Player's Guide to World Curling Rules for Canadian Curling 2026-27

Standard team (R3(a), R3(b)): four players, plus an optional fifth player acting as an alternate, and team officials. Each player delivers two stones, in consecutive order in each end, alternating with an opponent. A team declares its delivery rotation and its skip and vice-skip functions before the game and keeps them throughout. A team that deliberately changes its rotation or functions during a game forfeits it, unless the change was made when bringing in an alternate.

Alternates (R3(e)): where alternates are allowed in a competition, only one alternate may be registered and used. A violation means the offending team forfeits the game.

Who is in charge of the house (R4(b)): the skip, or the vice-skip when it is the skip's turn to deliver or the skip is not on the ice, is in charge of the house and stands inside the hog line at the playing end while the team is delivering.

Mixed curling (R16): two male and two female players delivering alternately (M, F, M, F or F, M, F, M), no alternates, and the skip and vice-skip must be of opposite genders. Games are scheduled for 8 ends.

Mixed Doubles (R17): two players, one male and one female, no alternates. Each team delivers 5 stones per end: the player who delivers the first stone of the end also delivers the last, and the other player delivers the second, third and fourth. Games are scheduled for 8 ends.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rules R3, R4, R16 and R17.

Under rule R3(c), where a player cannot deliver one or both of their stones in an end, the team may either:

1. Bring in an alternate immediately in the departing player's position. The replaced player may not re-enter the game. The team may change its line-up at the start of the next end, and the revised rotation and functions apply for the rest of the game; or
2. Play on with three players for the rest of that end and the following full end. A player who leaves and does not deliver all their stones in an end may re-enter only at the start of an end. A maximum of 4 stones allocated to the missing player may be delivered as set out in R3(f) and (g). After those two consecutive ends the team must continue with four players delivering stones, either by the departing player returning or by bringing in an alternate. Failure to do so means forfeiting the game.

Each team is permitted only one instance per game of a player being absent. A team may not play with fewer than three players (R3(d)).

Who delivers the missing stones if the player is not replaced (R3(f), (g)):

• Only the second stone missed: the first player's second stone is thrown by the second player; the second player's by the first; the third player's by the second; the fourth player's by the third.
• Both stones missed: for the first or second player, the other of the two delivers three stones, the third player delivers three, and the fourth delivers the last two. For the third player, the first player delivers the first stone, the second player delivers the second, and the fourth delivers the last two. For the fourth player, the second player delivers the first stone and the third delivers the second.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rule R3.

What the zone is (R6(a)): a stone that comes to rest between the tee line and the hog line at the playing end, excluding the house, is in the Free Guard Zone (FGZ). Stones still in play, on or before the hog line, after striking stones in the FGZ are also deemed to be in the FGZ.

The rule (R6(b)): if, before the delivery of the sixth stone of an end, a delivered stone directly or indirectly moves an opposition stone from the FGZ to an out-of-play position, the delivered stone is removed from play and any displaced stones are replaced by the non-offending team to their earlier positions.

The related no-tick rule (R7) covers stones in the FGZ touching the centre line.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rule R6.

Under rule R7, if, before the delivery of the sixth stone of an end, a delivered stone directly or indirectly moves an opposition stone that is in the Free Guard Zone and touching the centre line to an off-centre-line position, or to a position outside the Free Guard Zone, the non-offending team may choose to:

1. remove the delivered stone from play and replace all displaced stones to their earlier positions; or
2. leave all stones where they came to rest.

If the stone is moved from the centre line to an out-of-play position, the Free Guard Zone rule R6(b) applies instead (the delivered stone is removed and displaced stones are replaced).

The no-tick rule does not apply to wheelchair curling or Mixed Doubles competitions (R7(c)).

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rule R7.

Rule R9 covers touched moving stones, and the outcome depends on where the stone is and who touched it.

Between the tee line at the delivery end and the hog line at the playing end (R9(a)):

• Touched by its own team or their equipment: the stone is removed from play immediately by that team. A double touch of the handle by the deliverer before the hog line at the delivery end is not a violation.
• Touched by the opposition or their equipment, or affected by an external force: a delivered stone is redelivered. A stone that was not the delivered stone is placed where its team reasonably considers it would have come to rest.

