Shuffleboard Rules

Where knock off means the real thing

There are several different types of shuffleboard played today:

the European game of Sjoelbak, based on the old English game of Shovelboard

outdoor shuffleboard, or court shuffleboard

deck shuffleboard, also known as peel billiards and deck billiards

However, the rules set out here are for modern table shuffleboard, the style of shuffleboard most commonly played in North America.

Table shuffleboard games

Even within the category of table shuffleboard, there are several different games that are played. Knock Off is the shuffleboard game most commonly played in today's tournaments. Other table shuffleboard games include:

CrazyEight

HorseCollar

Baseball

Target

Tap & Draw

Knock Off can be played as either Short Foul Line or Long Foul Line. Short Foul Line is usually preferred, which means that any weight is in play if it's on the board and past the foul line closest to the shooter. In Long Foul Line, the weight must have passed the foul line at the other end of the table to be in play.

How to play Knock Off

Knock Off can be played head to head or in teams of 2. In team play, games alternate ends and players stay at separate ends of the board, switching off from round to round. Games are to fifteen points, though games of twenty-one points are also played.

A coin is flipped for choice of weight color and hammer. The "hammer" refers to the last weight played in a round by either team, which is the best strategic position. The team without the hammer shoots first, and teams alternate shots until both teams have played all 4 weights. Points for that round are then counted and the next round begins at the table's opposite end.

The team that scored points in the previous round always shoots first in the next round. If no points are scored, the hammer alternates from the previous round. The shuffleboard game continues in this manner until the previously set point limit of fifteen or twenty-one has been reached.

How to count points

The shuffleboard rules for Knock Off are that only one team can score per round. Which teams scores is determined by which team's weight is closest to the end of the shuffleboard table. All of the scoring team's weights that are closer to the shuffleboard's end than the opponent's weights are counted as scores.

Point values in Knock Off shuffleboard rules are as follows:

One: if a weight stands between the foul line and the 2 line

Two: if a weight has completely crossed the 2 line or not fully crossed the 3 line

Three: if a weight has completely crossed the 3 line and is not hanging over the table's end

Four: if a weight is hanging over the end of the playing surface

Four-point shots are called hangers. If any hanger is in dispute, it can be checked by holding a weight against the back end of the shuffleboard and sliding across. If the disputed hanger moves, it is worth 4 points. If it does not, it is worth 3 points.

More information on shuffleboard