The controversy began when Swedish third Oskar Eriksson accused Canadian third Marc Kennedy of double‑touching a stone during a match against Sweden. Officials did not find an infraction, but Eriksson’s frustration escalated into a heated exchange with Kennedy during the ninth‑end break.
In response, World Curling announced that two umpires would monitor all four sheets for hog‑line releases for the rest of the Games. The new rule led to the removal of stones from play for Canada’s Rachel Homan in the first end against Switzerland and Great Britain’s Bobby Lammie in the ninth end against Germany, drawing strong reactions from both teams.