How to Play Crokinole
Crokinole is a finger-flicking game on a circular board where accuracy matters as much as power. This tournament-style guide uses the World Crokinole Championship and National Crokinole Association rules; for more beginner game guides, visit Play More.
Quick facts
| Item | Standard rule |
|---|---|
| Players | Two in singles, or four in doubles |
| Equipment | Board and two contrasting disc colours |
| Discs | Eight per singles player; six per doubles player |
| Round | One shot per turn until all assigned discs are used |
| Game | Four rounds with round points |
Objective
Score more than the opposing side by landing discs in valuable areas and sinking 20s in the centre hole. If an opponent has a disc on the playing surface, your shot must contact at least one opposing disc. You may also knock opponents from scoring areas or into the ditch.
Setup
Set the board on a level table. Singles players sit opposite and use different colours. In doubles, partners sit opposite, share a colour, and face the other pair. Decide the starting order by chance or agreement. Give each player the correct discs, keep unplayed discs beside the board, and start with an empty surface. Turns go clockwise. In later rounds, rotate who starts instead of using the previous round’s winner.
How to play
- After every disc from the previous shot has stopped, place one disc flat and stationary in your assigned quadrant, touching that quadrant’s outer boundary line.
- Flick with one or more fingers. Do not push, use a finger guard, or move the board, table, or chair to improve the shot. Stay seated with part of your body on the chair; only the shooting hand and associated forearm may touch the board or table.
- If any opposing disc is on the board, at least one of your discs must strike an opposing disc, directly or after hitting your own disc. If no opposing disc is present, your shooting disc or another disc it contacts must finish touching or inside the 15-point line.
- For an invalid shot, remove the shooting disc and every same-colour disc struck during that shot, including centre-hole discs made by it. Those discs do not score. Opposing discs moved by the shot normally stay where they finished.
- Remove a disc immediately as a 20 when it falls completely into the centre hole and lies flat. A disc leaving the raised playing surface goes to the ditch until the round ends. Boundary-touching discs count in the lower-value region; the recognised spinning-disc exception applies only when a disc returns under its own momentum without striking anything beyond the playing surface.
- Continue clockwise until each player has taken the designated shots. At round end, count board discs and valid 20s before moving anything.
Ending and scoring
| Position | Value |
|---|---|
| Centre hole, flat and completely in | 20 |
| Inside the centre pegs | 15 |
| Outside the pegs, inside the next ring | 10 |
| Outer scoring ring | 5 |
| Ditch or otherwise out of play | 0 |
At round end, count board discs plus valid 20s before moving anything. The higher total earns two points; a tie gives each side one point. After four rounds, the side with more round points wins. Tournament matches may add games or tie-break procedures. Agree before play if using casual difference-scoring or 100-point formats.
Beginner tips
- Use a smooth release before adding power.
- Check before every shot whether an opponent’s disc is present; that decides your legal target.
- On an open board, aim for the 15 line or centre, not a weak outside shot.
- For takeouts, plan where your own disc will stop after contact.
- Track sunk 20s immediately and leave other discs untouched until scoring.
FAQs
Can I hit my own disc first?
Yes, if an opposing disc is on the board and one of your discs contacts it during the shot. Otherwise it is invalid.
Does touching the 15 line count?
Yes. With no opposing disc in play, touching or finishing inside the 15-point line satisfies the requirement. A valid flat 20 also qualifies.
Are casual and tournament games identical?
No. These values and shot-validity rules reflect the standard competitive framework. Casual groups may use 12 discs in singles, a 100-point race, or local procedures, so settle differences before the first round.