In curling, a power play is a special strategic option used only in mixed doubles, not in traditional four-person team curling.

Simple definition

In mixed doubles curling, a power play means:

  • The team with last stone (the hammer) can once per game move the two pre-placed stones from the center to the side of the sheet.
  • This creates a corner-guard setup instead of a center-guard setup, opening up the middle of the ice and usually making it easier to score multiple points.

Key rules in a nutshell

  • Used in mixed doubles only.
  • Each team can call a power play once per game.
  • It must be called at the start of an end by the team with last stone.
  • When called, the pre-placed stones:
    • Move from the center line
    • Are set to one side as:
      • One stone in the house with its back on the tee line
      • One stone out front acting as a corner guard.

Why teams use it

Teams usually call a power play when:

  • They’re trying to score two or more points and open up offense.
  • They want to avoid messy center traffic and reduce the chance of giving up a steal.

A good way to picture it: in a normal end, the pre-placed stones create a battle down the middle; a power play shifts that battle out wide, giving the hammer team a more favorable scoring setup on the wing.

Bottom line: in mixed doubles, a power play is a once-per-game “reposition the starting stones to the side” option that teams with hammer use to tilt the end in their offensive favor.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.