Etiquette is a big deal in the sport of curling and there have been many examples in the big leagues where sportsmanship in curling has been highlighted. Every curling club’s website that I have viewed has a page or link to curling etiquette “rules”. Most new curlers learn these rules from the experienced curlers but sometimes we forget to pass it on. Our league in particular has a lot of new curlers and we haven’t mentioned etiquette much so I encourage everyone to google curling etiquette and try to make it part of your game. Here are a few points to start:

1. Every curling game begins with a hearty handshake of friendship and goodwill to both team mates and opponents.

2. Try to stay on your own sheet during the games. Except of course when your skip tries to throw you your slider and tosses it two sheets over across a game in progress.  In that case, you can go retrieve your slider but make sure no play is in underway on the other sheets.

3. Clean your shoes before stepping onto the ice. Clean your brush regularly during the game. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep the sheet of ice clean. However, you may not remove any foreign object from beneath a moving stone or from one that has come to rest.

4. Be ready to throw your stone immediately after your opponent’s stone has been delivered. Make sure that you cleaned your stone first. If you are a lead, do not help clear the rocks at the finish of an end. Get ready to deliver your rocks.

5. In no way should you disturb a player in the hack or during delivery or until he or she watches the stone come to a stop. You should stand still on the sideline and between the hog lines when your opponent is delivering a stone, even if you are the next shooter. Do not stand at the back of the hack – after you shoot, head to the hogline to wait until your opponent releases the rock, then head in to get your rock and get set up in the hack.

6. Stay out of the way of opposing sweepers and be aware of sweepers on adjacent sheets.

7. Sweepers should be on the sidelines, alert and ready to sweep immediately, if called upon. They should stay with the stone all the way to the house, sweeping or not. Once the rock has stopped move to the sideline and walk back. Do not block the centre of the ice, as the other skip and shooter are visually communicating to each other and you will block their view of each other.

8. When in the house, skips and thirds should keep their broom heads off the ground and stand still while opponents are throwing.

9. If you have personally touched (fouled or burned) a moving stone, you should be the first one to so declare.

10. If you have personally moved a stationary stone, say so immediately so that it may be replaced (put into original position) to the satisfaction of the opposing skip.

11. Congratulate opposing players, as well as members of your own rink, when they have made a good shot. Never, by word or deed, be guilty of any action that would embarrass a player who has missed a shot.

12. Every curling game ends with a hearty handshake of friendship and goodwill to both team mates and opponents.