sheet with water droplets to reduce friction and increase curl.
- peel
- A high-speed takeout shot that removes one or more stones from play and usually results in the shooter also going out of play.
- port
- An opening between two stones that's wide enough to allow another stone to pass through.
- portal
- Same as port.
-R-
- raise
- To make a shot that moves a stone into better scoring position. Also, the shot itself.
- rings
- The concentric circles inside the house.
- rink
- A team of four curlers, or the sheet of ice on which a match is played.
- rock
- The curling stone.
-S-
- second
- The player who delivers stones second for his or her team in an end.
- sheet
- The field of play, a sheet of ice 146 feet long and 14 feet, 2 inches wide.
- shooter
- The curler who is currently delivering the stone, or the stone itself.
- skip
- The team captain, who plans strategy, holds the broom as a target for shots by the other three players, and usually throws the last two stones of each end.
- slider
- A piece of plastic, Teflon, or steel that is worn on the left foot, for a right-hander, to allow a long, smooth follow-through.
- spinner
- A shot thrown with too much spin, or curl.
- stone
- The round granite playing piece, 11 inches in diameter and 39 to 41 ½ pounds in weight, fitted with a handle.
- straight handle
- Same as dead handle.
- sweeper
- A team member who uses a broom, in advance of the stone, to sweep debris out of the way and make the ice faster.
-T-
- tick
- To hit an object rock lightly or glancingly, so that it moves only a short distance.
- takeout
- A shot that knocks the opposing team's stone or stones, out of play.
- tee
- The marker in the center of the house, 6 inches in diameter. Also known as the button.
- tee line
- A line drawn across the middle of the house, through the tee, from one side of the rink to the other.
- third
- The player who throws stones third for a team, who is usually the vice-skip.
Copyright
This information is ripped from www.hickoksports.com.