Outdoor & pub games
Shuffleboard
- players
- 2–4
- minutes
- 20
- years
- 8+
In the box
1 powdered table · 8 discs, four per side
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- DexterityPushing
Where to buy it
Near you
In a shop
Within 50 km.
The basics
Slide your weights as far as possible along the table without them falling off the end, and knock your opponent's away. Players shoot alternately, one weight each, until all eight have been played; a weight that does not cross the foul line is removed, a weight that falls off is lost. Only the side with the furthest weight scores, by zone (1, 2 or 3 points), and the game is played to 15 points, sometimes 21.
The rules, step by step
Setup
Long waxed table, 3 scoring zones, 4 weights per side
- A long table dusted with wax, with three scoring zones marked at the far end.
- Eight weights, four per side, in different colours.
- Two to four players. With four, play in teams of two, one at each end.
How to play
Alternate shots, Cross the foul line, Fallen weight: lost
- Players shoot alternately, one weight each, until all eight have been played.
- The weight must cross the foul line to stay in play; otherwise it is removed.
- A weight that falls off the end of the table is lost, but it may have pushed an opponent's weight first.
- Knocking the opponent's weight off the table, or moving it into a lower zone, is as much part of the game as placing your own.
Scoring
Zones 1, 2 and 3 points, Cancellation scoring
- Three zones: 1, 2 and 3 points going further away. A weight straddling a line counts the lower zone.
- A weight that goes past the last line without falling, overhanging the edge, is worth 4 points under most conventions.
- Cancellation scoring: only the side with the furthest weight scores, and it scores every weight beyond the opponent's best weight.
End of the game
15 points, Sometimes 21
- The game is played to 15 points, sometimes 21.
- The side that scored shoots first in the next round.
House rules and pitfalls
Wax is no minor detail: without it the weight drags, with too much it never stops.
- Wax is no minor detail: without it the weight drags, with too much it never stops. It is the first thing to adjust on a bar table.
- The overhanging weight, called a hanger, is the most rewarding shot in the game and the easiest to knock off with a push.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
What is the idea?
Slide weights along a long, smooth table so they stop in the scoring zones at the far end, without falling off the end.
How do you score?
The far end of the table is divided into zones (1, 2, 3 points, and a bonus zone at the very end). A weight counts if it stops entirely within a zone, without touching the line.
What happens if a weight falls off the end?
It is out: going past the far limit scores nothing. Judging the force is what it is all about.
Can you push the opponent's weights?
Yes: knocking an opponent's weight out of a high zone, or pushing your own further, is part of the tactics. Only the weights still in place at the end count.
How do you win?
Only the team whose weights are beyond the opponent's scores, each round. Play to an agreed score, often 15 or 21 points.