Former world curling champion Mary-Anne Arsenault says new technology for curling brooms is ruining the sport and causing bad blood off the ice.

The Nova Scotia curler made the comments after facing off against a team in Ontario last weekend that opted to use the controversial fabric on their brooms.

"When you're first seeing it, you're like 'gee, that's weird,'" she said. "But when it happens over and over again, you go 'wait a minute, these guys are cheating.'"

The fabric is textured. Some describe it as incredibly fine sandpaper. It scratches the ice, giving the broom the ability to manipulate the rock in any direction.

"Basically you don't have to be accurate at all with your throw," Arsenault said. "As long as you're in the general area, you can make up for any mistake with the brushing."

Arsenault says there's a gentlemen's agreement among curlers not to use it, but some curlers have decided to sweep with the fabric anyways.

"People were reduced to tears in locker rooms," she said. "People have been called cheaters. There have been fist fights. Literal fist fights in the men's game."

'Video game'

Arsenault isn't the only Nova Scotia curler who isn't happy with the new broom fabric.

"Plain and simple, we call it cheating when the teams are using it," said Mark Dacey.

Mark Dacey shows two rocks, thrown with the same weight. He used the new fabric on his broom to guide rock on the left to the centre. (CBC)

He's also faced opponents who used the broom.

"It's taking away from the potential fitness aspect of the game," he said. "You can just throw the rock anywhere and then just maneuver it around like you're playing a video game. That's not where we want to be going."

Dacey says his team decided to try the new fabric on one throw long before the gentlemen's agreement was made. The broom caused such a dramatic change to the curl of the rock, they missed the shot. It was at that time they decided not to use it again.

"You can literally make about 10 feet of difference in the amount of curl in the rock."

He's worried about the future of the sport.

"It's a very gray zone right now. More gray zone than any other rule that's come around in my curling time, anyways."

Testing needed

Curling Canada says it's up to the World Curling Federation to determine if a type of fabric should be banned.

In a statement, it says both organizations believe there is a "huge need to do a significant amount of testing on the various broom-head fabrics and their effects on ice and the path of stones before any potential bans are put in place."

In the meantime, Curling Canada has now adopted the World Curling Federation's guidelines for the Canadian Mixed Curling Championships in Toronto.

They require teams with the textured fabric to turn the weave inside out, so the smooth side is on the ice. They also have the option of using alternate brush materials or using a hair brush.