Outdoor Shuffleboard

05/20/12

Equipment

An full outdoor shuffleboard court is a long rectangle with scoring areas at either end. The full length of the court is 52 feet and the following areas are drawn from either end. A line is drawn across the court, six and a half feet from the end. This is the "baseline" and the area from the end to the baseline is called the "shooting area". From this line to the next line, one and a half feet beyond, is the "10 Off" area. The edges of the 10-off area are reduced slightly by two slanting lines at the same angle as the scoring triangle described next. The 10-off area is also split into left and right sides by a small thin triangle centrally placed. The second line forms the base of an isosceles triangle, the scoring area, the point of which is a further nine feet down the court. The triangle is divided into five areas viz: a line is drawn 3 feet from the tip and the small triangle it delineates is marked "10"; the remaining area of the scoring triangle is bisected both horizontally and vertically to form four areas. The two areas next to the 10 area are marked "8" and the two areas next to the 10 off area are marked "7". A further 3 feet from the tip of the scoring triangle is yet another line across the court known as the "dead line" - disks must cross the line in order to be counted as in play.

Discs must be six inches in diameter, between nine-sixteenths and one inch thick, and normally weigh 15 ounces. Two sets of four disks in contrasting colours are used to play the game - yellow and black being the traditional shades. The cues that are used to slide the disks are in the form of a long pole with two short prongs at the end of it, just less than a disk width apart. Cues must be shorter than six and a half feet long.
Play

Players slide disks alternately starting with yellow. To start, the four yellow disks are placed within the left half of the 10-off area and black disks within the right side, the small thin triangle in the middle of this area dictating the middle boundary of each side. Each disk must be played with a cue and the sliding motion must start within the 10-off area and finish within the scoring triangle. If a disk does not reach the furthest dead line, it is immediately removed from play. Any disk that tips off the edge of the court is also immediately removed from play.

Naturally, players will aim both to push their own disks into the scoring areas or strategically advantageous positions while also attempting to knock opponents disks out of play or into the 10-off area.
Penalties

* Disk touching 10-off area line before being played - 5 off.
* Disk touching side line or side of triangle while being played - 10 off.
* Any part of a player's body going beyond or touching the baseline while playing a disk - 10 off
* Shooting an opponent's disk - 10 off.

Disks that are played illegally are immediately removed from play. Any disks that that were displaced by an offending disk are also immediately removed. Any such opponent's disks are given back to the opponent to be replayed. For any disks so removed that had been lying within the 10-off area prior to the foul shot, the offender is penalised 10 points.
Scoring

Scoring occurs once all eight disks have been played and is according to the areas marked on the court with 10 points being deducted for any disks in the 10-off area. A disk must be entirely within one of the five areas and not touching the outside lines of that area in order to score the amount marked within. Disks that lie beyond the 10-off area are ignored. For the purposes of scoring the penalty 10-off area, however, the small triangle that delineates the left and right halves of the 10-off area is ignored. Disks still score if they are on top of another disk. Judges should position the eye directly above any disks that are controversially positioned in order to decide whether or not a line is being touched.

The game is won by the first person to reach 75 points although this cannot be achieved during a game - all eight disks of the final game must be played and the scores calculated before a player can claim victory.

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