Glossary

Back Hanger: A stone balancing on the bottom edge of the End

Back Keep: The 13 centimeters (5″) below the Keep

Back Point: Single point earned by having three stones closest to the Keep

Body: The 42 centimeters (17″) between the Head and Keep

Bookending: Having the closest stone to the edge of the head and the closest stone to the Meridian at the same time

Bucket: An additional point earned when a stone falls of the head and into a bucket placed underneath. Buckets prevent Clears

Cartel: Group on three or more stones in scoring position by the same player

Chrisking: Completely missing the board upon throwing, receives a negative point

Clean Board: No valid points on the board

Clear: When a player has no valid stones at the end of a round, resulting in a negative point

Cut: Minimizing opponents valid points by breaking up a cluster

Doubles: A game in which four players play in two teams of two

Double Back: Two points earned by having four stones closest to the Meridian

Double Hanger: Two stones balancing on the edge of the head, tripling all valid points, excluding backs and double backs

Duel: A game played by only two players

End: The 23 centimeters (9″) closest to the players throwing pit

Fire Points: After 3 consecutive warm boards, a player is granted a point and continues to earn a point with each consecutive warm board

Front Keep: The 13 centimeters (5″) above the Keep

Front Point: Points earned by having the closest stones to the edge of the head

Full Hanger: Four stones balancing on the edge of the head, earning an automatic 21 points, supersedes back points

Full Shuttle: Only one player has stones on the board

Game: When a player has reached 21 points

Hanger: Stone balancing on the top edge of the head, doubling all valid points, excluding points earned in the Keep

Head: The 23 centimeters (9″) of playable board closest to the scoring edge

Heating Up: When a player has completed two consecutive warm boards

Keep: The Center line on the boards which grants the player closest to it in each round a final, fourth throw and allows for Back points

Long Bucket: An additional three points earned when a stone lands in a far bucket placed five feet behind the head (buckets prevent clears)

Long Snipe: Knocking stones off the board that are in the Body

Naturals: See “Singles”

The Nuts: When a player goes into the Twelfth throw already owning the Keep, thus getting to throw the Twelfth and Thirteenth shots back to back

Pushing : Low-speed, wrist throw intended to move stones, but keep them on the board

Round: When all players throw three stones, and the player closest to the Meridian throws their final fourth stone

Shuttlestone: The thirteenth throw which can earn the player the points needed to secure match victory

Shuttle Nuts: The twelfth and thirteenth throws, that can be placed strategically to secure match victory

Singles: A game played with three player, sometimes referred to as “Naturals” as this is the original was way the game was intended to be played

Skipping: Low-speed wrist or arm throw, often upside down, intended to bounce over existing stones

Smashing: High-speed over-arm throw used to separate stacked stones or knock hangers off the edge

Sniping: High-speed, wrist throw intended to knock stones off the board

Spinning: Landing on an existing stone, causing it to spin forward, resulting in player’s advantage

Stacked Stones: When stones are stacked on top of one another, either fully, or in part

Steal: Earning the point back from opponent by sniping or cutting their stones

Thirteenth Shot: The final throw of an end, earned by having the stone closest to the Keep (although in duals it’s the 7th shot, and in singles it’s the 10th, it is still referred to as the thirteenth throw)

Throwing pit: The line starting five feet behind the table from which players may throw

Top Stone: In the event in which two or more stones are perfectly stacked, Top Stone is deemed closer to edge

Tossing: Low-speed under-arm throw intended to bypass or stack stones

Triple Hanger: Three stones balancing on the edge of the head, quadrupling all valid points, excluding backs and double backs

Turn: The 42 centimeters (17″) between the Keep and the End

Twelfth Shot: The last throw of the end, before the player closest to the Keep throws his fourth shot (although in duels it’s the 6th shot, and in singles it’s the 9th, it is still referred to as the twelfth throw)

Warm Board: When a player has 100% of their stones on the board at the end of a round