Curling is a game played on a level sheet of ice sprinkled with water droplets. Two four-player rinks (teams) compete on a sheet of ice 146 feet (45 meters) long and 15 feet 7 inches (5 meters) wide. The players slide stones on the ice toward a target. Curling probably began in Scotland and the Netherlands about 400 years ago. It has become popular in more than 30 countries, including Canada and the United States. In 1998, curling became a sport in the Winter Olympic Games.