If you have ever watched a curling match and wondered why the commentators keep talking about one team having the hammer, you are not alone. Learning how is the hammer determined in curling is the quickest way to understand the strategy of the whole game, because the hammer is simply the advantage of delivering the last stone in an end. An end is like an innings or a round: each team delivers eight stones, and the team with the hammer throws last. That final stone can change everything, turning a losing position into a win, clearing a guarded house, or drawing neatly onto the button for the deciding point. This guide explains how is the hammer determined in curling at the start of a game, how it changes from end to end, what happens after a blank end, and how the rule works in extra ends, mixed doubles, and friendly club games.
Before we go further, it helps to picture the sheet. Curling is played on a long strip of ice, with a target called the house at each end. The house is a set of concentric circles, and the very centre is called the button. Teams take turns sliding granite stones towards the house, while team mates sweep the ice in front of a moving stone to influence its speed and curl. After all sixteen stones have been delivered, only stones sitting in the house count, and only the team with the stone closest to the button scores in that end. The score for the end is the number of that team’s stones that are closer to the button than the opponent’s nearest stone. The hammer matters so much because the last stone is usually the one that decides which stones count.
What the Hammer Means in a Curling Match
The hammer is not a physical object, and it is not a prize. It is a term for last-stone advantage. The team with the hammer delivers the eighth and final stone of its side in that end, after the other team has delivered its eighth stone. In practice, this means the hammer team gets the last word in the argument about the house. If the opposition has built a strong position, the hammer team can try to remove a key stone. If the house is open, the hammer team can draw to the button. If the score is tight, the hammer team can play a careful guard or a precise takeout, depending on what the skip, the team captain on the ice, decides.
The advantage is real, but it is not automatic. A team with the hammer is usually expected to score, and scoring two or more points with the hammer is a strong result. Scoring only one point with the hammer is often seen as a modest outcome, because the other team will then take the hammer in the next end. Failing to score at all with the hammer, while the other team also fails to score, produces a blank end, which has its own special rule. Understanding how is the hammer determined in curling therefore means understanding both the opening decision and the rolling consequence of every end that follows.
For a newcomer, the clearest summary of how is the hammer determined in curling is that the opening method is agreed in advance, and everything after that follows from the score in the previous end.
How Is the Hammer Determined in Curling at the Start of a Game?
At the start of a standard four-player game, how is the hammer determined in curling? In most organised competitions, the hammer for the first end is decided before the game begins, and the usual methods are a coin toss, a draw to the button, or a pre-match decision set out in the event rules. A coin toss is the simplest method and is common in club and social games: one skip calls heads or tails, the winner chooses whether to take the hammer or give it away, and the choice is then recorded for the first end. A draw to the button, sometimes called a draw shot challenge or a last-stone draw, is more common in higher-level events. Each team delivers one stone towards the button, and the team whose stone finishes closest to the centre wins the hammer for the first end.
The draw to the button is popular at elite level because it feels like a skill-based way to earn the advantage, rather than a matter of luck. It also gives spectators an early contest to watch. The exact procedure can vary: sometimes each team throws one stone, sometimes each team throws two stones and the distances are combined, and sometimes the draw is used to break ties later in the event as well. Local leagues may simplify the process to a single draw per team, or they may keep the coin toss for speed. If you are joining a new league, the best habit is to ask the organiser or check the event sheet before the first game, so everyone agrees on how is the hammer determined in curling in that particular competition.
There is also a tactical choice hidden inside the opening decision. Most teams want the hammer in the first end, because it gives them the first chance to score with the last stone. However, some skips prefer to start without the hammer, so that they can try to steal points, meaning score while the other team holds the hammer, and then take the hammer in the second end with a lead already on the board. This is a matter of team style and confidence. A team that is strong at defensive play and precise takeouts may be happy to defend first. A team that prefers attacking play usually takes the hammer at once. Either way, the opening method must be fair, visible, and agreed before play begins.
How Is the Hammer Determined in Curling After Each End?
Once the game is under way, how is the hammer determined in curling after each end? The rule is refreshingly simple: the team that did not score in the previous end takes the hammer in the next end. In other words, the hammer passes to the team that conceded points. If Team A scores two points in the first end, Team B will have the hammer in the second end. If Team B then scores one point, Team A will have the hammer in the third end. This rolling rule keeps the game balanced. A team cannot simply keep the hammer while piling up points, because every scoring end hands the advantage to the opposition.
This rule shapes strategy in a way that new viewers often miss. A skip with the hammer is not only trying to score; the skip is also trying to score two or more points, because scoring a single point hands the hammer over for only a one-point gain. A skip without the hammer has two goals: to steal a point, which is an excellent result, or at least to limit the opposition to a single point, which is sometimes called forcing the other team to take one. Forcing is a defensive success, because the hammer team gains little and then loses the hammer. You will often hear commentators praise a team for a good force, even though that team did not score in that end.
