Amid the aftershock of scandal, a new sweeping policy will be in effect for curling at the Olympic Winter Games
There’s big news for fans of curling, one of the world’s oldest sports, where the spirit of fair play is supposed to govern all conduct.
World Curling, in consultation with its in-house Athlete Commission, has introduced a new Sweeping Technique Policy aimed at determining the acceptable effects of sweeping and, according to a World Curling news release, “removing sweeping techniques that cause unacceptable effects on the stone.”
The move comes less than a year after public outcry over a Chinese cheating scandal at the 2025 world men’s curling championship at Moose Jaw, Sask.
During a quarterfinal match against Norway, a Chinese player deliberately used his brush to move a running stone before contact with another stone. China went on to win the game and qualify for the semifinal round.
China failed to qualify at that event for the Olympics, but did clamber through December’s Olympic Qualifying Event to grab the final men’s fours berth at Cortina.
The Moose Jaw uproar even overshadowed the infamous “Broomgate” scandal, which involves brush manufacturing materials which has reared its head not once but twice since 2016.
The incident, which involves a deliberately “burned” stone, came amid previous reports of suspect brushing techniques that left some critics labelling brushing in the sport a “wild west” scenario.
In referencing earlier brushing allegations about China’s women’s fours team, TCN editor George Karrys stated “illegal sweeping is permitted because the rules governing sweeping are toothless, and the organizations governing the sport have allowed their teeth to fall out.”
Now it appears World Curling and their various committees have done the work required to deliver enforcement and, if necessary, consequences.
Today’s announcement comes on a busy day of worldwide competition. January 6 marks day two of the World Mixed Doubles Qualifying Event at Dumfries, Scotland and also day one of the final Grand Slam event of the season, the Players’ Championship at Steinbach, Man.
Additional provincial championships to decide Canada’s national women’s championship, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, are also underway.
The announcement also comes less than a month before the start of the Olympic curling competition at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, which starts Feb. 4.
While the release does not indicate if the new rules will be in effect for the Games, that was later confirmed by World Curling.
“The sweeping policy will be enforced at the Olympics next month,” said Chris Hamilton, World Curling Head of Communications and Marketing in an email reply to The Curling News.
“But it is not being enforced at the Mixed Doubles Qualification Event as that had already started before the policy was announced.”
World Curling had to work with the International Olympic Committee in order to get the Sweeping Technique Policy implemented for Italy. While World Curling manages the technical aspects of the sport at the Olympic Games, sport regulations were initially agreed to over the past six to 12 months.
According to the World Curling release, the acceptable effects of sweeping determined in this policy are “to make the stone go further and to hold a stone straighter, while allowing for some enhancement of the curling trajectory.” The prohibited techniques now include those that increase the rate of deceleration of a stone, such as:
These techniques, along with others, when used with the intent of slowing down a stone are against the Statement of Principles and are now prohibited from use in competition,” said the release.
In addition to agreed-on sets of rules, enforcement of in-competition rules has been a major concern of curling authorities for decades.
On-ice officials have been reluctant to call infractions, even when summoned by the opposing team. In the decades before the introduction of hogline sensor technology, throwing violations – the stone must be clearly released before a line of demarcation, aka “hogline” – were called by dedicated on-ice officials but were eventually abandoned.
For brushing, that is all about to change.
Game Umpires have been given the authority to observe sweeping in World Curling competitions,” reads the World Curling release, “and should they see a violation, are empowered to remove the delivered stone from play following an official warning to the offending team.
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