l have been watching curling this year on tvthe torino winter olympics. Seems to be an interesting game...but when watched it, l did not understand how they got the points...l know there is a circular place called ''the house'' in the game, but dont understand what the goal of the game is.
Could someone please explain to me?

http://curlingbasics.com/

Curling is a precision team sport similar to bowls or bocce, played on a rectangular sheet of prepared ice by two teams of four players each, using heavy polished granite stones which they slide down the ice towards a target area called the house. Points r scored for the number of stones that a team has closer to the center of the target than the closest of the other team is stones. The level of precision & complex nature of the strategic thinking required to win has led curling to be referred to as ''chess on ice.''

Curling is played on a rectangular sheet of prepared ice into which two round, painted, archery-like targets (called the house) have been embedded. The game involves two teams of four players. These teams r called rinks & named for the team’s captain, who is known as the “skip”. Each team has eight polished granite stones, called stones or rocks, with which they try to score.

During each round of play, called an end, each player slides two stones along the surface of the ice. Play alternates between teams, each throwing one stone on their turn. The person throwing the stone influences where the stone stops by the amount of force used, called the weight, the spin (turn), & the direction of the throw. Additionally, the final position of the stone is changed by sweeping or brushing the path in front of the stone to reduce curl & increase distance. Once all the stones have been thrown during an end, the score is determined & the play reverses direction back to the other house.

The players r known as the lead, second, third & skip, & traditionally throw stones in that order . The skip acts as the team’s captain, determining the position played by each player, strategy during the game, holding the broom in the house as a target for the shooters, & representing the rink. However, there is nothing in the rules to say where in the order the skip plays & in recent years the skip has thrown second or third stones on some teams.

The basic goal of each end is to have ur curling stones nearer to the center of the target once all the stones from both teams have been thrown for that end. Therefore, the maximum number of points a team can earn per end is eight, though this is extremely rare because only the closest stones belonging to one of the two teams r counted. Strategies used during play, such as blocking (guard) & hitting rocks to reposition them (bump) or remove them from play (take-out) lead to lower scores. The term draw is used to describe a shot that comes to rest in the house without making contact with another stone. To peel means to remove both the target stone & the shooter is stone from play. For more information, see Types of shots below.

To help ensure the stone lands where intended, the skip stands in the house & indicates to the player throwing where to aim given the desired effect of the shot. The other two players sweep in front of the rock. Once thrown, players may not touch a stone while it is moving, so sweeping is the only way to influence the stone once thrown. Games, called matches, usually last eight ends, though in competitive curling there r usually ten ends & some recreational games last six ends.

A competitive game usually consists of ten ends. Recreational games r more commonly only eight or even six ends. An end consists of each player from both teams throwing two rocks with the players on each side alternating shots, for a total of sixteen rocks. If the teams r tied at the completion of ten ends an extra end is played to break the tie. If the match is still tied after the extra end, play continues for as many ends as may be required to break the tie. The winner is the team with the highest score after all ends have been completed.

It is not uncommon at any level for a losing team to terminate the match before all ends r completed if it believes it no longer has a realistic chance of winning. Most competitive tournaments require eight ends to be completed before allowing a losing team to concede in this manner. Competitive games will usually end once the losing team is ''run out of rocks'' - that is, once it has fewer stones in play and/or available for play than the number of points needed to tie the game in the final end.

In international competition each side is given 73 minutes to complete all of their throws. Each team is also allowed two 60 second timeouts per ten end game. If extra ends r required each team is allowed 10 minutes of playing time to complete their throws during the extra end. One added 60 second timeout is allowed in each extra end.

After both teams have delivered eight rocks, the team with the rock closest to the button is awarded one point for each of its own rocks that is closer than the opponent is closest rock. Rocks that r not in the house (further from the center than the outer edge of the 12-foot ring) do not score even if no opponent is rock is closer. A rock is considered in the house if any portion of its edge is over any portion of the 12-foot ring. Since the bottom of the rock is rounded, a rock just barely in the house will not have any actual contact with the ring, which will pass under the rounded edge of the stone, but it still counts.

The score is marked on a scoreboard, of which there r two types. One is the baseball type scoreboard, which is usually used for televised games. On this scoreboard the ends r marked by columns 1 through 10 (or 11 for the possibility of an extra end to break ties) plus an additional column for the total. Below this r two rows — one for each team. The number of points each team gets in an end is marked this way.

The other form of scoreboard is the one used in most curling clubs (see photo). It is set up in the same way, except the numbered row indicates points, not ends, & it can be found between the rows for the team. The numbers placed r indicative of the end. If the red team scores 3 points in the first end (called a three-ender), then a one (indicating the first end) is placed beside the number three in the red row. If they score two more in the second end, then a two will be placed beside the five in the red row indicating that the red team has five points in total (3+2). This scoreboard works because only one team can get points in an end. However, some confusion can exist if no team gets points in an end. This is called a blank end & the end number usually goes in the furthest column on the right in the row of the team who has the hammer (last rock advantage).

hi each rock weighs 45lbs made of granite & the game is a combination of bowling & shuffle board & chess.The inner circle where the olympice rings were is the closest to get the point which is the counter.so for example red hits dead center thats the counter if more red is next to it that counts too but only counts till yellow be the next closest.in other words if red is the closest to the pin counts then yellow all others dont count
red gets pointall red r closer to the oin with out the yellow they count Please feel free to call to set up one not sure where u from we r all private clubs least most of us we promote it to kids schools. The proper way to play game first 2 rocks r sent as blockers some use 4 rocks then other 4 for counters.The chess comes in by the skip who is the 4th thrower he reads ice gives us the shot of course we discuss it the best strategy . l want to thank u for allowing me represent u in italy im proud to see sport interest grow if u need more help let me know

The goal of the game is to get it closest to the centre. So if someone scored 2 points, they had two stones closer to the centre than the other team. So to get points, first off all, you need to get your stone closest to the centre, then to score multiple points, you need your other points to be closer than your opposition is stones.

l first saw this on the Olympics and it looks really ''funny''. l can not get my hubby to sweep the floor let alone some ice!