How many players are on a team and how many stones does each deliver?

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.