The hammer in curling

What is the hammer in curling?

The hammer is the last stone of an end. Throwing last is a big advantage, because nothing can be done about your final shot, so the whole strategy of curling turns on who has it.

The rule for who gets it is simple: the team that scores in an end gives the hammer to the other team. If you score without the hammer, that is a steal, and you hand the hammer straight back.

A blank end, where no stone finishes in the house, leaves the hammer where it was. That is why a team with the hammer will often clear the house on purpose rather than score a single point: it keeps the hammer for a chance at two or more. In mixed doubles a blank end passes the hammer instead.

The first end’s hammer is decided by a coin toss or by the last stone draw. Score All tracks the hammer through the whole game and shows it on the scoreboard and the overlay.

Where it applies

Related: Curling scoring

This rule is a switch when you set up a game, so the scoreboard applies it for you. All scoring rules →