It's no secret that curling is somewhat of a lovable laughingstock in the world of winter sports. Compared to the adrenaline-pumping action of ice hockey, snowboarding and freestyle skiing, a bunch of people in sneakers sweeping around a rock might seem a bit ... simple.
As it turns out, the sport is about as far from simple as you can possibly get.
Invented in 16th century Scotland, curling, or "chess on Ice," is truly one of the most complicated winter sports you'll encounter. This is probably due, at least in part, to the curling lexicon. The unique vocabulary of curling could fill a small, terribly boring book.
Teams are comprised of four members: the skip, the lead, the second and the mate. Each member alternates "throwing" stones and sweeping the ice or "sheet" of pebbles, small frozen water droplets added to the surface to increase friction. The goal is to throw your stone as close to "the button" as you can, and keep the opposing team from getting closer. Of course, one must pay attention to a stone's weight, turn and line while throwing, or he'll fall short of victory.
Told you: It's complicated.
Below, we've created this helpful infographic to help you make more sense of one of the Winter Olympics' strangest sports.
Image: Daniel Kopatsch/Bongarts/Getty Images