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

Under rule R14(a) and (b), stones are delivered from a stationary wheelchair.

• Hack to the top of the house: when the stone is delivered between the hack and the outermost edge of the top of the house at the delivery end, the stone is positioned on the centre line at the start of the delivery.
• Top of the house to the hog line: when the stone is delivered between the outermost edge of the top of the house and the hog line at the delivery end, the entire width of the stone must be within the wheelchair lines at the start of the delivery.
• Wheelchair lines (R1(c)): two thin (wool) lines placed parallel to and on opposite sides of the centre line, running from the hog line to the outermost edge of the nearest circle, with the outside edge of each line 457 mm (18 in.) from the centre line.
• During delivery: no part of the delivering player's body can touch the ice surface, and the wheels of the chair must be in direct contact with the ice.

If the delivery rules are broken, the delivered stone is removed from play and displaced stones are replaced by the non-offending team (R14(e)).

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rules R1(c), R14(a), R14(b) and R14(e).

Yes. Rule R14(b) says a stone is delivered either by an arm/hand release or by using a delivery stick that conforms to the World Curling Wheelchair Curling Policy. The stone must be clearly released from the hand or stick before it reaches the hog line at the delivery end.

Rule R11(e) adds that:

• delivery sticks may not be used in any World Curling competition or qualifying event except wheelchair events;
• a player who delivers with a stick must use it for the delivery of all their stones for the entire game;
• a stick must not convey any mechanical advantage other than acting as an extension of the arm/hand;
• all sticks must conform to the Wheelchair Curling Policy.

Outside wheelchair curling, World Curling publishes separate "recommendations for delivery sticks in recreational play" (September 2020), for organisers who choose to allow sticks for people with physical limitations.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rules R11(e) and R14(b).

No. Rule R14(d) states that sweeping is not permitted in wheelchair curling. Sweeping is also not allowed in the Last Stone Draw in wheelchair curling (C8(b)), and wheelchair mixed doubles has no sweeping at any time (R15(b)).

If a delivery violation occurs, including a sweeping violation under R14(d), the delivered stone must be removed from play and any displaced stones are replaced by the non-offending team to their positions before the violation (R14(e)).

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rules R14(d), R14(e) and R15(b), and Rules of Competition C8(b).

Yes, for World Curling wheelchair competitions (rule R14(f)): each on-ice team must have four players delivering stones and must be made up of both genders at all times during games. A team that breaks this rule forfeits the game.

The same applies to the Last Stone Draw: if a team has 4 players of one gender on the ice during the LSD, the results are recorded at the maximum distance (C8(b)).

Wheelchair Mixed Doubles teams are two players, one male and one female (R15(a)).

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rules R14(f) and R15(a), and Rules of Competition C8(b).

Under rule R14(f), if a player leaves during an end because of illness, accident or other extenuating circumstances (not ejection by an umpire):

1. The player may return to the game, provided they deliver all their allocated stones.
2. If the departing player's stones need to be delivered in that end, an alternate must be brought in immediately in that player's position, and the team must still be made up of both genders. Failure to do so means forfeiting the game. At the start of the next end the team may change its line-up (the revised rotation applies for the rest of the game), and the replaced player may not re-enter the game.
3. If the departing player had already delivered both stones, the team must bring in an alternate at the start of the next end and may change its line-up (the revised rotation applies for the rest of the game). The replaced player may not re-enter the game.

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rule R14(f).

Non-delivering team (R14(c)): during delivery, the non-delivering team's players must take stationary positions behind the back line at the delivering end. However, any two players may take stationary positions behind the back line at the playing end, as long as they do not interfere with the choice of place of the delivering team's skip or vice-skip.

Delivering team's house position (R4(b)): the player in charge of the house is positioned inside the hog line with at least one foot or wheel on the ice surface of the playing end of the team's sheet while the team is delivering.

Stone in play (R5(g)): in wheelchair curling a stone is in play when it reaches the hog line at the delivery end. A stone that has not reached that line may be returned and redelivered.

Release (R14(b)): the stone must be clearly released from the hand or stick before it reaches the hog line at the delivery end.

Penalty (R14(e)): if a delivery violation occurs, the delivered 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, rules R4, R5(g) and R14.

• Length: all wheelchair games are scheduled for 8 ends (R14(g)). In an 8-end competition at least 6 ends must be completed (C5(b)).
• Thinking time: 38 minutes per team (C6(a)). In extra ends the clocks reset and each team gets 6 minutes (C6(c)).
• Late start: if a team delays the start and ends are considered completed under R12(k), each team's thinking time is reduced by 4 minutes 45 seconds for each such end (C6(b)).
• Clock stops: a team's game clock stops once the stone reaches the hog line at the delivery end (C6(f)). A stone that reaches the hog line before time expires is considered delivered in time (C6(n)).
• Delays: after an umpire notifies the skip of unnecessary delay, the next stone is removed from play if it has not reached the hog line at the delivery end within 45 seconds (C6(m)).
• Time-outs: one 60 second team time-out per game and one in each extra end (C7(b)).
• No-tick rule: it does not apply to wheelchair curling (R7(c)).

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling and Rules of Competition, 1 September 2026, rules R14(g), R7(c), C5, C6 and C7.

Where a game uses a Last Stone Draw (LSD) to decide which team has the choice of delivering first or second in the first end (rule C8(b)):

• At the end of each team's pre-game practice, two stones are delivered to the tee at the home end by different players, the first with a clockwise rotation and the second counter-clockwise. Each stone must be delivered within 60 seconds.
• Sweeping is allowed in the LSD in general, except in wheelchair curling.
• If a wheelchair team has 4 players of one gender on the ice during the LSD, the results are recorded at the maximum distance (1.996 m).
• The team with the lesser total of its two LSD distances has the choice of delivering first or second in the first end.

Source: World Curling Rules of Competition, 1 September 2026, rule C8(b).

Wheelchair Mixed Doubles (rule R15) uses the wheelchair curling rules in R14, except for the team make-up in R14(f):

• Team: two players, one male and one female. Alternate players are not allowed, and a team must forfeit any game in which it does not have both players playing for the entire game. Two team officials are allowed for each team.
• Format: played as Mixed Doubles under rule R17 (5 stones per team per end, with the "positioned" stones placed before each end, 8 ends), except that no sweeping is allowed at any time (R15(b)).
• Wheelchairs: electric wheelchairs are not allowed unless the athlete uses an electric wheelchair for daily mobility (R15(c)).
• Timing: 26 minutes of thinking time per team, 4 minutes in extra ends, and a 7 minute break at the halfway point of the game (Rules of Competition C6).

Source: World Curling Rules of Curling, 1 September 2026, rules R15 and R17, and Rules of Competition C6.