In standard team curling (men’s and women’s), the hammer changes after an end when a team scores; the team that did not score gets the hammer in the next end, while a blank end means the hammer stays with the same team.

Quick Scoop: When does the hammer change?

  • At the start of the game, the hammer is usually decided by a “Last Stone Draw” before the first end; the team closest to the button gets last‑rock advantage (the hammer) for end one.
  • After each end:
    • If a team scores (1 or more points), they lose the hammer; the non‑scoring team gains it for the next end.
* If the end is blank (no points scored), in traditional team curling the hammer **does not change** ; the same team keeps last rock into the next end.

Mixed doubles twist

  • In mixed doubles, the rule is flipped for blanks: a blank end forces the hammer to switch to the other team, which encourages more aggressive, scoring‑oriented play.

So, in one line: the hammer normally changes when a team scores, and in regular team curling it stays put on a blank, while in mixed doubles it must switch after a blank.

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