A Brief Introduction to Winter Olympic Sports 冬奥会运动项目

孟洁冰

Alpine skiing， skiing technique that evolved during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the mountainous terrain of the Alps in central Europe. Modern Alpine competitive skiing is divided into the so-called speed and technical events， the former comprising downhill skiing and the supergiant slalom， or super-G， and the latter including the slalom and giant slalom. The speed events are contested in single runs down long， steep， fast courses featuring few and widely spaced turns. The technical events challenge the skier’s ability to maneuver over courses marked by closely spaced gates through which both skis must pass; winners are determined by the lowest combined time in two runs on two different courses. The Alpine combined event consists of a downhill and a slalom race， with the winner having the lowest combined time.

Freestyle skiing combines speed， showmanship and the ability to perform aerial manoeuvres whilst skiing. It can consist of a skier performing aerial flips and spins， and can include skiers sliding rails and boxes on their skis. It is also commonly referred to as freeskiing， jibbing， as well as many other names around the world.

Forms of freestyle skiing include Aerial skiing， Mogul skiing， Ski ballet， Ski cross， Half-pipe skiing， and Slopestyle.

As for equipment， twin-tip skis are used in events such as slopestyle and half-pipe. Mogul skis are used in moguls and sometimes in aerials. Specially designed racing skis are used in ski cross. Ski bindings took a major design change to include plate bindings mounted to the bottom of the skiers boot to allow for multi-directional release.

Cross-country skiing is the oldest type of skiing. It emerged from a need to travel over snow-covered terrain and developed as a sport at the end of the 19th century. It is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain， rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Modern cross-country skiing is similar to the original form of skiing， from which all skiing disciplines evolved， including alpine skiing， ski jumping and Telemark skiing. Skiers propel themselves either by striding forward （classic style） or side-to-side in a skating motion （skate skiing）， aided by arms pushing on ski poles against the snow. The men’s event debuted at the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix in 1924 and the women’s event debuted at the 1952 Oslo Games.

Ski jumping is a winter sport which was firstly contested in Norway in the late 19th century， and it has been included at the Winter Olympics since 1924， while the first women’s event at the Olympics has been held in 2014.

The ski jumping venue consists of the jumping ramp （in-run）， take-off table， and a landing hill. Each jump is evaluated according to the distance traveled and the style performed. The distance score is related to the construction point （also known as the K-point）， which is a line drawn in the landing area and serves as a “target” for the competitors to reach. The score of each judge evaluating the style can reach a maximum of 20 points.

This sport， which has a long Olympic history， combines ski jumping and cross country skiing.

Nordic combined individual events have featured in every Games since the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix in 1924. Unsurprisingly， the sport has been dominated by the Norwegians， supported by the Finns. Indeed， it was not until 1960 that the Nordic grip on Olympic triumphs in this discipline was finally broken when West German Georg Thoma won the gold medal at Squaw Valley in 1960.In the early-2010s the International Ski Federation sanctioned no women’s competitions. However it was decided in early-November 2016 that women’s competitions were to be established at the Olympic Winter Games in 2022.

Snowboarding， winter sport with roots in skiing， surfing， and skateboarding where the primary activity is riding down any snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard with feet positioned roughly perpendicular to the board and its direction， further differentiating it from skiing， in which riders face forward. Moreover， no poles are used as in skiing， and the majority of participants wear not hard but soft-to mid-flexing boots for support.

Men’s and women’s snowboarding made their Olympic debuts at the Nagano Games in 1998 with giant slalom and half-pipe competitions. The discipline proved an instant success and returned to Salt Lake City four years later with parallel giant slalom and half-pipe competitions. In Turin， snowboard cross also made its debut. In this event four riders race across a course studded with jumps， bumps and huge turns.

A biathlon competition consists of a race in which contestants ski through a cross-country trail system whose total distance is divided into either two or four shooting rounds， half in prone position， the other half standing. Depending on the shooting performance， extra distance or time is added to the contestant’s total running distance/time. The contestant with the shortest total time wins.

For each shooting round， the biathlete must hit five targets and receives a penalty for each missed target， which varies according to the competition rules.

In order to keep track of the contestants’ progress and relative standing throughout a race， split times （intermediate times） are taken at several points along the skiing track and upon finishing each shooting round. The large display screens commonly set up at biathlon arenas， as well as the information graphics shown as part of the TV picture， will typically list the split time of the fastest contestant at each intermediate point and the times and time differences to the closest runners-up.

