In curling, a third (alternatively, vice, vice-skip or mate) is the team member who delivers the second-to-last pair of a team’s stones in an end. The third is in charge of calling, strategy and directing the sweepers when the skip is delivering their stones, but sweeps for the lead and second.

In team curling, each player delivers two stones, in consecutive order, in each End – a round – while alternating with an opponent. Each team uses a set of eight stones all with the same handle colour – red or yellow at World Curling events. The playing positions are commonly known as Lead, Second, Third and Fourth.

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Curling Ice Numbering System During a game, sweepers might call out numbers. These numbers indicate how far the sweepers think the rock in play will travel. With this system, the sweepers can communicate more effectively to the skip where they think the stone will end up and if sweeping is required or not.

Curling is a sport in which two teams of four players each slide 40-pound granite rocks (also called stones) down a sheet of ice toward a target at the other end. Throwing rocks: Each player on the team throws two stones in each end. (An end is similar to an inning in baseball.)

Each curling stone has a circumference of 36 inches and a height of 4.5 inches. The weight of a stone varies between 38 and 44 pounds, depending on the level of competition. Each curling stone is made from a rare granite that is polished and shaped.

How much do curling stones cost? According to CurlingStone.com a new stone will set you back around $450 (£322) whilst you can get a used one for about $295 (£211), although this will depend on quality and condition.

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(a) If a moving stone is touched, or is caused to be touched by the team to which it belongs or by its equipment the touched stone is removed from play immediately by that team.

If any part of the throwing team’s broom, articles of clothing, etc. touch the stone as it moves down the ice, the stone is considered to be burned and is immediately removed from play. This is because anything that touches the stone will alter its trajectory, no matter how large or small.

The hammer for the first end is awarded to the team that puts two rocks closest to the button in a pre-game shootout. (Officials measure the combined distance.) As the match wears on, the hammer goes to the team that did not score in the previous end.

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Board Weight – A stone thrown with sufficient momentum or force to reach the back boards of the curling sheet. Bumper Weight – Sometimes referred to as board weight.

The curling broom, or brush, is used to sweep the ice surface in the path of the stone (see sweeping) and is also often used as a balancing aid during delivery of the stone. Prior to the 1950s, most curling brooms were made of corn strands and were similar to household brooms of the day.

The circles, the head, or the house, is that area which stones have to touch, or be within, if they are to be considered at the completion of an end of play. It may be a surprise to many that such a ‘counting area’ has not always been a feature of the sport.

The phrase ‘Hurry Hard! ‘ is a directive given to the sweepers to have them begin sweeping harder and faster. This is the most common phrase used and has become engrained in Curling culture, however, any sort of directive that is short and sweet can be used.

More advanced players wear special curling shoes. These are similar to ordinary athletic shoes except that they have dissimilar soles; the slider shoe is designed for the off foot (or sliding foot) and the non-sliding shoe for the hack foot. The slider shoe is designed to slide and typically has a Teflon sole.

The last shot of an end is called the hammer. The team that shoots last has the advantage. It is considered a victory for the team without the hammer if they make the other team take only one point. In most cases, the team with the hammer would rather keep the hammer than score one point.

Indeed, the highest-earning curlers can make upward of $100,000 in a touring season — but the rest of the competitors make far below that. A ranking of the earnings women curlers have made in the 2017-18 season shows the top 10 athletes making $40,000 or higher, with the rest making anywhere from $39,000 to $100.

$2.1 million

Rules of Curling

• Teams of four take it in turns to curl two rocks towards the target area with the scores being counted after all 16 rocks have been sent down the ice.
• International matches have a time limit of 73 minutes per side with two timeouts lasting a minute each.

Jennifer Judith Jones OM (born July 7, 1974) is a Canadian curler. She was the Olympic champion in curling as skip of the Canadian team at the 2014 Sochi Games….Jennifer Jones (curler)

Officer was previously a reporter for the now defunct CKX TV station in Brandon, Manitoba. She currently resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba with her husband Devlin Hinchey, they have a daughter, Camryn. Officer studied Communications and Journalism/Broadcasting at Red River College.

Jones added Weagle to her team as a fifth player and the plan was to use her in a rotation with front-enders Jocelyn Peterman and Dawn McEwen during a busy 2020-21 curling season.

Rachel Homan, while eight months pregnant, skipped a curling team that took runner-up at the Canadian National Championship on Sunday. Homan, Canada’s skip at the 2018 Olympics, led a four-woman team in their first full tournament together to the top ranking and a playoffs bye into Sunday night’s final in Calgary.

She is married to Mark Courtney, and they have one son. Her parents are Ryan and Ellen Taylor.