What every curling player is armed with. Curling: history and rules

Curling is a sports team game on ice. Curling gained its popularity, to a greater extent, thanks to a large number jokes that mention him. But few people know that this is a very interesting game. Curling is a full-fledged sport, it even hosts various championships, including the World Championship and the European Championship. In this article, we would like to talk in more detail about curling, in view of its growing popularity in our country.

The content of the article:

History of curling

Since the 17th century, curling stones began to be standardized, that is, to receive a single standard. At the same time, immigrants who fled to America take this game with them to the New World. At the beginning of the 19th century, the rules for the game of curling were officially approved. It is worth noting that to this day no significant changes have been made to these rules of the game.

Later, curling became a sport, and in 1959 the world's first Curling Championship was held, since then it has been held every year. Since 1975, the European Curling Championship has been held every year. Since 1998, curling has been recognized as an Olympic sport, and began to be held during the Winter Olympics, as well as.

How to play curling

Now let's look at the rules of the game of curling. The game of curling involves the presence of two teams, which should consist of four people. Each team is assigned a color. The essence of the game is that the teams alternately launch special projectiles made of granite (in the game they are called stones) on the ice, these projectiles must be sent to a specially marked area (which is called the “house” in the game). If the opponent's stone is in the "house", then it must be knocked out. Teams are given 8 stones to send to the house. Stones that have not reached the boundaries of the house, or vice versa, are out of the game - this is called out.

Each team throws stones in turn. The team that throws the stone last has a very large advantage, so the order of throws in curling is great importance. The order of throws is initially determined by drawing lots, subsequent throws are made first by the team that won the previous round. After all the stones have been thrown, the points of the teams are calculated. When calculating points, only those stones that are in the house, and have not been knocked out of the game, are considered. The team whose stone is closer to the center wins the round and gets a point.

Each team must choose their own captain, who will oversee the entire process of the game. It is important to note that the game of the team depends to a large extent on the captain, so it is necessary to choose a captain who will be able to organize, support and supervise the team's actions. The main task of the team captain in curling is to tell his team in which direction to move the stone.

The game goes like this. The player who throws the stone puts on a slider - a special sliding shoe attachment (unless special curling shoes are used) that allows you to slide on the ice. Then he takes a curling brush, puts it with an edge on the ice, and puts the handle of the brush on his left shoulder and grabs its lower part with his left hand (you can clearly see how this is done in our video below). Then right foot the player leans on the block, puts a stone in front of him and takes it by the handle right hand. Slightly straightening up, the player takes the hind leg slightly back, and then rolls forward with the same leg, crouching on it, and pushes off the block with the right foot, after which he puts it with his toe down and pulls him along. Having reached the line, the stone is released, while the main task is to try to push the stone harder so that it reaches as far as possible.

When the stone is launched, two players of the team use special brushes to rub the surface of the ice, so that the stone continues its movement and does not stop. It is important to know that with brushes you can not only continue the movement of the stone, but also supervise its trajectory. If you touch a stone with a brush, it is out of the game.

In principle, these are all the basic principles of playing curling, you can learn more about the game both from an instructor and by reading special resources and literature dedicated to this sport.

Curling equipment

Curling kits and equipment are usually provided at venues where curling is played. For curling you will need: shoes, brush and stone. If you often play curling, then it is best to get your own boots for this.

Curling boots are made using a special technology, first of all, they retain heat, thanks to the inner felt, because the game takes place on ice. In addition, curling shoes have a special sole - it is different. As you already know, the left foot should slide and the right foot should push off, based on these principles, the sole is made in curling boots. The left shoe is made of a special sole that provides excellent gliding, while the right shoe, on the contrary, is made of a non-slip sole. Curling shoes can be purchased online, as well as in sporting goods stores.

This video will help you learn about the main features of the game of curling. The curling instructor will also demonstrate some of the features of the game.

To see what curling is, we also recommend watching this report from the World Championships in this sport.

The actual confirmation of the existence of this sports game is a curling sports equipment (stone), on the surface of which the date of manufacture (“1511”) is stamped, found at the bottom of the dry lake Dunban. The first annalistic references to curling are found in medieval monastic books dated 1541, preserved in the Scottish Paisley Abbey.

