What is the hammer in curling and how does it work? Winter Olympics rules explained

Curling is 1 of nan astir celebrated sports astatine nan Winter Olympics, pinch Team GB looking to prevail successful what will beryllium a trial of sizeable accomplishment and strategy, requiring dependable nerves and aggravated precision.

There are 3 badge events astatine Milano-Cortina, each entered by 10 nations, pinch 112 competitors group to return part.

The mixed doubles format was introduced astatine nan Pyeongchang Games, joining nan men’s and women’s squad competitions, pinch Great Britain made up of Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Moat. However, they suffered disappointment successful Italy arsenic they vanished 4th for nan 2nd Games successful a row.

Each men’s and women’s squad consists of 4 playing members and an alternate.

The hammer is simply a important portion of curling.

The squad that has nan hammer is capable to propulsion nan last chromatic of each end, mostly a important advantage, pinch each different stones thrown and nan existent scoring business clear.

Whichever squad doesn’t people during an extremity will get nan hammer successful nan adjacent information – this sometimes causes teams to debar scoring conscionable a azygous point, alternatively preferring to clasp nan hammer and people much heavy successful nan adjacent end. It is retained if neither squad scores.

Before a crippled of curling begins, teams determine who will person what is besides known arsenic Last Stone Advantage. In title curling nan hammer is decided by a tie to nan fastener pinch 2 players from each squad delivering a chromatic arsenic adjacent arsenic imaginable to nan centre of nan location – 1 chromatic is delivered clockwise and nan different counter-clockwise – and nan region from nan chromatic to nan centre being measured.

This process is called nan Last Stone Draw aliases LSD.

In nan men’s and women’s events, nan last 2 stones of each extremity are mostly thrown by nan skip. This is nan de facto skipper of each rink, who shapes their team’s strategy and must execute calmly nether pressure.

In mixed doubles, successful which 5 stones are played, nan aforesaid squad personnel throws nan first and past stones of each end.

Their teammate throws nan mediate 3 stones: teams statesman each extremity pinch 1 stone, per team, pre-placed truthful it’s imaginable to people six points successful an end.