Standard Rules:
• Before the game begins, you first must decide who gets to throw last, called The Hammer.
• To decide who gets The Hammer, each player throws one puck. The puck that is furthest gets The Hammer.
• Each player has 4 pucks to throw during a round. Typically, 2 player or 4 player games are played. During a 2 player game, both players throw from the same end of the board, in alternating order. The player with The Hammer will throw second, so that they have the last throw of the round. Once the round is complete, both players rotate to the other end of the board for the next round. The object of the game is to score as many points, during each round, as possible.
• This can be done by either hitting your own pucks into favorable positions or hitting your opponent’s pucks off the board.
• The player that reaches 15 points first, is the winner.
• In a 4 player game, teammates are located at opposite ends of the board and players never rotate to the other end.
• The team that reaches 21 points first, is the winner.
Scoring:
• Only one player (team) can score during a round. The player (team) with the furthest puck is awarded points. Points are awarded according to the numbered sections on the table.
• The scoring team receives points for every puck that is further than the furthest opponents puck.
• If a puck does not reach the foul line during game play, it should be removed immediately.
• If a puck is hanging over the end of the board, it is called A Hanger, and is worth 5 points.
• The loser of a round always receives The Hammer during the next round, regardless of the total score (i.e. The winner of the round shoots first during the next round)
• Games must be won by 2 or more points. In a 2 player game, if the score is 15-14, additional rounds continue until a team leads by two or more and is declared the winner.
• If you cannot determine which team’s puck is further, than no points are awarded. In very close situations, it is typical to use an outside judge to make the call.
• It is acceptable to walk down the board and check puck positions during a round.
• It is acceptable to use shuffleboard powder / wax / sand… only between rounds.
• Please see the diagram for an example of scoring.
Alternate Games:
Bocce
• Very similar game to Curling, except any spot on the table can be chosen, beyond the foul line.
• Chose a spot on the table that is easily recognizable and won’t move when hit (painted numbers)
• Players alternate throwing, and the player with the closest puck to the spot wins. If the closer player has multiple pucks closer, then they score a point for each.
• The other major difference to curling is that the first team to reach 9 points wins. In curling a fixed number of rounds are played.
Tap & Draw
• In this game, you never want to knock another puck off the board. The goal is still to have the furthest puck down the board to score points. If you knock one of your own pucks off, it is lost.
• If you knock an opponent’s puck off the board, your puck is removed and your opponent’s puck is replaced on the board in its original position. If this situation occurs and you also knock one of your other pucks into the furthest position, this puck must be returned to the original positions
• The advantage is to throw first in this game. If a player wins a round, then the opponent receives first throw in the subsequent round.
Horse collar
• Opponents are at opposite ends of the board. During a round, one player shoots all eight pucks and receives points for all pucks in scoring positions.
• The opponent then throws all eight pucks and receives points for all in scoring position.
• This is continued until one player achieves 51 points.
• An equal number of rounds must be played by each opponent. So, if the first player to throw reaches 51, the opponent gets their round to try and exceed 51.
• In 4 player games, teammates are on the same side of the board and alternate throwing pucks.
Baseball
• All the rules are consistent with regular shuffleboard, except a fixed number of rounds are played instead of playing to a point total.
• The player/team with the highest point total after 9 “innings” wins. If the game is tied, additional rounds are played until a player / team wins by 1 point or more.