Olympic Curling

News Specialist Karen Scullin tells us everything every spectator needs to know. From the hogline to the house, here is how you curl. Andy Borland/U.S. Curler: "IF ANYONE PLAYS THE SPORT EVEN ONCE, I THINK THEY IMMEDIATELY GAIN TREMENDOUSLY HIGH APPREICATION FOR WHAT IT TAKES TO DO IT."

To play curling, first you're going to need a team-- four bodies. Two people to "sweep", one to "shoot" the stone, and "the skip."

Ed Lukowich/U.S. Curling Coach: "THE SKIP, HE DIRECTS THE PLAY, MUCH LIKE A QUARTERBACK IN FOOTBALL YOU KNOW, CALLING THE SHOTS AND CALLING THE SIGNALS."

From there, curling is pretty easy to understand...

ANDY: "THE OBJECT OF THE GAME IS EACH TEAM ALTERNATES SHOTS--THEY THROW FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER OF THE SHEET OF ICE. IT'S ABOUT 130 FEET LONG, AND THE OBJECT OF THE GAME IS TO GET MORE OF YOUR COLORED STONES CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF THE TARGET ON THE ICE THAN THE OTHER TEAMS'."

ANDY: "THE GAME TAKES ABOUT 2 ½ HOURS. THE TEAM WITH THE MOST POINTS WINS."

Each team has 75 minutes to play their "half" of the game. Every player shoots two shots in alternating sequence with members of the opposite team. The "curl" that they put on the stone is critical. The stone will always have that "curl" or spin. It may go straight, but will always spin one way or another.

After all 16 stones are delivered into "the house"--or bullseye--the points are tallied.

ED: "IT'S THE NUMBER OF STONES THAT YOU HAVE AT THE END OF THE END, OF YOURS WHICH ARE CLOSER TO THE OPPONENT'S BEST ONE. SO IF YOU SAY, HAVE THREE CLOSER THAN THE OPPONENT'S BEST ONE , YOU WOULD GET THREE."

Now the guys brushing furiously-- That's all part of the game.

ANDY: "THE OBJECT OF THE GAME IS YOU USE A STROKE LIKE THIS ACROSS THE FACE OF THE STONE AS IT SLIDES ACROSS THE ICE."

ANDY: "WHAT THE BROOM DOES IS IT TEMPORARILY--BECAUSE OF THE FRICTION YOU CAUSE-- MELTS THAT ICE SO THAT THE ROCK WILL RUN A LITTLE BIT FUTHER BECAUSE THERE'S LESS FRICTION AND IT WILL MAINTAIN A LITTLE BIT STRAIGHTER BECAUSE YOU'RE MELTING IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE STONE, COMPARED TO THE SIDES, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER."

That creates quite a bit of yelling.

ED (laughs): "WELL, I THINK THE YELLING HAS REALLY COME FROM THE FACT THAT QUITE OFTEN THESE SWEEPERS, THEY'VE GOT TO BE YELLED AT, YOU KNOW. YES WE WANT YOU TO SWEEP HARD OR NO, NOT SO HARD. BUT THEN YOU'VE GOT OTHER SHEETS- YOU MIGHT HAVE FOUR SHEETS RIGHT BESIDE YOU, THEY'RE ALL SCREAMING, TOO. SO IT BECOMES A QUESTION OF WHO CAN SCREAM THE LOUDEST TO GET THE MESSAGE OVER TO THEIR PLAYERS."

Now once the stone leaves the "hogline", that line 21-feet past the tee, it cannot be touched in any way. It has to pass the other hogline to be "in play." If it doesn't, it is removed because there can be no stones between the hog lines.

Knocking your opponent's stones out of the house is legal. From there, it's all about strategy.

ED: "CURLING, I THINK, REALLY RELATES A LOT TO GOLF. IT'S A REAL MENTAL GAME. CERTAINLY THERE'S THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF THROWING THE CURLING ROCK AND SWEEPING IT, BUT IT'S A TREMENDOUS MENTAL GAME AND THE FACT THAT THERE'S SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT STRATEGY AND A LOT OF THE GAMES ONE SHOT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE. AND MISSING THAT CRUCIAL SHOT OR NOT MAKING IT IS HUGE."