Contents
Profile
Guard in curling
- Sport
- Curling
- Also called
- Protective stone
- Variants
- Centre guard, corner guard
- Rule
- Free guard zone (five-rock rule)
The protective stone
A guard lies between the hog line and the house, i.e. in front of the target area. It scores no points itself but performs an important task: it blocks the direct route into the house. Stones lying behind a guard cannot simply be removed by the opponent with a straight takeout.
Types of guard
- Centre guard: lies in the middle in front of the house. It is mainly played by the team without the hammer to block the centre and set up a steal.
- Corner guard: lies to the side in front of the house. The team with the hammer likes to place it so that it can later put a stone at the side of the house and set up several points.
- Tight guard and long guard: lie closer to or further from the house. The closer the guard, the harder it is to play around it.
Come-around: around the guard
The typical shot behind a guard is the come-around, a draw with curl that bends around the guard and comes to rest behind it. This is possible because curling stones drift sideways on the pebbled ice. A perfectly hidden stone is also called a buried stone. The opponent can often only reach it with a difficult double or raise.
The free guard zone
In the past, strong teams cleared guards away immediately and many games became dull takeout duels. That is why there is the free guard zone (FGZ): the area between the hog line and the tee line, excluding the house itself. Stones in this zone may not be knocked out of play until a certain stone of the end.
World Curling applies the five-rock rule: no opposing stone may be removed from the free guard zone until after the fifth stone of an end. It may be moved but must remain in play. If the rule is broken, the delivered stone is removed and the previous position restored. The five-rock rule has applied internationally since 2018; before that there was a four-rock rule.
Guards in mixed doubles
In mixed doubles, two stones are already in fixed positions before every end, one of them as a guard. Here too there is a special protection rule under which stones may not be removed at the start of the end. This creates many open, high-scoring ends.
Why guards make the game more exciting
Without guards, curling would be a game of precision hits. With guards you get full houses, hidden stones and tactical duels over several shots. Spectators quickly learn: when there are many stones in front of the house, things get complicated and exciting. When everything is cleared away early, a team is usually playing it safe.
Frequently asked questions
+What is a guard?
A protective stone in front of the house behind which a team can hide its own stones.
+What is the free guard zone?
An area in front of the house from which no stones may be knocked out of play until after the fifth stone of an end.
+Who plays centre guards?
Usually the team without the hammer, to block the centre.
Sources & further links
Editorially researched and checked against association and rulebook information. Found a mistake? Write to us via the Contact page.
Read more in the encyclopedia
Sport
Curling
Curling is a precision sport on ice in which two teams take turns sliding granite stones towards a target called the "house". By sweeping in front of the stone, players influence its distance and curl. A team scores a point for every stone closer to the centre than the opponent's best stone.
Term
End in curling
An end is a section of play in curling, comparable to an inning. Both teams play all their stones in turn, then the score is counted. A game usually has ten ends, eight in mixed doubles.
Term
Draw in curling
A draw is a curling shot in which a stone is placed at a specific spot, usually in the house or as a guard in front of it, without knocking other stones out. Exact pace, line and sweeping are what matter.
Term
Takeout in curling
A takeout is a curling shot that knocks an opposing stone out of play. It is played with much more pace than a draw. Depending on the aim, your own stone stays put, rolls to the side or also leaves play.
Term
Hammer (last stone) in curling
The hammer is the last stone of an end in curling. The team that plays it has a big advantage because the opponent can no longer respond. After a scoring end, the hammer passes to the team that did not score.