Glossary of curling Glossary of curling This is a glossary of terms in curling. During a game, sweepers might call out numbers. These numbers indicate how far the sweepers think the rock in play will travel. This system is relatively new to the game and is often attributed to the Randy Ferbey rink since they were the first major team to use the system, but it is not known whose idea it originally was. 1 to 3 indicates a rock in the free guard zone, 4 to 6 the rings in front of the tee line, 7 being on the button, and 8
Lead (curling) Lead (curling) In curling, the lead is the person who delivers the first two stones of the end for their team. On most teams, where the lead does not act as skip or vice, the lead will sweep for each of their teammates. Because of the free-guard rule, which prevents leads from removing most of an opponents stones, leads are usually proficient at throwing guards and other draws, and throw few takeouts or other power shots. In some regions, such as Eastern Ontario and the Eastern United States, the lead is responsible for determining who has hammer, using random selection,