Around the same time (1565) are two paintings by Pieter Brueghel, which depict Dutch peasants playing icestock, a game close to curling, on the ice of a frozen lake. It is curious that Scotland and the Netherlands in the 16th century had very strong trade and cultural ties, as evidenced by the widespread use of not only curling, but also golf in continental Europe.

The oldest curling club in the world is the players' association of the city of Kilsyth, located in the north of Scotland, founded in 1716. The first curling club was opened in 1737 in the province of Fife. In the same city there is the oldest man-made sports field designed for playing curling - an artificial dam that encloses a pond and sets a platform measuring 100 by 250 meters.

The very word curling first came into use as the name of a game in the 17th century, after being mentioned in a poem by the Scottish poet Henry Adamson. Researchers believe that the game got its name not at all from the complex curls-traces that the stone left behind on the ice, but from the Scottish verb curr which describes a low growl or roar (in English language the closest equivalent is purr). The thing is that the granite stone sliding on the ice touched the notches of ice, which caused a characteristic sound. To this day, in parts of Scotland, the game is better known as the Roaring Stones Game.

It is worth noting that imperfect form shells and the unpreparedness of the field did not allow the ancient curlers to play based on one or another winning strategy, or to develop sportsmanship - in most cases, the outcome of the game was decided by the luck of a particular team or player.

Interesting information about shells is also contained in the annals of the Scottish city of Darvell: after work, weavers rested, playing curling with heavy stone weights used in oppression at looms, and these weights had a removable handle. It also says that "many wives supported the authority of their husband by polishing the handle of the stone and bringing its shape to perfection."

In 2005, 12 teams were already fighting for world gold, of which 8 teams represented Europe, 2 - North America, and 2 - Asia and Oceania. European teams receive tickets to the world championship based on the results of the European Championships, which have been held since 1975. At the 2005 European Championship, a record was set - 58 teams from 38 countries.

World Championships are held every year. In 1989-2004 competitions for both men and women were held in the same city.

European Curling Championship

The first European Championship was held in 1975 in France. It was attended by 8 men's and 7 women's teams. The European Championships are held every year.

Olympic Games

Organizations

Playing field and inventory

Curling area

Stones in the "house"

The curling area is a rectangular field 146 feet (44.5 m) long and 14 feet 2 inches (4.32 m) wide. The ice temperature is about −5 °C (23 °F) . The target, called the "house", is 12 feet (3.66 m) in diameter. The 44 lb (19.96 kg) stone is made from a specific type of granite quarried from the island of Ailsa Craig in Scotland. It has a cylindrical shape (with some transition to a torus) and an annular sliding surface. The top of the stone has a handle.

Each of the players is armed with a special brush with which he can rub the ice in front of the moving stone.

A Teflon slider is put on the shoes, which provides good glide. Knee pads are used to prevent injury.

Rules of the game

The game involves two teams of four people: Skip, vice-skip, first and second. The game consists of 10 independent periods, the so-called "ends" (end).

Curling brush

During one end, the teams take it in turns to release 8 stones. When playing a stone, the player pushes off the starting block and disperses the stone across the ice. At the same time, he tries either to achieve a stop of the stone in a certain place, or to knock out the stones of opponents from the scoring zone, depending on the current tactical goal. Other team members can use special brushes to rub the ice in front of the stone, thereby slightly correcting its movement. Such brush manipulations are called sweeping (from the English. to sweep- revenge, sweep).

After all 16 stones have been played, the end score is calculated. Only those stones that are inside the house are taken into account. The team whose stone is closest to the center is considered to have won the end. She scores one point for each stone that is closer to the center than the opponent's closest stone to the center.

In the first end, the order of the teams is determined by a draw, in all subsequent ends, the right of the last throw is given to the team that lost the previous end. If in the final position no one had stones in the house, the end ends in a goalless draw, and the right of the last throw remains with the same team. Therefore, it is often beneficial to “throw” the last stone (that is, put it out, deliberately make an ineffective throw), instead of earning just one point.

You can sweep not only your own stones, but also the stones of the opponent - in order to get them out of the penalty back line of the playing area. However, athletes get this right only when the opponent's stone crosses the teeline passing through the center of the "house", and only one player of the team has the right to sweep in this zone.