Bobsleigh is a winter sport invented by the Swiss in the late 1860s in which teams make timed runs down narrow， twisting， banked， iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled. In 1924， a four-man race took place at the first ever Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix. A two-man event was added at the 1932 Lake Placid Games in a format that has remained to the present. The first women’s bobsleigh event—the two-woman bobsled—was held in 2002.

Tracks are made of concrete， coated with ice. They are required to have at least one straight section and one labyrinth （three turns in quick succession without a straight section）. Ideally， a modern track should be 1，200 to 1，300 metres long and have at least fifteen curves. Speeds may exceed 120 kilometres per hour. Some bobsleigh tracks are also used for luge and skeleton competition.

Individual runs down the course， or “heats”， begin from a standing start， with the crew pushing the sled for up to 50 metres （160 ft） before boarding. Over the rest of the course， a sleigh’s speed depends on its weight， aerodynamics， runners， the condition of the ice， and the skill of the pilot.

Race times are recorded in hundredths of seconds， so even seemingly minor errors—especially those at the beginning， which affect the remainder of the heat—can have a measurable impact on the final race standings.

Luge is one of the oldest winter sports. It involves competitors lying on their backs on a tiny sled with their feet stretched out in front of them， and racing down an icy track at speeds in the range of 140 km/h， without brakes. As well as the singles， there is a pairs event， with the larger of the two team members lying on top for better aerodynamics. Unlike bobsleigh， however， luge riders have no protection should they make an error.

In 1964， luge made its Olympic debut， at the Innsbruck Games， with a mixed event， a men’s event and a women’s event. The programme has not changed since then. Since 1976， this sport has taken place on the same track as bobsleigh.

The sport of luge requires an athlete to balance mental and physical fitness. To become an elite luger， a competitor must begin training at an early age and spend decades honing their skills. Physically， a luger must have strong neck， upper body， abdominal， and thigh muscles. Strength training is essential to withstand the extreme G-forces of tight turns at high speeds. Since lugers have very little protection other than a visor and helmet， they must be able to endure the physical pounding administered by the track when mistakes are made.

Skeleton is a winter sport featured in the Winter Olympics where the competitor rides head-first and prone （lying face down） on a flat sled. Like luge， the sport involves racing a sled down an icy track. Unlike luge， skeleton sleds are ridden face first. It is normally run on an ice track that allows the sled to gain speed by gravity. It was first contested at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz and again in 1948 Winter Olympics， after which it was discontinued as an Olympic sport. Skeleton was reintroduced at the 2002 Winter Olympics， with both men’s and women’s events， and has been held in each Winter Olympic competition since. Skeleton is so-named as the first metal sleds introduced in 1892 were said to resemble a human skeleton. It is considered the world’s first sliding sport.

The format for Olympic skeleton involves two timed runs. The top men and women from the first run compete in the second run， which is held later that same day. The combined time of the two runs determines the final standings.

The sled can only be ridden in the prone position （face first， on the stomach）， and although the rider can leave the sled to push or move it， he or she must cross the finish line on the sled in order for the run to be considered valid.

Warming the sled’s metal runners or using any substance that improves sliding is prohibited. At the start of the race， the temperature of the runners must be within 4°C of the reference runner， which is exposed to the open air for one hour before the start of the competition.

Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating， short track speed skating， and marathon speed skating. In the Olympic Games， long-track speed skating is usually referred to as just “speed skating”， while short-track speed skating is known as “short track”.

Speed skating appeared for the first time in 1924 at the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix. Initially， only men were allowed to participate. It was only at the Lake Placid Games in 1932 that women were authorised to compete in speed skating， which was then only a demonstration sport. It was not until the 1960 Games in Squaw Valley that women’s speed skating was officially included in the Olympic programme.

Races are run counter-clockwise on a 400-meter oval. The events almost always follow the European system， which consists of skaters competing two-by-two. Skaters must change lanes every lap. The skater changing from the outside lane to the inside has right-of-way. Skaters may be disqualified for false starts， impeding， and cutting inside the track. If a skater misses their race or falls they have the option to race their distance again. There are no heats or finals in long track， all rankings are by time.