Inside the hog line at the playing end (R9(b)):

• Touched by its own team or their equipment: all stones come to rest, then the non-offending team chooses to (1) remove the touched stone and replace all stones displaced after the infraction, (2) leave all stones where they are, or (3) place all stones where they reasonably consider they would have come to rest.
• Touched by the opposition: all stones come to rest and the non-offending team places the stones where it reasonably considers they would have come to rest.
• Touched by an external force: stones are placed where they would have come to rest. If the teams cannot agree, the stone is redelivered; if they still cannot agree on the positions, the end is replayed.

Last Stone Draw stones (R9(c)): if the delivering team touches the stone it is removed and recorded as 1.996 m (6 ft 6.5 in). If the other team or an external force touches it, it is redelivered.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rule R9.

Sweeping (R8):

• Sweeping can be in any direction and need not cover the entire width of a stone. The brush head must not be raised in front of a moving stone, debris must not be deposited in front of a moving stone, and sweeping must finish to either side of the stone (R8(a)).
• A stationary stone must be set in motion before it can be swept. A stone set in motion by a delivered stone may be swept by any one or more of its own team anywhere in front of the tee line at the playing end (R8(b)).
• A delivered stone may be swept by any one or more of the delivering team anywhere in front of the tee line at the playing end (R8(d)).
• An opponent's stone may only be swept behind the tee line at the playing end, and not until it has reached that tee line (R8(e)).
• Behind the tee line, only one player from each team may sweep at a time. For the delivering team it may be any player; for the non-delivering team only the skip or vice-skip (R8(f)). The team that owns the stone has first privilege of sweeping it but must not obstruct the opponent (R8(g)).
• All players may clean the playing surface before the next stone is delivered (R8(c)).

Penalties: in officiated play umpires observe sweeping. The first violation by a team's own sweeping brings an official warning to the whole team. For later violations in the same event, the non-offending team may leave the stone in play or remove it and replace displaced stones. For violations of (b) to (g), the non-offending team may allow play to stand or place the stone, and all stones it would have affected, where they would have come to rest.

Brushes at World Curling competitions (C3): each player declares an approved sweeping device at the start of a game and only that player may use it. Brush heads may not be changed during a game without the Chief Umpire's permission, or the team forfeits. When an alternate comes in, all players must use the brush heads previously used for the same position and function, or the team forfeits.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling and Rules of Competition, 1 September 2026, rules R8 and C3(e)-(g).

• Hack (R5(c)): right-handed deliveries are made from the hack on the left of the centre line and left-handed deliveries from the hack on the right. A stone delivered from the wrong hack is removed from play.
• Handle (R5(d)): the stone must be delivered using its handle. Touching the granite at any time after the tee line at the delivery end is a touched moving stone, and the stone is removed from play.
• Hog line (R5(e)): the stone must be clearly released from the hand before it reaches the hog line at the delivery end, or it is immediately removed from play by the delivering team. If a hog line violation stone is not removed and strikes another stone, the delivered stone is removed and displaced stones are replaced by the non-offending team (R5(f)).
• In play (R5(g)): a stone is in play when it reaches the tee line at the delivery end (hog line in wheelchair curling). One that has not reached that line may be returned and redelivered. It is considered delivered when it reaches the hog line at the delivery end.
• Be ready (R5(h)): players must be ready to deliver when their turn comes and must not take an unreasonable amount of time.
• Electronic hog line (R11(d)): when one is used, the handle must be properly activated or it is treated as a hog line violation stone, and no glove or mitt may be worn on the delivery hand.
• Delivery stick (R11(e)): not allowed in World Curling competitions or qualifying events except wheelchair events. A player who delivers with a stick must use it for all of their stones for the whole game.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rules R5 and R11.

Under rule R2, a stone is removed from play immediately when:

• it does not come to rest completely beyond the inside edge of the hog line at the playing end, unless it strikes another stone, in which case it stays in play (R2(f));
• it completely crosses the outside edge of the back line at the playing end (R2(g));
• it touches a divider or a side line, and it is prevented from entering adjacent sheets (R2(h));
• it rolls over while in motion, or comes to rest on its side or top (R2(d)).

Other stone rules: each team uses a set of eight stones with the same handle colour (R2(b)); teams must not alter, or place any object on or over, their game stones (R2(j)); and if a handle completely separates from a stone during delivery, the delivering player may let play stand or redeliver after displaced stones are replaced (R2(e)).

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rule R2.

Scoring (R12(b)): when all stones have been played, a team scores one point for each of its own stones in or touching the house that is closer to the tee than any stone of the opposition.

