All four team members shoot two stones an end and sweep for their teammates' shots. While one player shoots, two sweep as needed. Sweeping posishes the ice so the stone travels farther if delivered too softly, and vigorous sweeping requires fitness. In a typical two hour game, a curler walks almost two miles. The skip acts as team captain and strategist.
Strategy is a major factor in curling, as important as shooting skill.
The score is determined after each end of 16 stones. See the example illustrated at bottom right. A 12 foot circle, the house, is the scoring area. The maximum score in one end is eight points. Typically, one to three points are scored.