Figure skating is a sport in which individuals， duos， or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport included in the Olympics， in 1908. Olympic sports in figure skating comprise the following disciplines：

● Singles competition for men and women （who are referred to as “ladies” in ISU rulebooks）， wherein individual skaters perform jumps， spins， step sequences， spirals， and other elements in their programs.

● Pair skating teams consist of a woman and a man. Pairs perform elements that are specific to the discipline such as throw jumps， in which the man ‘throws’ the woman into a jump; lifts， in which the woman is held above the man’s head in one of various grips and positions; pair spins， in which both skaters spin together about a common axis; death spirals; and other elements such as side-by-side jumps and spins in unison.

● Ice dancing is again for couples consisting of a woman and a man skating together. Ice dance differs from pairs in focusing on intricate footwork performed in close dance holds， in time with the music. Ice dance lifts must not go above the shoulder.

The four disciplines of men’s singles， ladies’ singles， pair skating and ice dancing also appeared as part of a team event for the first time at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Short track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions， multiple skaters （typically between four and six） skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.111 metres （364.54 ft）. The rink itself is 60 metres （200 ft） by 30 metres （98 ft）， which is the same size as an international-sized ice hockey rink. Short track speed skating is the sister sport to long track speed skating.

In short track speed skating， athletes compete not against the clock， but against each other. This introduces the elements of strategy， bravery and skill needed for racing.

After having been a demonstration sport at the 1988 Games in Calgary， short track speed skating became part of the Olympic programme in Albertville in 1992， with two individual events and two relays. The discipline comprises men’s and women’s events. Since the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin， the programme of this discipline has included eight events.

In recent Games， China and South Korea have emerged to challenge North American dominance in this event. Indeed at the 2006 Turin Games， it was South Korea who emerged as the nation to beat， winning an incredible six gold medals， and 11 medals in total.

Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice， usually in a rink， in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent’s net to score points. The sport is known to be fast-paced and physical， with teams usually consisting of six players each： one goaltender， and five players who skate up and down the ice trying to take the puck and score a goal against the opposing team.

Six-a-side men’s ice hockey has been on the programme of every edition of the Winter Games since 1924 in Chamonix. Women’s ice hockey was accepted as an Olympic sport in 1992， and made its official debut in 1998 in Nagano.

Within certain restrictions， players may redirect the puck with any part of their body. Players may not hold the puck in their hand and are prohibited from using their hands to pass the puck to their teammates， unless they are in the defensive zone. Players are also prohibited from kicking the puck into the opponent’s goal， though intentional redirections off the skate are permitted. Players may not intentionally bat the puck into the net with their hands.

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice towards a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. Two teams， each with four players， take turns sliding heavy， polished granite stones， also called rocks， across the ice curling sheet towards the house， a circular target marked on the ice. Each team has eight stones. The purpose is to accumulate the highest score for a game; points are scored for the stones resting closest to the centre of the house at the conclusion of each end， which is completed when both teams have thrown all of their stones. A game usually consists of eight or ten ends.

The curler can induce a curved path by causing the stone to slowly turn as it slides， and the path of the rock may be further influenced by two sweepers with brooms who accompany it as it slides down the sheet， using the brooms to alter the state of the ice in front of the stone. Sweeping a rock makes it curl less， and decreases the friction that slows the rock down. A great deal of strategy and teamwork go into choosing the ideal path and placement of a stone for each situation， and the skills of the curlers determine how close to the desired result the stone will achieve. This gives curling its nickname of “chess on ice”.

高山滑雪是19世纪末到20世纪初在欧洲中部阿尔卑斯山区形成的滑雪技术。现代高山滑雪比赛分为速度系列和技术系列，速度系列包括滑降和超级大回转，技术系列包括回转和大回转。速度系列以单次滑行成绩决出名次，赛道距离长、坡度陡、速度快、转弯少而幅度大。技术系列考验选手的滑行技巧，要求双板必须穿过赛道上紧密排列的旗门;选手要采用两条不同的路线，两次滑行成绩相加后，用时最少的选手为获胜者。全能赛包括滑降和回转赛，成绩累计后用时最少的选手获得冠军。

自由式滑雪是结合速度、表现力和空中技巧能力的滑雪运动，要求选手完成空翻和转体动作，或穿着滑雪板在由铁轨、箱子等构成的赛道上比赛。自由式滑雪通常被称为花式滑雪、极搏，在全球各地也有许多其他名称。

