Shuffleboard is a little-known game in Europe but one of the most popular in the United States. A game that brings together friends and family around a game table that creates memorable moments to share.
The goal is to slide pucks down the table to stop them at the farthest end of the playing area without falling off. The closer the puck comes to the far edge, the higher the score. Meanwhile, you have to try to knock your opponent’s pucks off the table with yours.
The precision of the launch is crucial for the pucks to slide along a fine-sand surface that generates unexpected effects. As with any game, there are special techniques and tricks to learn in shuffleboard, but it’s easy to play regardless of age or strength, and fun is guaranteed even for beginners.
How to play shuffleboard
– Choose to play in singles or doubles.
– Flip a coin to decide who goes first. The winner can choose to shoot last (the hammer) because in shuffleboard it is an advantage.
– Choose to play matches to 15 or 21 points.
– Both teams stand at the same end of the table and alternate shots.
– Take turns shooting your pucks towards the opposite end trying to get them to the farther end of the table without falling off, until all 8 pucks have been shot.
– Try to knock your opponent’s pucks off the table (into the alley) with your own.
– Any puck that does not pass the foul line is immediately removed from the playing field for the round.
– Just one team can score per round. The team with the puck closest to the edge without falling off scores the round.
– Only pucks that are farther than your opponent’s highest-scoring puck are eligible for points.
– Agree on the points before touching any puck. The scoring player shoots first in the next round.
– The first team to reach 15 or 21 wins.
How do pucks score?
– 4 points: if your puck hangs over the edge of the table. This is called a “hanger”.
– 3 points: if the puck crosses the far line (trey line) without falling or hanging.
– 2 points: if the puck crosses the nearer (deuce line) scoring line.
– 1 point: if it crosses the foul line.
A little bit of story
Table shuffleboard originated in England during the 15th century It all started with a large coin “groat” (the 4 penny one) that had to be slid down the table to the fastest point. The game was called shove-groat. The game evolved and a few centuries later, in the mid-19th century, shovelboard tables were a must, a sign of refinement in the residences of the nobility.
The English settlers took the game to America, where it even became popular with leagues and tournaments nationwide. In 2018, September 17 was established as National Shuffleboard Day.
