Game Rules of Kubb

Equipment

Placement of a kubb set at the start of a game.

• Four (or six) field marking pins
• Ten rectangular wooden blocks, called kubbs
• Six throwing batons
• One king

Setup

• The field marking pins are placed so that a rectangle is formed (see image)
• Five kubbs are placed on each of the baselines, equidistant from each other
• The king is placed upright in the center of the pitch

Gameplay

• Team A throws two batons from their baseline at their opponent's baseline kubbs
• Kubbs that were successfully knocked over by team A are then thrown by team B onto team A's half of the pitch. These field kubbs are stood up again in the location where they landed
• Team B then throws four batons at team A's kubbs — first knocking over any standing field kubbs, and only then the base kubbs
• When a team is unable to knock over all field kubbs before their turn is over, the kubb closest to the middle line becomes the (throwing) baseline for the opposing team
• Play continues in this fashion, with teams A and B taking turns throwing all six batons, until one team knocks over all the kubbs on the other's side. That team may then attempt to knock over the king
• The first team that topples the king wins the game
• Fallen kubbs are thrown from the original baseline, as are attempts to knock over the king
• A team that accidentally knocks over the king during the game immediately loses the game

There are many so-called house rules out there, and they certainly bring out interesting aspects of the game. Here, though, we'll focus on the rules that are most widely used — those of the Kubb World Championship.

The kubb set and its official dimensions

A kubb set is generally made from rubberwood — a hardwood that's naturally shock-absorbent and resists chipping and splintering. The 10 kubbs are rectangular blocks, 15 cm (5.91 in) tall and 7 cm (2.76 in) square. The king is a larger piece, 30 cm (11.81 in) tall and 9 cm (3.54 in) square, usually topped with a crown design. The 6 batons are 30 cm (11.81 in) long and 4.4 cm (1.73 in) in diameter. A kubb set also includes 6 field marking pins — 4 to mark the corners of the pitch, and 2 to mark the middle line (though these last 2 are often missing).

Game Setup

Kubb is played on a rectangular pitch, 5 meters (5.47 yards) wide and 8 meters (8.75 yards) long. The pitch is delineated by four field marking pins — one at each corner. Two marking pins in the middle of the sidelines divide the pitch into two halves. Additional markers to demarcate the field's boundaries (such as chalk lines) are allowed, as long as they don't interfere with the course of the game. Five so-called base kubbs are placed on each of the short edges (baselines) of the rectangular pitch, equidistant from each other. The king is placed upright in the center of the pitch.

Course of the Game

The game begins with team A throwing two batons from behind its baseline — both feet within the sidelines — at the kubbs on team B's baseline, aiming to knock them over. Each throw must be underhand, with the end of the baton pointing in the direction of flight. Rotating the baton horizontally, like a helicopter blade, is not allowed.

The baton is thrown underhand, with the baton end pointing in the direction of the throw. Play then changes hands. Kubbs that were knocked over by team A are picked up by team B and thrown back onto team A's half of the pitch. These kubbs are said to have joined the game, and are now called field kubbs — as opposed to the so-called base kubbs on the baselines. If a field kubb lands (invalidly) outside team A's half of the pitch, one re-throw is allowed. A second miss lets team A position this field kubb anywhere on its half of the pitch, as long as it's placed at least a baton's length from the king and the pitch's corners. Only after all field kubbs have been thrown can invalidly thrown field kubbs be thrown again — so it's possible to knock any invalid kubb back into play with subsequent field kubb throws.

Field kubbs that were successfully thrown within team A's half of the pitch are stood up again in the exact position where they landed, facing the direction of team A's choice. A field kubb that has landed on the pitch's boundary must be stood up so that at least half its base is within the pitch area.

Team B now throws four batons at team A's kubbs. Before team B can target base kubbs, however, they must first knock over all standing field kubbs within team A's half of the pitch. If a base kubb is knocked over before all field kubbs have been overturned, it must be stood back up — it remains a base kubb. A kubb that has been correctly overturned during a team's turn stays overturned, even if it's later raised again by accident during that same turn.

Team B failed to knock over all field kubbs. Team A may now move forward to an imaginary throwing line — parallel to the baselines. Play then changes hands again: all kubbs that were knocked down are thrown back onto the opposite half of the field and stood up again. If either team fails to knock over all field kubbs before their turn ends, the kubb closest to the middle line becomes the opposing team's new baseline, and throwers may step up to that line to throw at their opponent's kubbs. This applies only to throwing batons at the opponent's field and base kubbs — fallen kubbs are still thrown from the original baseline, as are attempts to knock over the king.

Play continues in this fashion, with teams A and B taking turns throwing all six batons, until one team manages to knock over all the field and base kubbs on their opponent's half of the pitch. If that team still has batons left to throw, they may attempt to knock over the king. A team that successfully topples the king wins the game!

Important: The king may only be overturned when all kubbs on the opponent's side are knocked over. If it is overturned earlier — either by baton or kubb — the team responsible loses the game.