CURLING ETIQUETTE

The Garrison Curling Club (the “GCC” or the “Club”) strives to foster an environment of respect and to positively impact the experience of our curlers, members and guests. With many new curlers regularly coming to the GCC, we ask our veterans to act as teaching resources and help educate novices on what - and what not - to do. A gentle, polite comment can be tremendously helpful to the development of curling etiquette, if done properly.

Note that what may have evolved as “normal practice” may change from time-to-time (consider the impact of COVID-19). Set out below are some points for all curlers to consider.

Respect the Ice

• Always clean footwear when entering the building. Boot Boys are provided in the foyer.

• Always clean curling shoes when entering the arena. Boot Boys are also provided at the two arena doors. Curling shoes should never be worn outside

• Avoid placing your stationary hands and knees on the ice for more than a couple of seconds. It degrades the pebble, creates flat spots and represents the most common cause of “picks”.

• Ensure that equipment (clothing, broom, gripper, etc.) is in good working order and not losing material that may become debris on the ice. Check the pants and footwear of the hack leg to ensure that nothing is scratching the ice when sliding.

• Never allow a rock to hit the hack; or to hit the end boards with force. Stick curlers - with the ability to throw considerably more weight - should be particularly mindful of who is at the other end to catch their rocks (or other rocks put in motion) and who is sweeping (can your teammates catch up to a seven-second peel?) and not use unnecessarily big weight, lest their rocks not be capable of being swept or safely stopped.

• When putting the broom down or tapping the ice, do so gently and with the broom pad, so as to not chip the ice with the hard edge of the broom.

• Other than water in a bottle, do not bring any drinks or food into the arena. Leave those items outside the glass.

GCC staff are authorized to courteously approach curlers who are not respecting the ice to discuss the matter.

Don’t leave personal effects in the lobby while curling.  Although changing into your curling gear in the lobby is permitted, do not leave clothes, street shoes and other items (used cups, refuse, etc.) on/under tables and chairs. It acts as a disincentive for the next person wanting to use that space. Please dispose of refuse and recyclables in the bins; and bring personal effects into the change rooms or the arena.

Be ready to throw the first rock at the scheduled start time. Teams should arrive early enough to do player introductions and the coin toss; get into position on the ice; and then start the game.

Don’t throw practice stones before the game starts. While curlers may take one or two practice slides with stones in their hands, do not release them; observing their path provides an unfair advantage prior to the start of play.

Be in the proper position throughout the game.

• Throwing team members should:

• If delivering the rock, get in the hack as soon as possible.

• If sweeping, take a position no farther from the thrower than the t-line.

• If skipping, be at the far end in the house putting the broom down.

• Non-throwing team members should:

• Be still and silent. They should never move past a thrower who has taken a position in the hack. If they intend to position themselves off the ice directly behind the curler in the hack they should ensure that they can get there before the thrower gets into the hack; otherwise they should remain between the hog lines. 

• If they will be sweeping the next delivered rock, remain between the hog lines.

• If they will be delivering the next rock, either remain between the hog lines or off the ice directly behind the curler in the hack and not within the delivering curler’s peripheral vision.

• If they are the skip or the third, remain behind the rings at the far end or between the hog lines.

• When between the hog lines, ensure that they are immediately adjacent to the side boards and not obscuring the sightlines of the delivering team, particularly when the broom is being put down or a rock is being delivered to the wings.

Only the skips and thirds should be at the far end of the sheet. Even if a team has thrown all its rocks and is waiting for the opponent to throw its last rock, leads and seconds should remain between the hog lines.

Maintain the pace of play. In addition to some of the items mentioned above in Be in the proper position during the game,

• It is expected that each end should not take more than 15 minutes to play  and 10 minutes for doubles (the “Pace”).

• Do not take an undue amount of time to call a shot. While it’s understood that circumstances may dictate more deliberate play, the team - under normal conditions - should leave it to the skip to call the shot and - on occasion - discuss the shot with the third. The lead and second should avoid participating in this process. 

• Ensure you bring your equipment to the proper end. If you’re using more than one piece of gear (broom, stick, crutch), position it so that you don’t have to go back-and-forth to retrieve it.

• At the conclusion of an end, push the rocks back to the corners without placing them in numerical order; curlers should be able to identify their two stones without them being in sequence. Doing so takes up time and delays getting into position for the commencement of the next end.

• Get into position as soon as possible following the completion of an end (see above).

• If GCC staff observe the same four-person team(s) repeatedly falling behind the Pace, the team may be approached verbally or in writing to alert them to the issue.

Be honest and courteous. One of the  great aspects of curling is that it is largely self-policing: players report their own infractions. In circumstances where there is a disagreement over a shot, a breach of etiquette or the interpretation of the rules, Skips should take control of the situation and discuss it respectfully between themselves, while initially restricting the input of teammates. Disagreements should be handled calmly and courteously. Any verbal abuse, threat of violence or actual violence will be treated by the GCC in the harshest manner.

Socialize with the other team after the game. A wonderful tradition at the Garrison is for teams to sit together in the lounge after the game. Many winning teams offer to buy the first round of drinks… although there is certainly no obligation to do so.

After the game, keep curling gear out of the lounge. Brooms, shoes and bags should be left in the GCC foyer.