Agreeing the score (R12(c)): the score is decided when the skips or vice-skips in charge of the house agree. If stones that may have affected the points are displaced before that decision, the non-offending team receives the benefit that might have accrued from a measurement.

Measuring (R12(d)-(f)):

• If teams cannot decide visually which stones are closer to the tee, or whether a stone touches the house, a measuring device is used. Measurements are taken from the tee to the nearest part of the stone.
• Any one player on the ice from each team may observe the measurement.
• If two or more stones are so close to the tee that a device cannot be used, the decision is made visually.
• If no decision can be reached either way, the stones are considered equal. If the measure was to decide which team scored, the end is blanked. If it was to decide additional points, only the stones closer to the tee are counted.

When stones may be measured (R2(i)): only visually until the last stone of the end has come to rest, except to check whether a stone is in play, or, before the second, third, fourth or fifth stone of an end, whether a stone is in the Free Guard Zone or the No-Tick Zone.

Stones disturbed before agreement (R12(g)): if an external force displaces stones that would have decided which team scored, the end is replayed. If a team had already secured a point and the displaced stones would have decided extra points, that team may replay the end or keep the points already secured.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rules R2(i) and R12.

All of these are covered by rule R5:

• Out of rotation (R5(j)): the end continues as if the mistake had not occurred. The player who missed a turn delivers the last stone for that team in that end. If it cannot be determined who delivered out of rotation, the player who delivered the team's first stone of the end delivers its last stone.
• Opponent's stone delivered (R5(i)): the stone is allowed to come to rest, then replaced by a stone belonging to the delivering team.
• Too many stones by one player (R5(k)): the end continues as if the mistake had not occurred and the last player's allocation is reduced. If the last player is the one who delivered too many, the last delivered stone is removed from play and any displaced stones are put back.
• Two stones in succession by the same team (R5(l)): the second stone is removed and any displaced stones are replaced by the non-offending team. The player who delivered it by mistake delivers it again as the team's last stone of the end. If this is not found until after a later stone has been delivered, the end is replayed.
• Wrong team delivers first (R5(m)): if found after only the first stone, the end is replayed. If found after the second stone, play continues as if nothing happened.
• Wrong hack (R5(c)): the stone is removed from play and any displaced stones are replaced by the non-offending team.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rule R5.

Thinking time per team (rule C6): 38 minutes in a 10-end game, 30 minutes in an 8-end game, 38 minutes in wheelchair curling, 26 minutes in wheelchair mixed doubles and 22 minutes in mixed doubles. A team that runs out of time forfeits the game. A stone that reaches the tee line (hog line in wheelchair curling) at the delivery end before time expires counts as delivered in time.

Extra ends: the clocks are reset and each team gets 4 minutes 30 seconds in 10-end and 8-end games (6 minutes in wheelchair curling, 4 minutes in wheelchair mixed doubles, 3 minutes in mixed doubles).

Breaks: normally 1 minute after each end, and 5 minutes at the halfway point of the game (7 minutes in wheelchair mixed doubles).

Team time-out (rule C7): each team may call one 60 second time-out per game and one in each extra end. Only players on the ice may call it, using a "T" hand signal, and only while their own game clock is running. The time-out also includes travel time set by the Chief Umpire. Only one team member from the team official field of play (and a translator if required) of the delivering team may meet with the team.

Technical time-out: a team may call one to request a ruling, for an injury or in other extenuating circumstances. Game clocks stop during it.

Delays: if an umpire decides a team is unnecessarily delaying and notifies the skip, the next stone is removed from play if it has not reached the tee line at the delivery end within 45 seconds.

Source: World Curling Rules of Competition, 1 September 2026, rules C6 and C7.

Under rule R12(k), the penalty depends on how late the team is (for Mixed Doubles the times are shorter, shown in brackets):

• Under 1 minute: no penalty. Score 0-0.
• 1:00 to 14:59 (Mixed Doubles 1:00 to 9:59): one end is considered completed. The on-time team has last stone advantage and the score is 1-0 to them.
• 15:00 to 29:59 (Mixed Doubles 10:00 to 19:59): two ends are considered completed. The on-time team has last stone advantage and the score is 2-0 to them.
• 30:00 or more (Mixed Doubles 20:00 or more): the late team forfeits and the other team is declared the winner.

If both teams are late, the same number of ends is considered completed but the score stays 0-0, and the last stone is decided by the Last Stone Draw or a coin toss. If both teams are 30 minutes or more late, the game is considered over and both teams take a loss.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rule R12(k).