Curling Scoring Explained: Points, Ends and Bonspiel Results

In curling, only one team can score in each end. That team scores one point for every stone it has in the house that is closer to the centre (the button) than the opponent's closest stone. A stone counts only if it touches the 12-foot outer ring. The team with the most total points after the planned number of ends wins the game. In a bonspiel, game results then feed into standings or a bracket, based on rules the organizer sets before the first stone is thrown.

This guide covers the curling scoring rules first, with worked examples. It then shows how to turn those scores into a clear bonspiel: a bracket, a realistic schedule and a simple way to tell every team where it plays next.

How do you score points in curling?

Points are counted after all 16 stones in an end have been thrown. Each of the four players on a team delivers two stones, so each team throws eight. The team whose stone is closest to the centre of the house scores. It receives one point for each of its stones that is closer to the centre than the opponent's best stone. The other team scores zero in that end.

The house, the button and counting stones

The house is the set of rings at each end of the sheet. The outer ring is 12 feet (about 3.66 m) across. Inside it are the 8-foot ring, the 4-foot ring and the button at the centre. The exact centre point is called the tee. Stones that could score are called counting stones, or simply counters. A stone counts when any part of it is over the outer edge of the 12-foot ring. Players often say a stone just touching the ring is biting.

Only one team scores per end

This rule surprises many beginners. If Red has the closest stone, Yellow cannot score in that end, even if Yellow has several stones in the house. Red's total is the number of Red stones closer to the tee than Yellow's nearest stone. The maximum in one end is eight points, because each team throws eight stones.

Measuring close stones

When two stones look equally close to the tee, players use a measuring device placed on the centre of the house. By custom, the vice-skips (third players) of both teams agree on the count. If they cannot agree, they measure. In a club bonspiel, decide in advance who settles a measurement the players cannot resolve. Usually this is an official or an organizer on site.

Curling scoring examples

The examples below show how to count points at the end of an end. They assume all 16 stones have been thrown.

1. Red scores two. Red's stones sit on the button and in the 4-foot ring. Yellow's closest stone is in the 8-foot ring, and another Red stone sits in the 12-foot ring. Red scores 2. The two Red stones inside Yellow's best stone count. The Red stone in the 12-foot ring is farther out than Yellow's stone, so it does not count.
2. Yellow scores one. Yellow has the stone nearest the tee, and Red's second-closest stone in the house is next. Yellow scores 1, even if Yellow has other stones farther out.
3. A biting stone decides the end. No stones are near the centre. One Red stone just touches the outer edge of the 12-foot ring, and Yellow has nothing in the house. Red scores 1.
4. A blank end. No stone of either colour is in the house. Nobody scores, and the end is recorded as blank.
5. A steal. Yellow throws the last stone of the end (has the hammer), but Red finishes with the closest stone. Red scores without the last-stone advantage, which curlers call a steal.

Here is a short six-end game written end by end. Red has the hammer in the first end.

End 3 is a blank end, so Yellow keeps the hammer for End 4. Yellow wins 4–3.

Curling scoring rules that affect game results

A few rules besides counting stones shape who wins. Explain them at the opening meeting of any bonspiel with new players.

• Hammer (last-stone advantage). The team that throws the final stone of an end has the hammer. A coin toss, or a draw-shot challenge if you use one, decides who has the hammer in the first end.
• Hammer after a scoring end. The team that scores throws first in the next end. This means the hammer passes to the team that did not score.
• Blank ends. When no team scores, the team that had the hammer keeps it. Teams sometimes blank an end on purpose to keep the hammer for a later end.
• Number of ends. Competitive games are often eight or ten ends. Club bonspiels commonly use six or eight ends to fit more games into a day. Announce the number before the event.
• Extra ends. If scores are tied after the last scheduled end, teams usually play an extra end until one team scores. Some round-robin events allow ties instead. Choose one approach and publish it.
• Conceding. A team may concede before the scheduled ends are complete, usually by shaking hands. Record the score at the moment of concession as the final score.

How to read a curling scoreboard

A club curling scoreboard shows running point totals, not the points scored in each end. Each team has one row. A middle row of numbers shows point totals. After each end, the scoring team places a card with the end number at its new running total.

For example, Red scores 2 in End 1. The card marked 1 goes at the number 2 in Red's row. Yellow then scores 1 in End 2, so the card marked 2 goes at the number 1 in Yellow's row. To read the score, find the highest end-number card in each row and look at the total it sits on. Clubs handle blank ends differently. Some hang the card at the far end of the board, and some leave it off. Tell players which method your club uses.

If you record results on paper or in a spreadsheet, use the end-by-end format shown in the example table above. It is easier to check later and shows the ends won by each team. This matters if ends are a tiebreaker.

Choosing a curling scoring system for your bonspiel

Curling bonspiel scoring has two layers. The first is the score of each game, which follows the rules above. The second is how those game results decide final placings. The second layer is your decision as organizer. The right choice depends on how many teams you have, how many sheets of ice you can book and how many games each team should play.

