Although the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics’ official opening ceremony started on February 6, some of the events already started on the 4th of this month. There is a reason why some sporting events require pre-confirmation. Organizers conduct trial runs to avoid accidents during the actual season. Curling is one of those events that started on the 4th.

As of today, Monday, February 9, 2026, the mixed doubles tournament is nearing its conclusion, with semifinals scheduled for later today. Great Britain finished at the top of the table with a dominant 7–1 record, while the United States secured the final playoff spot following a tie-breaker with Canada. So, before we move forward in the tournament, let’s spend some time learning the rules of Curling.

What is curling, and why is it played on ice?

It’s basically chess on ice. The players move a block of granite stones across a selected ice surface towards a target called the ‘house.’

The Goal: Teams of four take turns sliding 20kg (44 lb) stones. The objective is to have more of your stones closer to the center of the house (the “button”) than the opponent’s after all stones are thrown.

What are the basic rules and equipment in Curling?

Let’s talk about the basic equipment first:

• Stones (Rocks): Circular polished granite weighing between 17.24 kg and 19.96 kg (38–44 lbs). For the Olympics, this granite is sourced exclusively from Ailsa Craig, Scotland. They feature colored handles (red or yellow) often fitted with “Eye on the Hog” electronics to detect release violations.
• Brooms (Brushes): Modern brushes use lightweight carbon fiber or fiberglass shafts with synthetic fabric heads. Since 2016, only WCF-certified standardized brush heads are allowed in elite competition to ensure a level playing field.
• Specialized Shoes: Players wear two different soles:
  • Slider: A very slippery sole (often Teflon) on the sliding foot for delivery.
  • Gripper: A high-traction rubber sole on the other foot for pushing off and stable sweeping.

Now, coming to the rules, once you are clearer with the goal, the rules don’t look that difficult.

You just need to move as many granite stones as you can towards ‘the house’.

• Match Structure: Olympic games consist of 10 ends (rounds) for men’s and women’s events, and 8 ends for mixed doubles. Each team delivers 8 stones per end, alternating throws with the opponent.
• The Delivery: the player must release the stone before it crosses the near hog line. To remain in play, a stone must fully cross the far hog line and stay within the side and back boundaries.
• Sweeping: Players can sweep any of their own moving stones to make them travel further or straighter. Once a stone crosses the tee line (the middle of the house), only one player from the delivering team and one from the defending team may sweep it.
• Scoring: Only one team scores per end. That team gets one point for every stone closer to the target than the opponent’s best stone.
• The Hammer: The team that did not score in the previous end has the “hammer,” meaning they get to throw the final stone of the current end. It’s a massive strategic advantage. 

How does scoring work in curling?

• Only one team can score points in any given end.
• The only team that has its stone closer to the end can score a point.
• That team receives just one point for their closest stone and then one extra point for all the other stones that they push at the end.
• To be eligible for scoring, a stone must be touching at least the outer edge of the 12-foot ring (the house). Stones outside this circle do not count.

Then there are some special scoring situations:

• Blank Ends: If no stones remain in the house at the end of a round, the score is 0-0. In traditional team curling, the team with the “hammer” (the last throw) keeps that advantage for the next end. In mixed doubles, the hammer alternates even after a blank end.
• The “Eight-Ender”: This is the highest possible score in a single end, where one team has all eight of its stones closer to the button than any of the opponent’s. It is extremely rare, often compared to a hole-in-one in golf.
• Winning the Game: The team with the highest cumulative score after all ends (typically 10 for team events and 8 for mixed doubles) wins the match. If the game is tied, an extra end is played to determine the winner.

How does curling work in the Winter Olympics?

The Milano Cortina Olympics have divided curling into three structured medal events:

• Men
• Women
• Mixed Doubles

Each event features a field of 10 teams competing in two distinct phases:

1. Round-Robin: Every team plays each other once. Teams are ranked based on their win-loss records.
2. Playoffs: The top four teams from the round-robin advance to the semifinals (1st seed vs. 4th seed; 2nd seed vs. 3rd seed).

• Gold Medal Match: Winners of the semifinals face off for gold and silver.
• Bronze Medal Match: Losers of the semifinals play for the bronze medal.