About Mixed Doubles Curling

Mixed Doubles is played by two players. One male and one female on each team. Both teams play five stones each and start every end with one stone that has been pre-placed, so the maximum amount of points in each end is six.

In most ends, the pre-placed stones, will be positioned so that the team with last stone advantage (hammer) will start the end with one stone at the back of the four foot circle. The team without the last stone advantage, will start with a centre guard.

The new addition for 2016 is ’Power Play’. This means that both teams have the right to use a ’Power Play’ once in every game, in an end where they have last stone advantage.

When a ’Power Play’ is being used, the pre-placed stones will be moved out to one of the sides, and placed as a corner guard and a stone behind it, with the back of the stone against the tee line.

Important rules to remember in Mixed Doubles Curling:

• The first take-out is allowed with the fourth stone played in each end

• Before that, teams are not allowed to hit either their opponents or their own stones out of play

• If an end is blanked (neither team scores), the team that delivered the first stone in that end shall have the decision on placement in the next end

• Teams have 22 minutes of thinking time each

• Games are 8 ends long, with an extra end played to break ties

There are two positions in Mixed Doubles:

• One player plays stones one and five

• The other player plays stones two, three and four.

• Both players are allowed to switch playing positions in-between ends.

• Both players can sweep

• Having a player holding the broom at the other end is optional.

In June 2015, Mixed Doubles curling was approved by the International Olympic Committee as new medal discipline for the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games.

A total of eight countries will compete in the Mixed Doubles curling event at the 2018 Olympics. Korea, as host of the games has a guaranteed spot. The other 7 nations will qualify from points gained at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in 2016 and 2017.

At the World Curling Federation Congress in Belgrade, Serbia, in September 2015, a new set of rules were voted on and accepted for Mixed Doubles curling.

They are:

1. The pre-placed stone, that used to be placed behind the centre of the button, is now moved to the back of the four foot circle. It is placed so that the back of the stone is in line with the back of the four foot circle.

2. The other big change is the possibility to use 'Power Play'. This means that each team, at one time during the game when they have last stone advantage, can chose to have the pre-placed stones moved out to the side.

The stone in the house will be placed so the back of the stone is in line with the tee line and between the eight foot and the twelve foot circle. The guard is placed so the stone in the house is fully buried when viewed from the hack.

The team with last stone advantage will choose if they want to have the 'Power Play' to the left or the right-hand side of the sheet.

'Power Play' cannot be used in extra ends.

3. Another new rule, is that the ’Skip’ or player holding the broom, no longer needs to stand behind the hog line at the scoring end. Teams can now choose to have a sweeper instead of a 'Skip'.