Bonspiel standings and tiebreakers

Bonspiel standings in round-robin formats usually rank teams by wins first. Many events award points instead, for example 2 for a win and 1 for a tie, if ties are allowed. Some club events also give points for ends won, which keeps every end meaningful. If you do this, write the exact values on the rules sheet.

Decide the tiebreaker order before play starts. A common sequence is:

1. Win–loss record, or standing points
2. Head-to-head result between the tied teams
3. A draw-shot challenge: before each game, each team throws one stone at the button. Officials measure the distance to the tee and add the results across the event. The lowest total wins the tiebreak.
4. Points differential (points scored minus points allowed), or ends won

A simple standings sheet might look like this for one pool of four teams:

The figures are illustrative only and show what to track.

How to build a bonspiel bracket step by step

A bracket is the plan that shows who plays whom, on which sheet, in which draw, and where winners and losers go next. Build it in this order:

1. Count teams and sheets. Confirm entries and how many sheets of ice you have for each draw. A draw is one round of games played at the same time.
2. Choose the format. Use the comparison table above. Pools plus playoffs suits most first-time organizers.
3. Calculate total games. Add up round-robin games and playoff games. For knockouts, use N − 1 games per event.
4. Convert games into draws. Divide total games by the number of sheets and round up. That gives the minimum number of draws.
5. Seed or randomize teams. Spread strong teams across pools, or draw names randomly if you have no ratings.
6. Fill in matchups draw by draw. Give each team at least one draw off between games where possible.
7. Write the progression rules. State who advances, how ties are broken and who plays whom in the next round. Example: winner of Pool A plays runner-up of Pool B.

Example: 8 teams on 2 sheets

Split the teams into Pool A and Pool B, with four teams each. Each pool plays a round robin of three rounds:

• Round 1: 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3
• Round 2: 1 vs 3, 2 vs 4
• Round 3: 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4

Each pool round needs two games, which fills both sheets for one draw. The six pool rounds therefore need six draws. Alternate the pools: A1, B1, A2, B2, A3, B3. Each team then plays every other draw and rests in between. Add one draw for the semi-finals (A winner vs B runner-up, B winner vs A runner-up). Add one more for the final and the third-place game. The full event is eight draws, and every team plays at least four games.

Example: 12 teams in a knockout

A knockout bracket works most cleanly with 4, 8, 16 or 32 teams. With 12 teams, use a 16-team bracket with four byes. A bye is an automatic pass to the next round. Give the byes to the top four seeds, or draw them randomly. The 12-team single knockout still has 11 games in total. If you add a B event for first-round losers, those teams play again instead of going home.

Planning a realistic curling tournament schedule

A realistic schedule is built from three numbers: the length of a game, the break between draws and the number of draws a day. Many clubs book about two hours of ice for an eight-end game and less for six ends. Confirm this with your club.

1. Fix the game length. Choose the number of ends and a time limit. A common rule is that no new end may start after a set time.
2. Ask about ice maintenance. The ice crew usually needs time between draws to clean and prepare the sheets. Use the time they give you, plus a short buffer.
3. Add meals and the opening meeting. Plan a welcome and rules briefing before Draw 1 and a lunch gap.
4. Cap the games per team per day. Recreational players tire quickly. Two or three games a day is comfortable for most groups.

For the 8-team, 2-sheet example, suppose each draw takes 2 hours of play plus a 30-minute changeover. That makes a slot of 2.5 hours, and four slots fit in a day of about ten hours. Day 1 runs Draws A1, B1, A2 and B2. Day 2 runs A3, B3, the semi-finals and the finals. If your ice crew needs a different changeover time, adjust these figures.

Making the next round clear to everyone

Teams should never have to ask where they play next. Publish this information in more than one place:

• A draw schedule listing every draw time, sheet number, both teams and which team throws which stone colour.
• A bracket or standings board near the ice, updated within minutes of each game ending.
• Score cards returned to one named person. They should show the end-by-end score and the draw-shot result if you use one.
• A short message to each team captain when a matchup depends on results, for example a semi-final opponent.
• Written progression rules on the same sheet as the schedule, so tiebreak decisions do not look improvised.

Handling changes on the day

Changes are easier to handle when the rules for them are set in advance. Decide these points before the bonspiel:

• Late teams: the game starts on time and the late team loses the ends missed, or forfeits after a set number of minutes.
• Forfeits: fix the score you will record for a forfeit, so standings and points differential stay fair.
• Substitutes: state whether a team may play with three players or bring in a spare.
• Running behind: shorten later games by an agreed number of ends rather than cutting the final. Announce the change at the start of the affected draw.
• A withdrawal: in a round robin, record the remaining games as forfeits. In a knockout, give the opponent a bye.

Clear curling scoring rules, a bracket built from real ice time and a visible standings board are enough to run a first bonspiel smoothly.