Is Curling Played on a Lane?

The ancient team sport of curling originated in Scotland in the 16th century, originally played during the winter months on frozen lakes and ponds. The sport evolved significantly over the centuries, and now takes place indoors on a portion of ice called a curling sheet. Good ice conditions prove imperative to the success and enjoyment of curling -- sometimes referred to as "the roaring game," due to the noise the stone makes as it travels along the ice.

  1. The Curling Ice

    • Curling games use a sheet of ice 146 feet long and 14.2 to 16.7 feet wide. The ice, sometimes referred to as a rink, must be level but not smooth. Water sprinkled onto it produces tiny bumps called pebbling, which helps create friction to allow the stone to curl into the desired position. A professional ice-maker creates and maintains the ice, flooding water onto a concrete base several times to form layers that freeze into a half-inch-thick sheet.

    The House

    • A series of four rings painted on both ends of the ice sheet -- differentiated by two colors, separated by white -- are known as "the house." Players earn points for curling stones that land in the house, but the innermost ring, referred to as "the button," ranks as the ultimate target for stones thrown.

    The Lines

    • The lines represent the boundaries and also serve as guidelines for playing the game. The center line bisects the rink lengthwise and acts as a guide for throwing the stone. At each end of the rink, three lines run horizontally. The back and hog lines serve as the boundaries for stones in play. The tee line intersects the center line and indicates the center of the house.

    The Game

    • Curling requires two teams of four players, who take turns throwing 42-pound stones from one end of the rink to the other in a sliding motion. The pebbling on the surface permits the stone to travel in a curved path, if the player turns the stone upon release. Two other players can sweep the ice with brooms in front of the stone. Sweeping allows the stone to travel straighter and further by rubbing the pebbling smooth.

      A portion of play, known as an "end," takes place with sixteen stones thrown -- eight by each team. At completion of an end, the team with the most consecutive stones positioned closest to the center of the button earns points. A game usually consists of eight or 10 ends. The team with the most points after the completion of all ends wins.