What you need to play
Curling only has 4 main pieces of equipment that are needed to play. The most important item needed in curling is a large, flat area of ice. The whole playing area is a rectangle 146 by 14 feet. There are two homes (targets), one at each end. Play can begin from either end of the ice. The next important part of curling is the stones. Each stone is a smoothed piece of granite with a handle. Be careful picking them up because each one weighs 42 pounds. Each player uses 2 stones, so with 4 players on each team, that makes a total of 16 stones to play a game of curling. Each player should also have a broom. The brooms are used to smooth the ice to get the stones to move further or help it curl. They can also be used to help steady the thrower. The last piece of equipment needed to curl is something smooth on the bottom of the shoe that slides on the ice. There are special shoes that are made for this. Be sure to only have it on one foot, or it will be very difficult to stand on the ice. The equipment for curling is simple, but very important for playing.
How to win
Just like in most sports, the team with the most points in curling wins. It is how the points are score that is different. Each team has 4 members: lead, second, third (vice-skip), and skip (team captain). The team members throw 2 stones each in that order. They also alternate with the other team. The skip stands at the opposite end of the ice to help the other team members aim their stones. (The third goes down when it is the skips turn.) The other two team members use the brooms to sweep the ice to help the stones move. When throwing, the goal is to get the stones in the middle of the target, also called the home. After all 16 stones have been thrown, it is time to see who is closest to the center of the home. The team who is closest gets the point. If the team has more than one stone closer than the other team, they get one point for each stone that is closer that their opponents’. Only one team can earn points each end, or round. There are usually 8 to 10 ends in a game of curling. The team with the most points at the end wins.