The blank end is the exception that proves the value of the hammer. If neither team scores in an end, the end is blank, and the team that already had the hammer keeps the hammer for the next end. This is why a hammer team that cannot score two points will sometimes deliberately blank an end, by removing all stones from the house on the final delivery, rather than settling for a single point. Keeping the hammer for another end, with a fresh house and another chance to score two, can be worth more than a single point now. Learning how is the hammer determined in curling therefore includes learning why teams sometimes prefer no score at all.
| What happened in the last end | Who has the hammer next | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Team A scored points | Team B | The scoring team hands over last-stone advantage |
| Team B scored points | Team A | The same rule applies in reverse |
| Neither team scored, a blank end | The team that already had the hammer keeps it | A blank end preserves the advantage |
| A team steals points without the hammer | The team that did not score, which is the team that held the hammer | The stealing team keeps the points, but the hammer passes to the non-scoring team |
That last row deserves a careful note, because it is easy to misread. Suppose Team A has the hammer and Team B steals one point. Team B scored, so under the basic rule the hammer passes to the team that did not score, which is Team A. In other words, a steal does not give the stealing team the hammer next; it gives the stealing team points, while the hammer stays with the team that lost the end, because that team did not score. The correct summary is: whoever scores loses the hammer, whoever concedes gains it, and a blank end leaves it unchanged. Keep that sentence in mind and the whole system falls into place, because it states exactly how is the hammer determined in curling from one end to the next.
Coaches often repeat that how is the hammer determined in curling matters most in close games, because a single stolen point can change who throws last in the decisive end.
How the Hammer Works in Extra Ends
Most games are played over a set number of ends, usually eight or ten. If the scores are tied after the final scheduled end, the game goes to an extra end. So how is the hammer determined in curling in an extra end? The usual rule is that the team that had the hammer in the last scheduled end, or the team that would have had it under the normal rolling rule, keeps or receives it according to the event regulations, and many competitions use a fresh draw to the button to decide the extra-end hammer. This is another reason to check the specific event rules: an extra end is sudden and decisive, so organisers want a clear, fair method that both skips accept before the extra stones are thrown.
In practice, commentators will tell you who has the hammer in the extra end before the first stone is delivered, and the team without the hammer will try hard to steal or to force a difficult final shot. The pressure on the last stone in an extra end is enormous, because there is no next end in which to recover. That pressure is exactly why the hammer is prized. A calm skip with the hammer can play the percentages, guard the button, and wait for the final draw. A skip without the hammer must create trouble early, place guards, and hope to leave the hammer team with no clean shot.
The same logic explains why how is the hammer determined in curling is taught early to beginners: once the rule is clear, shot selection, guarding, and risk-taking all make more sense.
Hammer Rules in Mixed Doubles and Club Games
Mixed doubles curling, played by teams of two, follows the same basic idea but with some differences in detail. Each team delivers five stones per end, with one stone pre-placed before play begins, and the hammer still means last-stone advantage. How is the hammer determined in curling in mixed doubles? At the start, it is usually decided by a draw to the button or by the event rules, and after that it follows the same scoring logic: the team that did not score takes the hammer next, and a blank end leaves the hammer unchanged. The shorter ends and the pre-placed stones make the hammer even more valuable, because there are fewer stones with which to change the house.
In club and social games, the same principles apply, but the opening method is often simpler. Many clubs use a coin toss or a single draw to the button, and they may play fewer ends to fit the session into an evening. If you are new to a club, do not be shy about asking how is the hammer determined in curling there. Experienced players expect the question, and a quick answer before the game avoids confusion later. It is also good etiquette to confirm the hammer openly at the start of each end, so both skips and the scorekeeper agree. A simple call of who has the hammer, before the first stone, prevents disputes about the order of play.
For viewers, the hammer is shown on television graphics as a small hammer symbol beside the team name, or as a coloured marker on the scoreboard. If you are watching a streamed game, look for that symbol at the start of each end. Once you can spot it, you can follow the tactics much more easily: the hammer team is usually building towards a big score, while the team without the hammer is trying to steal, force, or blank. For more background on watching televised sport, see our guide to sports channels and schedules and our look at televised sports schedules.
If you can answer how is the hammer determined in curling in one sentence, you can follow most televised tactics without needing a commentary guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the team with the hammer always score?
No. A strong defensive team can steal points, force the hammer team to take only one point, or force a blank end, and each of those outcomes changes how is the hammer determined in curling for the next end. The hammer is an advantage, not a guarantee, and the quality of sweeping, shot selection, and ice reading all matter.
Can a team choose to give up the hammer?
At the start of a game, the winner of the toss or draw may choose to take the hammer or to hand it to the opposition, depending on the event rules and team tactics. During the game, the hammer passes automatically under the scoring rule, so a team cannot simply keep it after scoring.
What is a blank end, and why would a team want one?
A blank end is an end in which neither team scores. The hammer team keeps the hammer for the next end. A team may blank deliberately when a single point is not worth losing the hammer, preferring another chance to score two or more.
How is the hammer determined in curling in a tied game?
After the scheduled ends, a tied game normally goes to an extra end, and how is the hammer determined in curling for that end is set by the event rules, often by a fresh draw to the button. The hammer for that end is set by the event rules, often by a fresh draw to the button, so both teams know the method before play resumes.
Conclusion
To sum up, how is the hammer determined in curling? At the start, it is decided by a coin toss, a draw to the button, or the rules of the event. After that, the team that did not score in the previous end takes the hammer, and a blank end leaves the hammer with the team that already held it. That simple rolling rule creates the whole tactical rhythm of curling, and it is the complete answer to how is the hammer determined in curling: hammer teams chase two points, defending teams try to steal or force one, and everyone watches the final stone with special attention. Next time you watch a match, track the hammer from end to end. You will see the strategy unfold far more clearly, and you will understand why a single last stone can be worth more than all the stones that came before it.