Registered: Oct 2013
Location:
Posts: 559

So I know that while your team is throwing, your teams skip controls the house. After your rock reaches the Tee line, the other team can sweep it out. But what about this situation?

What if your team was trying to throw a draw to teh Tee line, but the rock was a little heavy (probably a 9 on the 10 zone scale). As soon as it crossed the Tee, the opposing skip wants to sweep it out with all his might. Lets assume that your skip doesn't physically prevent the other skip from sweeping out, but takes a more creative approach.

Your skip decides to pseudo sweep your own stone out. By pseudo sweep, I mean go through the motions, but no real effort, I guess what you might normally call clean only. This keeps the opposing skip from being closer to your stone. Since the true effort is being done further away from the rock, I think it is less effective, and the end result is that your stone is more likely to remain.

Thoughts?

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Registered: Jan 2015
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 50

I've wondered a bit about that one too. I think it would actually be within your right to ask to sweep closest to the rock. I realize that isn't really possible in the moment, but if it happened a couple times I think you could then ask the opposing skip to allow you to sweep next to the rock and if he wants he can still sweep but he has to be the broom second from the rock.

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Registered: Jan 2015
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Posts: 18

If this happened more than once, you might be looking at "full contact curling".

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Registered: Mar 2013
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Posts: 1875

As I understand it, the skip of the thrown rock has the "right of first refusal" as its his rock. However, the sporting and right thing to do is back away and let the other team sweep it. If it happens more than once just announce "I want in" and jump in and sweep it.

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Registered: Aug 2014
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Posts: 106

It's a matter of fair play.

It's your rock. If you intend to sweep it out, go ahead, the rock is yours and go all out. If you don't intend to sweep it out, get out of the way.

This is not soccer and you can't simulate dying to win either.

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Registered: Mar 2009
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Posts: 695

You answered your own question in the title of this thread: "Rules/Etiquette".

While the rules say you have first position to sweep as it is your stone, etiquette and the Spirit of Curling say, give it your best effort or get out of the way. The game has no place for intentionally blocking the other teams effort to drag the rock farther behind the tee.

Anyone playing that game in our club would be called to discuss it with the league elders.

__________________
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Registered: Oct 2013
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Posts: 559

So far the answers are about what I expected. Technically legal, but questionable sportsmanship. But this brings me to how people value etiquette versus winning.

The whole broom situation and directional sweeping has led me to believe that the curling powers now value winning over etiquette, and issue that concerns me

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