自由式滑雪项目包括空中技巧、雪上技巧、雪上芭蕾、障碍追逐、U型场地技巧和坡面障碍技巧。

在滑雪装备方面，花式滑雪板用于坡面障碍技巧和U型场地技巧等项目。而雪丘滑雪板用于雪上技巧，有时也用于空中技巧。特殊设计的竞技滑雪板用于障碍追逐。滑雪板固定器进行了重要的设计调整，把板式固定器安装到选手雪靴的底部，可以从多个方向进行脱卸。

越野滑雪是最古老的滑雪方式，源于人类雪地旅行的需要，在19世纪末发展成为一项体育运动。这项运动需要选手依靠自己的滑行翻过雪坡，而不是借助滑雪缆车或其他辅助工具。现代越野滑雪与原始的滑雪方式类似，包括高山滑雪、跳台滑雪和特里马滑雪在内，所有的滑雪项目都由这项运动演变而来。选手用双手握滑雪杖插入雪地，采用向前跨步（传统式）或侧向滑行（自由式）的方式推动身体前进。 1924年的第一届沙莫尼冬奥会上，男子越野滑雪首次成为正式比赛项目，女子項目在1952年奥斯陆冬奥会上首次出现。

跳台滑雪是19世纪末起源于挪威的冬季运动，1924年以来被列入历届冬奥会的比赛项目，2014年冬奥会首次加入女子项目。

跳台滑雪场地由滑道（助滑道）、起跳台和着陆区组成。裁判根据飞行距离和完成姿势对选手每次跳跃进行评分。飞行距离的分数与着陆点（K点）有关，这条线位于着陆区，是比赛选手需要达到的“标准”。每位裁判对完成姿势的最高给分为20分。

北欧两项由跳台滑雪和越野滑雪组成，是历史悠久的奥运比赛项目。

1924年第一届沙莫尼冬季奥运会以来，北欧两项个人赛被列入历届冬奥会的比赛项目。当然，这项运动是挪威选手优势项目，也是芬兰选手的体育强项。事实上，直到1960年西德选手格奥尔格·托马在斯阔谷冬奥会上赢得了金牌，才最终打破了北欧选手对该项目奥运会冠军的垄断。2010年代初，国际滑雪联合会还没有批准设立该项目女子组的比赛。不过在2016年11月初，该组织决定将于2022年冬奥会将女子北欧两项正式列入比赛项目。

单板滑雪是源于滑雪、冲浪和滑板的冬季运动，主要利用滑雪板从雪坡上滑降，选手双脚站立的位置与滑雪板和滑行方向呈垂直状，这使它与滑雪区别开来，滑雪选手正对前方。此外，单板滑雪不使用雪杖，大多数选手不穿硬鞋，而是穿着软鞋或硬度适中的鞋提供支撑。

在1998年长野冬奥会上，男子单板滑雪和女子单板滑雪首次被列入比赛项目，进行了大回转和U型场地技巧比赛。这个项目很快获得了成功，并在四年后的盐湖城冬奥会上进行了平行大回转和U型场地技巧比赛。在都灵冬奥会上，单板滑雪越野赛首次亮相。在越野赛中，四名选手要穿过分布着跳跃点、雪丘和急转弯的赛道。

冬季两项比赛中，选手在越野滑雪比赛场地滑行，过程中进行两轮或四轮射击，一半为卧射，另一半为立射。根据射击成绩的高低，选手要在总滑行距离/时间上增加额外的距离或时间。总计用时最少的选手获胜。

在每轮射击中，冬季两项运动员每一射击点射五发子弹，每脱靶一次要接受惩罚，惩罚内容根据比赛规则有所不同。

为在比赛过程中追踪选手的进度和相对排名，需要在选手经过滑雪赛道上的几个计时点和完成每轮射击后，计算他们所用的分段时间（中途时间）。冬季两项的场地通常会设置大型显示屏，电视画面上也会显示成绩表，通常会列出每个中间点速度最快选手的分段时间，以及成绩最接近的选手所用的时间和时间差距。

雪车是19世纪60年代末瑞士人发明的冬季运动，参赛队伍乘坐雪车，在重力作用下沿着狭窄弯曲、两侧设有护墙的冰面滑道滑下，并计算时间。1924年，男子四人赛成为首届沙莫尼冬奥会的比赛项目。1932年的普莱西德湖冬奥会新增了男子双人赛项目，这个项目持续至今。女子双人赛在2002年作为首项女子雪车运动进入冬奥会。

