How does scoring work in curling?
Counting an end
Each team throws eight stones per end, and the teams alternate turns. Once every stone has been delivered, officials measure which stones sit inside the house, the circular target painted on the ice. Any stone touching the house can count.
Only the team with the closest stone scores points for that end. Every stone that sits closer to the button than the opponent's closest stone earns one point. A team that has no stone in the house scores nothing, which is called a blank end.
- Eight stones per team in each end
- Only the team with the closest stone scores
- Each extra stone closer counts as one point
- A blank end scores zero for both teams
The last-stone advantage
The team that scored in the previous end usually gives up the last stone in the next end, while the other team throws last. Throwing last is called having the hammer, and it is a big advantage because the final stone can move other stones or take the button.
Scoring can range from zero to several points in one end, and big ends are less common at high levels of play. Teams often plan their strategy around the hammer across the whole game.
Common mistakes
- Counting every stone in the house instead of only those closer than the opponent's best stone.
- Assuming the team that just scored keeps the hammer; the advantage usually goes to the other team next end.
