Indoor Shuffleboard

05/20/12

A Shuffleboard can be any distance from 12 - 22 feet long but is generally an even number of feet in length. The height of the table from the ground should be about 30 inches and the width 20 inches. The surface is polished wood and 6 feet from the end a line is drawn across the width of the table called the foul line. Two more lines are drawn across the table nearer the end at 12 inches and 6 inches called the 2 point and 3 point lines respectively.

Each player slides 4 uniquely marked, weighted metal disks down the table called weights.
Play

Players toss a coin to decide who plays first - it is advantageous to play second. After the first "end", the winner of the previous end plays first. Should the previous end have resulted in no score, the player who went first previously goes second.

Players slide their four weights alternately attempting to get them as near as possible to the end of the board without falling off. If a weight does not completely pass over the foul line, that weight is immediately removed from play. It is normal for a player to deliberately knock already played weights in such a way that opponents weights might fall out of play while the player's weights cannon into an advantageous position.

Once all weights have been pushed down the table, the player whose weight is nearest the far end of the board wins that "end" and scores points. The other player scores no points. In order to score, a weight must:

* be on the table
* have fully crossed over the foul line
* be nearer to the end than the opponents best weight

Any such weight that is overhanging the far edge scores four points. It is possible to confirm that a weight is overhanging by passing the flat face of another weight across the rear edge - if the weight in question moves, it was overhanging. Any other qualifying weight that lands in the first second or third areas scores 1, 2 or 3 points respectively. A weight that lands on or touching a line counts as being in the lower scoring area. If no weights are in scoring positions then no points are scored.

For a two player game, the player who scores 11 points first wins. For doubles, which is played in exactly the same way as for singles, the team that scores 21 points first wins.

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