Kubb Rules: How to Play the Viking Lawn Game
Kubb (say it KOOB) is the Swedish lawn game where you throw wooden batons to flatten your opponent's blocks, then finish off the king to win. People call it Viking chess because the battlefield literally changes every turn: blocks you knock down get tossed into your half and come back to haunt you. The throwing takes two minutes to learn. The order of what you throw at, and when, is where games are won. Here is the pitch setup, the underhand throwing rule, how field kubbs work, and the one mistake that ends the game instantly.
What you need
- Ten kubb blocks (the rectangular wooden ones, five per baseline)
- One king (the big center block, tallest piece in the set)
- Six throwing batons
- Four corner stakes to mark the pitch (most sets include them)
- A flat stretch of grass or gravel, about 26 x 16 ft for a full pitch
How to play kubb
- Mark the pitch and set the woodStake out a rectangle. The World Championship pitch is 8 x 5 m (about 26 x 16 ft), but a 20 x 10 ft pitch is friendlier for beginners and kids. Stand the king dead center, then line up five kubbs along each baseline at even spacing. Each team owns the kubbs on its own baseline.
- Toss for first throwOne player from each team throws a baton as close to the king as possible without hitting it. Closest baton wins the first turn. On the first turn only, the opening team throws just four batons instead of six, which keeps the game from being decided before the other side ever throws.
- Throw underhand, alwaysBatons are thrown underhand and vertically, so they tumble end over end. Sideways helicopter spins are not allowed. Stand behind your baseline and take aim at the kubbs on your opponent's baseline. Every standing kubb you topple matters.
- Throw the fallen kubbs backAt the start of your turn, gather any of your kubbs the other team knocked down and throw them into your opponent's half. These become field kubbs: your opponents stand each one up right where it landed. If a kubb lands outside their half, you rethrow it once. Miss twice and your opponents get to place it anywhere in their half, as long as it is at least one baton length from the king.
- Clear field kubbs before baseline kubbsNow throw your six batons. You must topple every field kubb in your opponent's half before any baseline kubbs count. Knock a baseline kubb down too early and it just gets stood back up. And if you leave field kubbs standing at the end of your turn, your opponents may throw from behind the field kubb closest to your side instead of their baseline, which is a huge advantage.
- Finish the king from the baselineOnce every kubb in your opponent's half is down, field and baseline both, use any leftover batons on the king. King shots are always thrown from behind your baseline, no matter where your throwing line was. Drop the king cleanly and your team wins.
Scoring
- There are no points in kubb. You win by clearing wood, not counting it
- Topple every kubb in your opponent's half: all field kubbs first, then the five baseline kubbs
- Then topple the king with a baton thrown from behind your baseline to win the game
- Knock the king over before the field is clear, at any point, and your team loses on the spot
- A baseline kubb knocked down before the field kubbs are cleared does not count and is stood back up
- Leave field kubbs standing at the end of your turn and your opponents advance their throwing line to the closest one
Distance & setup
Fun variations
- Kids' pitch: shrink the field to around 16 x 6 ft so younger players can reach the far baseline.
- Two-topple removal: a kubb that has been knocked down twice is removed from play. This shortens long games and suits younger crews.
- Kubb towers: when a thrown kubb knocks over a standing field kubb, stack them into a single tower. Toppling the tower drops multiple kubbs at once, which raises the stakes on every throw.
- Uneven teams: for casual play it is fine to have more players on one side than the other. Each team still throws six batons per turn, however many hands are sharing them.
Kubb rules FAQ
What size is a kubb pitch?
The World Championship pitch is 8 x 5 m, which works out to about 26 x 16 ft, and that is the size most adult games use. There is no single mandatory size though. A 20 x 10 ft pitch makes the game friendlier for beginners and families, and you can shrink it further for young kids.
Do you have to throw underhand in kubb?
Yes. Batons must be thrown underhand and vertically, so they flip end over end on the way to the target. Sideways helicopter-style spins are not allowed.
What happens if you knock the king over early?
You lose immediately. If the king goes down, whether from a baton or a thrown kubb, before every kubb in your opponent's half has been toppled, the game ends right there and the other team wins. It is the lawn game equivalent of sinking the 8-ball early.
What are field kubbs?
Field kubbs are blocks that were knocked off a baseline, thrown back into the owner's half, and stood up where they landed. They become the priority target: you must topple every field kubb in your opponent's half before your throws at their baseline kubbs count for anything.
How many people do you need to play kubb?
Two people make a perfectly good game, and one or two players per team is the competitive sweet spot. Informal games run fine with up to six per side, and the teams do not even have to be even. Each team throws six batons per turn regardless of headcount.
Can you play kubb on sand or gravel?
Grass and gravel are the classic surfaces, and both play well. Sand works for casual beach games too, though soft sand swallows batons and makes toppled blocks land unpredictably. Whatever the surface, you want it reasonably flat so the kubbs stand up straight.
Ready to play?
Grab a set and start your league this weekend. We ranked the best kubb sets for every budget.
See our top kubb picks → Printable rules card