In accordance with the rules, the player must release the handle of the stone before it crosses the throw line, otherwise the throw does not count and the bat is removed from the game. The throwing technique is very complex, and there are many ways in which the stone is directed to the target. However, they are all divided into two groups depending on the task set by the skip: throw your stone into the "house" or push out the opponent's stone. Also, players often resort to placing "defenders" - stones that cover well-placed stones and create difficulties for their opponents to knock them out.

During the first four throws of each end (that is, two throws of each team), the so-called Free Guard Zone rule applies (the zone of “free defenders”). According to it, it is forbidden to knock out stones that are between the scoring line (hog line) and the center line of the house, but are not in the house. If this rule is violated, then the position that existed before the throw is restored, and the violator's stone is removed from the draw. However, moving stones without knocking them out is permissible. Starting from the fifth roll of the end, the rule of the “free defenders” zone ceases to apply and any scoring action can be performed.

The winner is determined by the sum of points in all ends. In the event of a tie after ten ends, an additional period called extra-endome(extra end), the winner of which becomes the winner of the match. The right of the last throw in the extra-end is granted, similarly to the previous periods, to the team that lost the tenth end.

Major competitions

• World Youth Curling Championship
• World Curling Veterans Championship
• Continental Cup
• Mixed European Curling Championship
• Pacific Curling Championship
• US Men's Curling Championship
• U.S. Women's Curling Championship
• U.S. Junior Curling Championship
• US Girls Curling Championship

see also

• Curling. Season 2010/2011

Notes

Literature

• B. Rudenko Curling is a game of gentlemen // Science and life. - M .: Pravda, 1990. - V. 2. - S. 65-66. - ISSN 0028-1263.

Links

• The largest Russian portal about curling in Russia and the World
• Curling Basics (English) (German)

Calling curling a popular sport is difficult, and many people think that this is some kind of frivolous and strange activity. At the same time, connoisseurs call it ice billiards, the main thing is to catch and understand the meaning of the game, and then it will be perceived in a completely different way.

What is curling in sport?

This concept refers to a sports game on ice, during which two teams, including four people each, compete in the accuracy of pushing special sports equipment. They are called "stones", and granite is used for manufacturing. Curling is the most popular sport in Canada. It is included in the Olympic Games. The essence of the competition is that the teams launch stones on the ice, trying to push the opponent's stones out of the target or "house".

Curling - the history of occurrence

Many will be surprised by the fact that this sport is believed to have originated in 1511. This date was indicated on a game projectile found in Scotland at the bottom of a dry lake. In the 16th and 17th centuries, curling was played using stones that fell from the mountains, picking up approximately the same specimens. Finding out who invented curling, it should be noted that the first rules of this game were formulated in 1804. For the first time, men competed in this sport at the World Championships in 1959, and women competed in 1979. Curling made its Olympic debut in 1998.

International Curling Federation

The organization responsible for curling was formed in 1966 by representatives of seven countries. Until 1991, it was called the International Curling Federation, and after that it was renamed the World Curling Federation (WCF). Its headquarters is in Perth (UK). The Curling Federation unites 57 national associations and its main tasks are as follows:

1. Represent the sport at the international level and do everything possible for its growth.
2. To promote the development of cooperation and mutual understanding of all members of the federation.
3. To defend and promote the interests of world curling.
4. Formulate rules for all competitions.

curling rules

It may seem to many from the outside that this game is very simple, but in fact it has many nuances:

1. Two teams compete, which are assigned their own color. They receive eight stones each, which must be sent to a specially marked area. Projectiles that have not reached the specified boundary are eliminated. The goal is to push the opponent's stone out of the house.
2. The rules of the game of curling assume that the order of throws is first determined by drawing lots, since the last team to throw is in a better position. Subsequent rolls are determined by who won the previous round.
3. To calculate the result, only stones that fall into the house are taken into account. A point is awarded to the team whose projectile is closer to the center.

curling stone

The main attribute - the stone has changed more than once, and as a result, the ideal shape was achieved. It has a round base, which undergoes special processing, and a handle attached to it. For fastening, a screw is used, passing through a hole in the center of the fanite base. The stone itself is made from a rare type of granite, which is found only on the Scottish island of Ailsa Craig. The material practically does not absorb water, which prevents its destruction during the game, and it is also the strongest. Curling is not a cheap pleasure, and the price of one projectile is €600.

