The game with the ice, and the rocks, and the sweeping, and the yelling.

Each game starts with a handshake and a coin clip to determine who goes first.

Then, two teams of four people take turns throwing 44-pound stones down a sheet of ice. The target?

A 12-foot house that looks like a bullseye, just under 150 feet away.

Each team throws eight rocks, and the team closest to the center after all the rocks are thrown will score the points.

This process is repeated for six to ten rounds, called ends, until one team is victorious. It's just that simple.

Or is it?

Each team has a captain called the skip.

Like a general on the battlefield, the skip calls the shots that will best ensure victory.

Stones are delivered with a predetermined rotation, so they actually curl as they travel down the ice.

Of course, this is why the sport is called curling. Over the course of each end, players can throw guards to block the house, draws to try to score, or takeouts to remove the opponent's stones.

The skips then spend the rest of the time yelling like a crazy person.

What they're actually doing is emphatically advising their players to brush the ice in front of the stone.

Brushing can drastically affect the speed and direction of the shot. After each team throws its eight shots, the team closest to the center of the house will score.

Or, if they have more than one rock closer than the opposition, they count as well.

Once all the ends have been played, whoever has the most points wins. Aside from a few dozen other minor details, that's all there is to it.

Find a curling facility near you and get started.