Who Throws and Who Sweeps When You Are Curling? Trick Question, It Is Everyone.
If you have ever watched curling and tried to figure out who is supposed to throw and who is supposed to sweep, you are in good company. The answer is delightfully simple: everyone does everything. In a sport that prides itself on teamwork, curling takes the cross-training approach to a beautiful extreme. Every player throws stones. Every player sweeps. Every player calls shots at some point. Everybody gets cardio and glory in one tidy package.
This all-hands tradition is a big part of what makes curling culture so fun. It also explains why so many curlers end up stocking up on funny curling shirts and curling team gifts. When you do everything on the ice, you deserve a uniform that captures your energy.
Throwing Is Not Just for One Rockstar on the Team
Each player throws two stones per end. That means even if you are brand new, you get actual game time, not a pity shift. You rotate through the order as lead, second, third, or skip. This rotation is what keeps league nights vibrant and keeps your shot percentage honest.
Throwing is the main technical showcase, but it is also the main opportunity for quiet chaos. Anyone who has ever doubled a guard by accident knows the full power of a team holding its collective breath. That moment when the skip gives you a cautious thumbs up and says, “Good try,” is one of the pillars of curling culture.
If you want a deeper breakdown of positions, check out our post on what you call a curling team.
Sweeping Is Where the Real Workout Lives
Even elite curlers will tell you that sweeping is the engine of the sport. It controls rock speed, distance, and curl. It also controls how sweaty your league hoodie gets by the second end.
Every player sweeps for someone else. If you threw the last stone, congratulations, you now get to sprint along the sheet and encourage your teammates like a caffeinated motivational speaker. Sweeping builds camaraderie, and it builds forearms that make strangers ask if you rock climb. No, ma’am. I sweep.
Sweeping also explains why teams love fun curling apparel. When you are bent over a broom, nothing shows off your team name quite like the back of a hoodie.
The Skip Still Sweeps Sometimes
Contrary to popular belief, the skip is not exempt from cardio. While the skip spends most of the game in the house calling shots, they sprint out for big runbacks, peel shots, or chaotic “we need all hands on deck right now” situations. Watching a skip transition from chess master to full-tilt sprinter is one of the great moments in curling.
You can see this play out during elite events like the Olympics or World Championships. Here is a great hub for keeping up with the action:
https://worldcurling.org
Everyone Plays the Game
Throwing and sweeping in curling are not job titles, they are shared responsibilities. This is why the sport builds such strong club communities. You laugh together. You miss shots together. You sweep like your life depends on it, then broomstack about it afterward. For more on the social side of curling, see our guide to the benefits of broomstacking.
And yes, because everyone throws and everyone sweeps, every team deserves curling team merch that reflects the chaos of group effort. That is why many teams check out our collection of funny curling shirts when they want something that matches their personality on the ice.
Why This Matters for New Curlers
New players often ask, “What is my job?”
Your job is to do a little bit of everything. That is the charm. Curling is one of the only sports where your responsibilities rotate every end. You build confidence fast because you are constantly trying new things. Before long, you are calling line for your teammates or brushing like you are trying to remove a stain from a rental car.
If you want a beginner friendly deep dive, here is a solid resource from USA Curling:
https://www.usacurling.org
Wrap Up
So who throws in curling? Everyone.
Who sweeps? Everyone.
Who gets surprisingly winded halfway through the night and wonders if they should have stretched more? Also everyone.
That blend of shared responsibility and shared humor is why the sport stays so addictive. It is why curling culture thrives. And it is why the right curling merch has become part of the ritual for so many teams.
If you are looking for a team gift or a new league shirt that says “Yes, I will throw and I will sweep and I will love every minute of it,” check out our rotating lineup of curling merch on CurlingIsFun.com.
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