Many people are interested in how much a stone weighs in curling, and so there are restrictions on this value and the mass should not be more than 19.96 kg. It is important to know not only the weight of the curling stone, but also its other parameters: the circumference is a maximum of 91.44 cm, and the height of the granite base is a minimum of 11.43 cm. A few interesting points:

1. If the stone breaks during the push, then it is replaced and a new projectile is put in place of the largest fragment.
2. If a stone abruptly changes its trajectory or slows down, for example, due to defects in the sliding surface, then it can be removed from the game and replaced.
3. If the handle falls off during the throw, then at the request of the team that performed it, another attempt is made to throw.

Curling brush

After launching the stone, two players of the team, using a special brush, rub the surface of the ice, thanks to which the stone continues its movement towards the target and does not stop. With the help of these actions, you can not only continue the movement, but also supervise its trajectory. Describing why ice is rubbed in curling, it is also important to note the fact that if during the process you accidentally touch a stone with a brush, then it is eliminated from the game.

Different brushes can be used for the game and their handles can be made of any materials, but pig and horse hair is used for bristles. The second option is more rigid and is taken when there is frost on the ice and needs to be cleaned. The most popular are synthetic brushes, in which the handles are made of different types plastic, wood or carbon. They differ in weight, and the third option is the lightest. The pillow in modern brushes is mostly made of nylon fabric, but there are other options.

Curling clothes

Given that the temperature of the ice cover is minus 5 ° C, clothing must certainly be warm. Tips for choosing equipment:

1. Pants have soft inside, which is able to protect from the cold for several hours. It is better to give preference to models with a high waist, since curling involves bending.
2. Clothing must certainly stretch well so that it does not hamper movements during the game. For this purpose, spandex is added to the composition of the fabric. In addition, the models must be close to the body so that nothing interferes.
3. Curling is an Olympic sport that requires the use of gloves and mittens that are secured with straps. They not only protect against the cold, but also provide a good grip on the brush. Many models have holes in the palms, which is important for ventilation.
4. Socks used in curling are able to keep feet warm throughout the game, as they include special fibers to wick away moisture.

Curling shoes

The boots used for the game are produced using a special technology. They should retain heat well, for which felt is placed inside. Curling boots have a special sole, which can be different. On the left leg, it should be sliding, and on the right, vice versa. Many boots have a non-solid sole and when the curler comes out on the toe, the sliding part separates and stays on the ice instead of bending with the foot. Modern footwear models are constantly changing, and their design is becoming more and more like everyday sneakers.

, curling area in length is 45 meters. At each end of the site there is a circle drawn under the ice, called the "house". First, the players of the team throw all the stones in one direction, and then in the other.

The game is played by 2 teams of 4 people. Each team includes:

• 1) skip- the captain of the team, who determines the strategy of the game, from which he indicates with a brush the place where the stone should arrive, gives the direction to the stone, controls the actions of the partners;
• 2) vice-skip- the vice-captain of the team, to whom the right to control the actions of partners passes when the skip is thrown. Usually throws rocks in front of the skip;
• 3) the first;
• 4) second.

The game lasts 2-2.5 hours and consists of 10 periods, which are called " endami". Team members throw stones in turn, 2 throws each, in total, the team makes 8 throws over one end. Whoever has the last throw has some advantage, because you can assess and weigh the current situation in the" house "and the last stone to do so to knock out the opponent's stones from the scoring area or throw your own stone so that it is closer to the center of the "house". The throw is made by the player as follows: he pushes off the starting block, disperses the stone on the ice and accompanies it with his hand for some time, without releasing projectile to the marked line HogLine ("hogline"). rules, the player must release the stone's handle before it crosses the HogLine, otherwise the referees will not count the throw, and the bat is removed from the game. After the player releases the stone, the work is taken sweepers, which rub the ice with brushes, thereby directing the stone in the direction indicated by the skip. What is interesting is that you can also sweep the opponent's stones only if his stone enters the zone beyond the "T-Line" line. This is done by one player of the opposing team in order for the stone to go beyond the penalty back line of the playing area.

