Curling’s five-rock rule in full swing this season in arenas and clubs
The experimenting is over for curling’s five-rock rule. From the clubs to the world championships, curlers are adapting to the newest wrinkle in the sport this season.
Rocks in front of the rings can’t be removed from play until five rocks have been thrown in an end. Previously, the rule was four rocks in what’s known as the free guard zone.
So the team with hammer now has the option of throwing a second guard that can’t immediately be removed on the next shot.
Sounds simple, but there are a host of ripple effects from new strategies to more demands on shotmaking skills, particularly at the second position.