The Microscopic Tie
What happens when opposing shot stones are tied?
Read about measuring →Short, friendly explainers
One Curling Question at a Time
Rules, etiquette, beginner tips, junior curling, club life, and the occasional argument between a wise rock and a very enthusiastic broom.
Browse by category
What do you want to understand?
Each collection is designed to make sense even if this is your first day watching curling.
Journey Into Curling
Stories about discovering the game and finding your place in it.
Start the journey →Rules
Free guard zone, burned stones, tee-line sweeping, hog lines, and hammer.
See rule videos →Beginner Tips
Scoring, positions, sweeping calls, equipment, and first-club nerves.
See beginner videos →Curling Culture
Etiquette, broomstacking, bonspiels, handshakes, and the Spirit of Curling.
See culture videos →Junior Curling
Piper explains learning, teamwork, honesty, and growing into the game.
See junior videos →Watch Curling
Events, streams, championships, and what beginners should notice.
See viewing guides →Club Life
Icemakers, league nights, club traditions, and the things television misses.
See club stories →Journey Into Curling
Everyone starts somewhere
The first steps into curling can become a lifelong connection to the game, the club, and the people you meet along the way.
Rules
Granite explains the fine print
Not All the Way Yet
Granite and Sweep check whether the whole stone has crossed the back line.
Try the in-or-out lesson →The Five-Rock Rule
Why an early guard cannot simply be knocked out of play.
Read this explainer →I Burned the Rock
What honesty looks like when touching a moving stone could change the game.
Read this explainer →Who Can Sweep Back There?
The simple answer to sweeping behind the tee line.
Read this explainer →What Is a Peel?
See how a peel clears a guard and opens the front of the house.
Watch the peel explainer →Beginner tips
What everyone wishes someone had said first
Not in the Extra End
Know when a team can use its power play.
Explore the power play →The Sticky Note Strategist
Keep reminders on the board, not attached to game stones.
Learn about the rocks →The Shortcut That Isn’t
Use the proper walkway and respect nearby play.
Explore club etiquette →Scoreboard First
How the score changes your plan for the final end.
Explore the strategy →The Ice Diary
Piper discovers how keeping notes helps the ice crew.
Explore ice care →Leave Yourself a Way In
Think ahead and keep a useful route for your last stone.
Explore the strategy →The Door That Matters
Why a closed ice-hall door helps protect playing conditions.
Explore ice care →The Quiet Rhythm
Piper practises steady movement with Pebble’s guidance.
Go behind the scenes →The Other Track
Piper learns why different paths can play differently.
Explore curling ice →The Turn You Trust
Choose the draw turn you can execute with confidence.
Think through the call →Beneath the Rings
Discover where the house markings sit beneath the ice.
Learn about the house →Where the Dirt Goes
Contain brush debris so it stays off the ice.
Explore ice care →The Gripper Fitting
Check the size and fit around the toe and heel.
Learn about curling shoes →Separate the Counters
How spacing stones can make a double takeout harder.
Explore hammer strategy →Which Red One?
What handle colours and stone numbers tell you.
Learn the stone basics →The Water Has a Job
Sweep learns about the water used to pebble curling ice.
Go behind the scenes →The Stones Arrive Early
Why stones need time to cool after warm storage.
Learn about the rocks →The Skip Goes First
The skip’s job and throwing order are separate.
Explore player positions →Leave Them the Hard One
Granite explains why protecting a scoring stone can make the next shot more difficult for the other team.
Watch the Short →Hit Then Hide
See how a hit-and-roll can remove an opponent’s stone and tuck yours behind a guard.
Watch the Short →The Scoreboard Is Fine
Granite shows Sweep how numbered end cards mark a team’s running total.
Watch the Short →How to Start Curling
A friendly first step for anyone ready to try the game.
Watch the Short →Curling Is for Everyone
A welcoming reminder that there is a place in curling for all kinds of people.
Watch the Short →Is Curling Expensive?
A simple look at what a beginner may need—and what clubs often provide.
Watch the Short →Beginner Strategy Guide
Start seeing the purpose behind guards, draws, and takeouts.
Watch the Short →What to Expect Your First Time Curling
Know what happens at the club before you step onto the ice.
Watch the Short →How Long Does a Curling Game Last?
A quick guide to ends, timing, and how long to expect a game to take.
Watch the Short →What Curling Terms Mean
A friendly introduction to the words you will hear around the sheet.
Watch the Short →What the Weight Calls Mean
Learn what the numbers and calls tell sweepers about a moving stone.
Watch the Short →Granite’s Delivery Tips
Simple pointers for a smoother, more controlled curling delivery.
Watch the Short →What Is the Hack in Curling?
Meet the foothold curlers push from to begin a traditional delivery.
Watch the Short →Why Does a Curling Stone Curl?
See the science behind the curved path that gives curling its name.
Watch the Short →Only One Team Scores
Start with the closest stone, then count until the other color interrupts.
Learn scoring →What “HARD!” Actually Means
The calls, the speed judgment, and why the skip keeps changing their mind.
Learn sweeping →What Should I Wear?
Clean shoes, flexible warm layers, and no need to buy equipment first.
Get ready →Changing Your Gripper
Why curlers replace an old gripper instead of waiting for it to cause trouble on the ice.
Watch the Short →Wheelchair Curling
See how athletes deliver, strategize, and compete without sweeping.
Watch the Short →The Magic of the Curl
Granite shows what makes a curling stone bend across the pebbled ice.
Watch the Short →The Curling Time Clock Explained
See how competitive teams manage their thinking time during a game.
Watch the Short →Why Curlers Watch So Closely After They Throw
After release, players are still reading the stone, the ice, and what the shot needs.
Watch the Short →Curling culture
Why the handshake matters
Granite and Sweep explore good games, bad breaks, shared tables, club friendships, and why curlers call their own violations.
Explore Curling CultureClub-life Shorts
The Overnight Watch: care behind the ice →
Good Curling, Good Game: greetings and sportsmanship →
The Early Cleanup Crew: agree on the score first →
The Accidental Target: give the shooter space →
Taking Minutes: Sweep helps at a club meeting →
See the tournaments, friendships, traditions, and fun that make curling about more than the scoreboard.
Watch: Mention Curling Near a Curler →
Watch: Inside Curling Culture →
Watch: Curlers Love to Explain →
Watch: Tuesday Night League Is the Olympics →
Watch: The Spirit of Curling →
Junior curling
Piper is learning the game—and what kind of teammate she wants to be
Junior stories make room for nerves, mistakes, courage, friendship, sportsmanship, and the moment a new curler realizes they belong.
Watch: About Junior Curling Watch Piper’s First Bonspiel
Learn about sportsmanship Explore Junior Curling with PiperWatch curling
Event explainers for people who are still learning the map
What is a Grand Slam? How does a provincial championship lead to the Scotties or Brier? Where is the stream? HouseCall puts the event in context before the first rock.
See Upcoming CurlingClub life
The stories between the games
Tuesday leagues, icemakers waiting for pebble to freeze, old grippers, new teammates, bonspiels, blizzards, and the warm room—better known around here as the club room.
Curling life: the funny parts
The moments that happen around the games