雪车的滑道以混凝土建成，表面浇冰，至少包括一个直道和一个迷宫形赛道（连续出现三个转弯而没有直道）。理论上，现代雪车赛道长度应为1200到1300米，全程至少设有15个弯道。雪车的滑行速度可能超过每小时120公里。有些雪车赛道也可以用于雪橇和钢架雪车比赛。

选手要从出发开始“加速”，推动雪车奔跑50米（160英尺）的距离，然后快速登上雪车滑行。在后面的赛道上，雪车的速度取决于自身重量、空气动力、滑橇板、冰面状况和舵手的能力。

雪车比赛的时间计算精确至百分之一秒，所以即使看似很小的失误（尤其是影响后面赛程的出发失误），对最终的比赛排名都有明显的影响。

雪橇是最古老的冬季运动之一。在比赛中，选手仰面躺在小型的雪车上，双脚朝前，无制动器沿冰面滑道滑下，最高时速可达每小时140公里。除了单人赛以外，雪橇还有双人比赛，两位参赛选手中身材高大的运动员躺在后面，以更好地利用空气动力。然而与雪车不同的是，如果雪橇选手出现失误的话，得不到任何保护。

1964年，雪橇在因斯布鲁克冬奥会上首次亮相，该届奥运会举行了混合双人赛和男子、女子单人赛。此后这个项目没有发生过变化，1976年以來，雪橇比赛与雪车使用同一赛道。

雪橇运动要求运动员拥有平衡的身体素质和心理素质。要想成为优秀的雪橇选手，运动员必须从小开始训练，用数十年时间进行技能训练。在身体素质方面，雪橇选手必须有强壮的颈部、上身、腹肌和大腿肌肉。力量训练对选手承受高速急转弯的极限离心力至关重要。因为除了带面罩的头盔以外，雪橇选手使用的保护装备很少，所以一旦出现失误，他们必须能够承受赛道上的身体撞击。

钢架雪车是冬奥会特有的一项运动，选手头朝前俯卧在平板雪车上进行比赛。像雪橇一样，这个项目也是在雪车上沿着冰道向下滑行，不同的是，钢架雪车采取头部朝前的姿势，通常允许雪车通过自身重力在冰道上进行加速。这项运动在1928年圣莫里茨冬奥会上首次亮相，并再度出现在1948年冬奥会上，此后被取消。钢架雪车在2002年重返冬奥会，设立男子个人项目和女子个人项目，此后成为历届冬奥会的正式比赛项目。据说，钢架雪车是因1892年的第一架金属雪车的造型类似人类骨架而得名。这项运动被认为是全世界第一个滑行项目。

奥运会的钢架雪车比赛包括两轮计时赛。第一轮比赛中成绩最好的男女运动员晋级第二轮，第二轮比赛在当天晚些时候举行。两轮比赛的成绩相加，决定最终的选手排名。

在钢架雪车比赛中，选手只能以俯卧（头部向前、腹部朝下）姿态滑行，虽然可以离开雪车，推动或移动雪车前进，但是选手通过终点线时必须在雪车上，否则成绩无效。

比赛中禁止加热雪车的金属冰刃，也不准用任何提高滑行速度的材料。在比赛开始时，参赛雪车冰刃的温度与参考冰刃的温度相差不得超过4摄氏度，参考冰刃在比赛开始前放在室外一个小时。

速度滑冰是一项竞速类滑冰比赛，选手穿着冰鞋滑行一段距离后，需要相互交换赛道。速度滑冰的比赛包括长距离比赛、短距离比赛和马拉松比赛。在奥运会上，长距离比赛通常称为“速度滑冰”，而短距离比赛称为“短道速滑”。

速度滑冰在1924年第一届沙莫尼冬奥会上首次亮相，最初只设男子组比赛。在1932年的普莱西德湖冬奥会上，女选手获准参加速度滑冰比赛，当时仅作为表演项目。直到1960年斯阔谷冬奥会，女子速度滑冰才正式列入奥运会比赛项目。

比赛在400米椭圆形冰道上进行，选手按逆时针方向滑行。这个项目基本一直采用欧洲竞赛规则，即两两进行比赛，必须每圈交换赛道，从外道换到内道的选手可以优先通过。选手可能因为起跑犯规、推挤和切入跑道而被取消比赛资格。如果选手未能正常滑跑或者摔倒时，可以选择重新开始比赛。速度滑冰没有预赛或决赛，以完成时间决定所有名次。

