Tap & Draw Shuffleboard Game Rules
This is an excellent game for a beginner who is opposing a skilled player. The object of the game is to shuffle your pucks up to the farthest (or, in Target shuffleboard, the highest) scoring position on the board, without knocking your pucks, or those of your opponent, off the board. To start the game, players decide by toss of coin or other means, who shall shuffle first and which color each shall have. In this game, it is an advantage to shuffle the first puck. Pucks are shuffled alternately, until all eight have been shuffled, which completes one round of play, just as in the traditional “Knock Off” shuffleboard games. You may try to tap your puck, with the purpose of sending it farther up the board. However:
• If you knock your own puck off the board, it must remain off and out of play.
• If you knock your opponent’s puck off the board, your puck will be removed from play, and your opponent’s puck will be replaced on the board in its original position.
• If you knock your opponent’s puck off the board, and at the same time advance one or more of your own pucks to higher scoring areas, your pucks must be returned to their original positions, your opponent’s pucks replaced in their original position, and your shooting puck must be removed from the board.
• If you tap any of your opponent’s pucks so that they advance, they remain in their better scoring position.
Method of Scoring Rules:
(A) If playing like traditional “Knock Off” scoring is to 15 points and score counting goes as follows:
• Only one team scores in a round.
• The player or team that has their puck closest to the end of the board scores. All of their pucks that are ahead of their opponent’s deepest puck (closest to the end of the board) are added together for the score for that round.
• A puck scores 1 point if it is located between the designated foul line and the “2” line.
• Pucks completely across the “2” or “3” line count 2 points or 3 points, respectively. To judge if the puck is completely over the line it should be viewed from above (i.e., look down over the top of the puck). Again, the entire puck must be over the line for it to count as the next higher point value. You should be able to see some wood between the line and the puck.
• If any portion of the puck is hanging over the end of the board it is called a “hanger” and counts as 4 points. Close calls can be checked by holding a puck so the top of a puck is along the back end of the board. The puck is then slid along the back end of the board. If it hits the hanger puck it is worth 4-points.
(B) If playing like “Horse Collar” scoring is to 51 points and how to count scores goes as follows:
• After all 8 pucks in a round have been played, it must first be determined whether at least one puck is completely in the trey (3-point zone) or overhanging the end, the left-hand corner or the right-hand corner of the shuffleboard playing field. If there are NO pucks in this zone, NO SCORE OF ANY KIND CAN BE COUNTED, regardless of how many pucks remain on the board.
• If there is at least one puck in the trey (3-point zone) or overhanging the end (13-point zone), the left-hand corner or the right-hand corner of the board (26-point zone), then the score is counted, as follows:
° All pucks touching or in front of the deuce line count as 1 point. This applies to the entire area up to the designated foul line, but weight must be completely clear of the designated foul line to count.
° All pucks between the deuce line and the trey line (including any touching the trey line) count as 2 points.
° All pucks between the trey line and the far end of the board count as 3 points.
° All pucks overhanging the board at the far end count as 13 points (13-point hanger).
° All pucks overhanging the left- and/or right-hand corner of the board count as 26 points (26-point hanger).
° All pucks which fall into the alleys, or do not clear the designated foul line are dead and do not count.
Score Count Summary - In order to score, a player or team must have at least one puck being worth 3 points or more (it does not have to be the first puck thrown in order to score). For example if a player or team throws 1 puck worth 3 points and 2 pucks worth 2 points and 3 pucks worth 1 point and all remaining pucks on the board are past the designated foul line, the player or team would score 10 points. Hangers are worth 13 points (hanger being a weight that is hanging partially off the end of the board). Hangers on corners are worth 26 points (weight is hanging partially off the end and partially off the side of the board in either corner). A puck just hanging only off the side of the board does not have any special meaning or point value unless it is a 26-point hanger on one of the corners. Games are played in frames until one player or team scores 51 points. However, scoring 51 points first does not necessarily make that player or team the winner. Every player or team gets to finish each frame and the highest score is the winner (51 points or greater). If the player or team that scores 51 points or more has the hammer (the last player or team to play), then they are declared the winner.
Technical Points - A game is NOT complete until the player or team which has been shooting last has taken its LAST TURN AT THE BOARD, even though the player or team shooting first has already scored 51 points or more. If both teams go over 51 points, the one with the FINAL HIGHEST SCORE IS THE WINNER.
• During play, no contestant may leave his position to check the location of pucks he or his partners have played.
• All pucks that do not completely CLEAR the designated foul line are dead pucks, but must not be removed from the board.
Other General Rules - Before a player shoots, the player can dust the board if dry spots are showing. Shooters must have one foot behind the playing surface while they are shooting. Hitting or shaking the table is never allowed
For other Shuffleboard Games See Below
Shuffleboard Game Horse Collar
We hope you find these Game Rules and Tips helpful for enjoyment of your Shuffleboard Table.