After the first end, scoring is done. The end is won by the team whose stone lies closer to the center of the target than the opponent's shell closest to the center. This team gets one point for each stone that is inside the "house". On the second end, the right of the last throw is given to the team that lost the previous end (for the first end, this right is determined by the draw). If in the end of the end neither team had a stone in the house, then the period ends in a goalless draw, and the right of the last throw remains with the team that had this right before.

Depending on the task set by the captain, all throws in curling are divided into 2 groups: pushing out the opponent's stones and throws to get your stone into the house. Often, players deliberately line up stones in such a way that they cover other projectiles that are successfully located in the house so that the opponent cannot change their location.

The game also has a rule Free Guard Zone (zone of "free defenders"), which lasts until the fifth roll of each end. According to it, it is forbidden to knock stones from the game that are not located in the house, but between Tiline and HogLine. But you can move stones. If the player still violates the Free Guard Zone rule, then the position of the stones before the throw is restored on the court, and the violator's stone is eliminated from the draw. Any knocking out actions with stones can be performed already, starting from the 5th throw in the end.

After the game, the points of all ends are summed up and the winner is determined by the larger amount. If there is an equal number of points, then an additional end (extra-end) is assigned, the winner of which becomes the winner of the entire match.

Today I would like to tell our readers about such an exotic sport as curling. Despite the fact that this is a relatively young sport, it has recently begun to enjoy increasing popularity in our country. Therefore, it would be strange if we did not focus on it!
So what is curling? Curling- This is a team game that is played on an ice rink. Each team consists of four people: Skip, vice-skip, first and second. The duration of the game is 10 independent periods (or ends).

Curling rules

The essence of the game of curling is to either lead your stone into the scoring zone (it is drawn on the ice in the form of a target), or knock out the opposing team's stone from the scoring zone. In each period, the team is supposed to release eight stones. The player launching the stone is pushed off the platform and propels it across the ice. Other team members can control the movement of the stone with the help of special brushes with which they rub the ice in front of it. This process is called sweeping, which in English means “revenge, sweep”.
Scoring in each end is carried out according to the following rules: only those stones that are inside the house are counted. The team whose stone is closest to the center of the house is considered to have won the end. The team scores one point for each stone that is closer to the center than the opponent's stone.
You can sweep not only your own stones, but also the stones of the opponent - in order to get them out of the penalty back line of the playing area. However, athletes get this right only when the opponent's stone crosses the teeline passing through the center of the "house", and only one player of the team has the right to sweep in this zone.
There is also such a rule: the player must release the handle of the stone before it crosses the throw line. Otherwise, the roll does not count.
During the first four rolls of each end (i.e. two rolls of each team) called the Free Guard Zone rule.
This rule prohibits the knocking out of play of opponent's stones that are between the hog line and the center line of the house, but are not in the house. If this rule is violated, the position that existed before the throw is restored. In this case, the offender's stone is removed from the draw. From the fifth end, this rule ceases to apply.
The winning team is determined by counting the points for each end. In case of equality of points after ten ends, an additional period is assigned, also referred to as an extra end (extra end). Its winner becomes the winner of the whole match. The right of the last throw in the extra-end is granted, similarly to the previous periods, to the team that lost the tenth end.
As equipment for curling, a special stone with a handle is used (its weight is 44 pounds or 19.96 kg), which is made from special granite mined on the island of Ailsa Craig in Scotland. The players are also “armed” with special brushes with which they can rub the ice in front of the moving stone. Players are also provided with special shoes.

A Brief History of Curling

As for the official championships, then first World Curling Championship took place in 1975 in France. Curling was recognized as an Olympic sport in 1998. The first Olympic curling medals were played at the Nagano Olympics. Then the Swiss team became the winners among the men's teams, and the Canadian team among the women's teams.
Interesting fact: in 2006, the IOC revised history and decided that the first Olympic Curling Games took place in 1924. That year, the teams of Great Britain and Ireland became the winners, the Swedish team won the silver medal, and France won the bronze.