花样滑冰是选手穿着花样滑冰鞋在冰上表演的运动项目，包括单人滑、双人滑和团体比赛。1908年，花样滑冰成为奥运会的首个冬季运动项目。花样滑冰的奥运会项目包括以下几个小项：

● 男子单人滑和女子单人滑（在国际滑冰联盟规则手册中称为ladies），个人选手在节目中表演跳跃、旋转、接续步、燕式步和其他技术动作。

● 双人滑团队由一位女选手和一位男选手组成，两人要表演双人滑特有的技术动作，比如抛跳：女选手借助男选手抛出的力量完成跳跃;托举：男选手以不同的握法和姿势把女选手举过头顶;双人旋转：两位选手围绕共同的轴心旋转;螺旋线;其他技术动作，比如并肩跳跃和联合旋转。

● 冰舞由一名女伴和一名男伴共同在冰上表演。冰舞与双人滑的区别在于，冰舞注重配合音乐节奏在舞伴始终靠近彼此的舞蹈表演中呈现复杂的步法;冰舞的托举高度一定不能超过肩膀。

2014年冬奥会首次设立花样滑冰团体赛，包括男子单人滑、女子单人滑、双人滑和冰舞四个项目。

短道速滑是一项竞速类滑冰运动。在比赛中，多位滑冰选手（通常为四到六人）沿着111.111米（364.54英尺）的椭圆形赛道滑行。比赛场地的面积为60米×30米（200英尺×98英尺），与国际冰球场地面积相同。短道速滑是长道速度滑冰的姊妹运动。

在短道速滑比赛中，运动员不仅要与时间赛跑，还要和对手较量。这项比赛要求选手具备策略、勇气和技术等要素。

在1988年卡尔加里冬奥会上，短道速滑作为表演项目首次亮相，此后在1992年阿尔贝维尔冬奥会上成为正式比赛项目，设立了两项个人赛和两项接力赛。短道速滑包括男子和女子项目。2006年都灵奥运会以来，短道速滑已经拥有八个小项。

最近几届冬奥会上，中国和韩国对北美选手在这个项目的统治地位发起了挑战。韩国在2006年都灵冬奥会上成为该项目的强者，赢得了六枚金牌，总共斩获十一枚奖牌。

冰球是一项在冰上进行的接触性团体运动，通常在室内冰场举行比赛，两支球队的选手使用球杆把硬橡胶冰球打入对方球门得分。这项运动以比赛节奏快和身体冲撞而出名，通常每支球队有六名球员上场，包括一名守门员，五名选手在冰场上来回滑行，争夺冰球，进球得分。

1924年沙莫尼冬奥会以来，男子六人制冰球一直是历届冬奥会的比赛项目。女子冰球在1992年被列为冬奥会比赛项目，1998年在长野冬奥会上首次正式亮相。

在特定的限制内，选手可以用身体任何部位改变冰球的运动方向。但是选手不准用手抓住冰球，也不能用手把冰球扔给队友，除非他们位于防守区。虽然准许选手有意地用冰鞋改变球的方向，但不准把冰球踢入对方的球门。选手不能用手把冰球打入球网。

冰壶是选手在冰面上把石壶掷向四个同心圆组成的目标区的一项运动。比赛由两支队伍参加，每队各有四名队员，轮流掷出花岗岩抛光制成的沉重石壶（也称为“石球”），穿过“冰道”，滑向冰面的圆形目标“营垒”。每支队伍可以掷出八个冰壶，目的是获得每场比赛的最高分;两支队伍掷出所有的石壶为一局，每局结束后，石壶接近营垒圆心的队伍得分。一场比赛通常由八到十局组成。

冰壶选手可以让冰壶在滑行时缓慢转动，两位手持刷子的刷冰员跟随冰壶沿冰道前进，使用刷子在前方的冰面上擦拭，进一步调整冰壶的滑行路线，从而使冰壶走曲线。刷冰可以降低冰壶的旋转速度，并减少冰面的摩擦力，而摩擦力是导致冰壶滑行放缓的原因。冰壶比赛需要采用诸多策略和团队合作，选择不同情况下冰壶的理想路线和位置，冰壶选手的能力决定了冰壶最终距离与预期目标的远近。这也让冰壶获得了“冰上象棋”的美称。