Curling Rules: Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Sport Guide (VIDEO)

Great Britain's women's curlers may have bowed out, but the men's chances of a gold medal are still alive in the second week of the Sochi Winter Olympics.

The progress of both Team GB sexes has seen interest in the sport predictably rise in the UK, but the problem is few know how to play it.

Want to know what time the final starts? Here's the schedule

The first rule of curling is you do not... Apologies. Here are the rules of curling:

IT CONSISTS OF TWO TEAMS

An obvious fact, but both sides consists of four players, who each have their own title: a lead, a second, a vice skip and a skip.

ENDS

Each contest is divided into eight or ten "ends" with points added up at the conclusion of the end. Hence why the British ladies lost 6-4 on Wednesday.

RELEASING THE STONE

The player must release the stone while sliding on one knee and before they reach the "hog line".

SWEEPING

Once the stone is released it cannot be touched, but team members can sweep the ice to make for a smoother run and prevent it from turning.

THE HOUSE

The teams take alternate turns to throw towards a circular target, which is "the house". The team with the closest stones to the centre after all 16 stones are thrown will win the end. Each team member has two throws, with the final two reserved for the skip. The final shot is known as "the hammer", due to its knack for knocking other stones out of the way.