How to Score in Shuffleboard - Detailed Instructions

Shuffleboard may be a popular game among seniors, but it is becoming popular even with the younger generation. The reason behind this is that it is an outdoor game that doesn’t use a lot of energy. Its rules are also simple, and anyone can learn shuffleboard quickly.

However, scoring on shuffleboard isn’t that simple. To score in shuffleboard, you must try and get your weighted puck in the highest-scoring zone. For all types of shuffleboards, the highest-scoring zones are usually farthest from the player, while the lowest-scoring zones are closest to the player.

Keep reading to learn more about shuffleboard and how you can score.

Shuffleboard History

Shuffleboard has its origins in Great Britain in the 1500s. Originally players used pennies instead of pucks, but the game’s objective was still the same; to try and throw the pennies as far away as possible without falling off the table surface.

Eventually, English settlers brought the game to the USA, and the game became popular in bars all over the country. The most notable effect of this popularity was during World War II. Soldiers found it an exciting way to pass the time.

With the onset of new technological inventions like television, the game’s popularity went down, and it failed to attract younger crowds. Today, the popularity of the game is steadily growing among all demographics. It can be attributed to the game’s improvement and organization into tournaments and high-profile fixtures.

Shuffleboard Rules

Though shuffleboard may look like an easy, straightforward game, there are rules that players follow keenly to have better scores than their opponents. The rules depend on whether you’re playing the indoor or outdoor shuffleboard.

Shuffleboard rules are set to make the game fair to the players so they can have a pleasurable playing experience. They are also meant to protect players against injuries while playing the game.

Shuffleboard Stick

The shuffleboard stick is also known as the cue stick. Players use this stick to shuffle or push their disks into the high-scoring regions of the triangle on a shuffleboard court.

Most shuffleboard sticks are made of wood, and some are made with fiberglass or aluminum. Shuffleboard cue sticks are 6 feet in length and 3 inches in diameter. It is a regulation that most associations set for playing shuffleboard.

Other shuffleboard stick features are dependent on the skill level of the player. For example, there are cue sticks for professional players and players who play the game for recreation.

Shuffleboard Triangle

The shuffleboard triangle determines each player’s score on a shuffleboard playing area. In a court, the triangles may be two to cater to more than two players. The triangle is divided into sections.

At the tip of the triangle is a 10-point region followed by two 8-point regions and then two 7-point regions. At the triangle’s base is the 10-off region that has a smaller triangle as its division.

Shuffleboard Signs

Have you ever wondered what the signs are on a shuffleboard? Here is a list of common signs that often derive a lot of questions from new players.

The 10-off mark is designated with a -10 mark denoting the number of points a player loses if they slide their puck into this region.
The Triangle – It houses the different scoring points for the game.

Shuffleboard Mat

The shuffleboard mat is ideal for playing outdoor shuffleboard. The mat is made from reinforced vinyl that allows the discs to slide on them with minimal resistance.

Shuffleboard mats are versatile and ideal for use on the go. After finishing a game, you can roll up the mat and store it during the next session or in another outdoor setting. You only have to ensure that the ground upon which you lay the mat is flat.

What Are the Basic Rules of Shuffleboard?

There are some general rules for whichever type of shuffleboard you’re playing. They include;

The player listed with the yellow discs is usually the first to shuffle the disc, followed by the black disks. Play then alternates between these two players. The discs or pucks may also be in red and blue color.
Players cannot disturb an opponent’s disc as they play it.

How Do You Score a Shuffleboard Table?

You must try to get your puck in the highest-scoring zone to score in the shuffleboard table. The scoring zones are divided into three: the zone closest to the player is one point, the next zone is two points, and the furthest zone is three points.

Players play by pushing the puck with their hands while aiming for either of the three scoring zones. They may also aim at opponent’s pucks to push them off the table and increase their chances of scoring higher than them.

Indoor Shuffleboard Rules

You can play indoor shuffleboard from the comfort of your home with friends and family. Most indoor shuffleboard games consist of tables and pucks with no shuffleboard sticks. However, some modern arenas incorporate the outdoor shuffleboard in an indoor setting.

Here are some of the rules of indoor shuffleboard.

Each player has four pucks to slide by the end of each round.
The player with the most pucks at the end of the table than the opponent receives the most points.
The points to score on the shuffleboard table can be one, two, or three. However, the score is four when a puck overhangs on the table.
The first to reach 15 points wins the game if the players are two. If the players are four from 2 teams, the winner is the first team to reach 20 points.
Players should avoid extending the lower half of their body on the end of the board. They should also not touch the playing area during play.

How Do You Score Outdoor Shuffleboard?

To score in outdoor shuffleboard, players must ensure that their discs are within the designated score areas and that they don’t touch any of the lines. A player scores when their disks land in the 10-point area, the 8-point area, or the 7-point area.

You can play outdoor shuffleboard with another opponent or as two pairs of opposing sides. If you choose to do this, you will have to stay on one side with the opponent while your teammate stays on the other side of the court with the opponent’s teammate.

Outdoor Shuffleboard Rules

Even though the concept is still the same as indoor shuffleboard, outdoor shuffleboard has a slightly different type of gameplay and even tools. With this difference comes a new set of rules.

Outdoor shuffleboard rules include;

Players should hold their cue sticks upright as they play the game. It protects against accidental injury of opponents or teammates.
Players must ensure not to step over the baseline when making a shot.
For a player to win, the round has to finish because the opponent can still knock off the disks off their high-scoring regions.
A disc has to be inside the lines of the scoring area to count as a score. Discs that lie on lines count as zero scores.
Discs that slide off the court aren’t considered for scoring.

How Do You Score 1 Point in Shuffleboard?

To score a single point in a shuffleboard game, aim to land your puck in the closest scoring region to you in a shuffleboard table.

Another instance where you would score one point is when your puck sits in the second zone but also touches the line for the first zone.

How to Win Shuffleboard

Like any other game, winning in shuffleboard requires a player to use clever strategies to secure more points than the opponent. Common ways that players use to score more points include;

Knocking an opponent’s weighted discs or pucks off the playing surface.
Using your pucks to protect your other pucks that are in the desirable high-scoring areas.

Conclusion

Learning the shuffleboard game is easy, but it requires patience and skill. After mastering the basic rules and skills of the game is when you start enjoying it. The game’s fun is in your ability to collect as many points as possible than your opponent.

Use a lot of force, and you risk pushing the weighted disc out of the play zone, or use less force and risk collecting minimal or no points at all. All in all, your technique and strategy to win the game will matter.

How to Score in Shuffleboard – Detailed Instructions