One game consists of ten ends. (An end is similar to a baseball inning.) During each end, each team delivers eight stones, two stones per person. The team members deliver the stones in a set order, which is presented to the officials before the game. The first player is known as the lead, he is followed by the second, then the third (who is often called the vice-skip) and finally the skip, who is the leader of the team. Each end starts with the leads alternating throws until they have each thrown their two stones. They are followed by the seconds in the same manner, and so on. The order of the lineup may not be changed during the game.
The score for the end is determined when all 16 stones have been delivered. The team that scores points in an end shoots first in the next end. The team that does not score shoots last. Shooting last is described as "having the hammer." If neither team scores, the team that shot last in the end, shoots last again in the next end.
The team with the most points at the conclusion of ten ends is the winner.
A team may concede the game at any time. Conceding the game when the losing skip feels he is too far down to come back is fairly common and is an accepted part of the etiquette of the sport. It should happen multiple times during the course of the Olympics.
If the game is tied at the conclusion of ten ends, an extra end is played. Whichever team scores in that end is the winner.
