sheet![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Ice surface on which a match is played; when an end is complete, the next end starts from the opposite end of the sheet.
umpire ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Official who is responsible for applying the rules; in particular, the umpire rules on the correctness of throws and determines the distance between the stones and the tee.
tee line ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Line across the center of the house; behind this line, players are allowed to brush in front of an opponent’s stone in an effort to make it overshoot the house.
sheet ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Surface of the ice; it is watered regularly with fine droplets to reduce friction between the ice and the stone.
tee ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Circle forming the center of the house; once all the stones are thrown, the team with the stone closest to the tee wins the end.
vice-skip ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Player who assists the skip in devising playing tactics; the vice-skip usually throws third in an end.
skip ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Player who leads the team and determines strategy; the skip is usually the last to throw in an end.
hack ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Rubber foothold at each end of the sheet that the thrower uses to push off.
curler ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Curling player who throws two stones in each of the 10 ends that make up a match.
inner circle ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Circle surrounding the tee.
outer circle ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Circle forming the outer limit of the house.
lateral line ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Band or line that delimits the sides of the sheet; a stone that strikes the lateral line is removed from play.
center line ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Line that divides the sheet in half; the stone is thrown and released relatively close to this line.
hog line ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Line at the front of the house that marks the boundary of the playing area; the stones must be released before this line and must cross the opposite hog line to remain in play.
back line ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Line at the back of the house that marks the boundary of the playing area; a stone that crosses this line is removed from play.
lead ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
First player to throw stones in an end.
second ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Second player to throw stones in an end.
free guard zone ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Area between the house and the hog line; leads may not remove the opposing team’s stones from play.
house ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Series of concentric circles forming the scoring zone; a point is scored for each stone that lies closer to the tee than the opposing team’s stones.