Table Top Shuffleboard Rules & Game Variations

Shovelboard

• The original game, shovelboard, is played on a 20- to 30-foot board with lines drawn 4 inches and 4 feet from the end. Players push a weight to the other end, trying to get their weight closest to the edge. If it falls off the sides of the board, it's considered out of bounds and scores no points. Weights can be knocked off the board by other weights during play. Play continues until all players have pushed four weights. Weights that didn't reach the nearest line get 1 point, those that crossed the first line but didn't reach the second get 2 points, while those that cross the second line without falling off get 3 points. A weight that hangs off the edge of the end of the board gets 4 points. Once scores have been calculated, all players retrieve their weights and the game repeats until somebody scores a cumulative 11 points. The first player to get 11 points wins.

Indoor Shuffleboard

• Indoor shuffleboard follows many of the same rules as the classic game, though there are several key differences. The first is in the board itself, which is 12 to 22 feet long. Lines are drawn 6 inches, 12 inches and 6 feet from the end of the board. Weights must pass the 6-foot line to qualify for a single point, though they'll get 2 points for crossing the 12-inch line and 3 points for crossing the 6-inch line. Once again, a weight hanging over the edge of the end of the board gets 4 points. Only the weight closest to the edge get any points, making gameplay slower than in Shovelboard. Once again, the first player to 11 points wins the game.

Outdoor Shuffleboard

• Outdoor boards are considerably longer than their indoor cousins, measuring an exacting 52 feet. Instead of pushing the weights with your hands, weights are pushed using a cue. This gives players extra leverage, allowing them to push their weights the full distance of the board. The board is divided into several regions, each marked with a score ranging from 10 to 7. Weights within these regions are given the corresponding number of points after everyone has played. The first player to accumulate 75 points wins the game.