rules to play shuffleboard

Shuffleboard tables, commonly found in bars, have a polished wood surface and range from 12 to 22 feet (3.6 to 6.6 m) in length. The tables height is usually 30 inches (75 cm) and its width is 20 inches (50 cm). Lines are drawn 6 and 12 inches (15 and 30 cm) from the far end. A foul line is drawn 6 feet (1.8 m) from the far end; disks must cross this line without falling off the table to be eligible to score points.

The discs should be marked to distinguish one sides pieces from the other sides pieces; however, the disks are usually marked with red or blue. There are only two sides; players play solo or in teams of two.

Toss a coin to determine which team goes first.

Have players or teams alternate sliding their disks across the table until all disks are cast. Players may try to knock their opponents disks off the table. When playing table shuffleboard in teams, however, players may also try to knock their partners disks into a higher scoring area.

Only the player or team whose disks are furthest down the table scores points, and only those disks further down than the opponents disk furthest down score. If a disk hangs over the far end of the table, it scores 4 points. If a disk crosses the far line without hanging over the far end, it scores 3 points. If a disk crosses the nearer scoring line, it scores 2 points. If a disk crosses the foul line, but no other lines, it scores 1 point.If the disk touches or crosses any of the lines, it scores the value of the lower scoring area. Thus, if a disk has crossed the 3 point line but is still touching it, it scores only 2 points.In some versions of table shuffleboard, a less skilled player scores 1 more point for a hanger or crossing the lines than a more skilled opponent does.

Some table shuffleboard games play from only one end, while others play from either end. Whichever player or team won the last turn starts the next turn. In a 2 player game, the first player to either 11 or 15 points wins. In a team game, the first team to 21 points wins.

Outdoor shuffleboard features a 52 foot long (15.6 m long) rectangular court with a triangular scoring area at either end.

Disks are in 2 colors, usually yellow and black, with a diameter of 6 inches (15 cm) and a thickness from 9 16 to 1 inch (1.4 to 2.5 cm). The cue is a pole no longer than 6 1 2 feet (2 m), with a U shaped prong on the pushing end.

Have the players or teams alternate sliding their disks across the court until all disks are cast. Starting with the player playing yellow, players place their disks in the 10 off section of the scoring area on their end of the court on their turn and shoot toward the opposite scoring triangle.The yellow players disks are launched on the left side of the court, and the black players disks are launched from the right side. A players cue cannot push past the scoring area when shooting a disk. Disks must cross the dead line 3 feet (0.9 m) in front of the opposite scoring area but must not hang off the edge of the court; disks that fail to cross or that hang are removed from the court.As in table shuffleboard, players try to knock their disks into the higher scoring areas and their opponents into lower scoring areas or out of play entirely.

The triangular scoring area in outdoor shuffleboard is divided into 6 sections; a disk must be entirely inside one of these sections to score points. A disk in the apex of the triangle scores 10 points, a disk in either of the 2 areas behind the apex scores 8 points, and a disk in either of the 2 areas behind the 8 point areas scores 7 points. A disk that lands in the 10 off section deducts 10 points from the score of the player or team who owns the disk.Unlike table shuffleboard, outdoor shuffleboard assesses penalties for rules infractions. A disk that touches the 10 off area line before being played costs a player 5 points; if it touches one of the triangles sides, the penalty is instead 10 points. Ten point penalties are also assessed for the players body crossing the baseline while playing or shooting an opponents disk. Illegally played disks are removed from the court, and any of the opponents disks displaced by an illegally played disks are given back to the opponent to replay.