Nine-Pin Skittles: Lawn Game Rules & Scoring
Skittles is the old English pub and garden game that bowling grew out of, and no, I do not mean the candy. You knock down a diamond of nine wooden pins by rolling or throwing a ball (or in the table version, by swinging a ball on a string), and you score for the pins you topple. There are two main forms you will run into: table skittles, the indoor pub version played on a board, and lawn or garden skittles, the outdoor nine-pin game you set up on the grass. People mix this up with molkky all the time, but skittles has no numbered pins and no toss-to-exactly-fifty rule. Here is how to set up both versions and keep score the traditional way.
What you need
- A skittles set: nine wooden pins (and usually two or three wooden balls or a cheese)
- For lawn skittles, a flat lane of grass roughly 15 to 21 ft long
- For table skittles, a skittles board or table with a swinging ball on a chain or string
- A throwing or bowling line marked with chalk, a rope, or a board
- A scorepad to track each player's running total over the agreed number of rounds
How to play nine-pin skittles: lawn game
- Set up the nine pinsStand the nine pins in a tight diamond or square (three rows is common, or a 3-3-3 diamond), spaced about a hand's width apart, at the far end of the lane. The exact pattern varies by region, so agree on your diamond before you start. In table skittles, the pins sit in their fixed diamond on the board.
- Mark the throwing lineSet a line where players will stand to bowl or throw. For lawn skittles this is usually 15 to 21 ft from the pins. Step over the line and the throw does not count. In table skittles, you stand at the end of the board and swing the ball.
- Take your turnOn your turn you get a set number of deliveries, traditionally three balls per turn. For lawn skittles you roll or underarm-throw the ball at the diamond. For table skittles you swing the ball on its chain around the post to knock the pins, trying to clear as many as you can.
- Count the pins you knock downEach pin that falls flat scores one point. Count the pins you topple across all your balls in the turn. A pin that only leans or wobbles back upright does not count. Reset the fallen pins between players unless you are playing a clear-the-frame variant.
- Clear the frame for a bonusIf you knock down all nine pins before using all your balls, in many house versions you reset the full diamond and keep throwing your remaining balls for extra points. This rewards a clean sweep and is where big turns come from.
- Play the agreed rounds and total upRotate through all players for a set number of rounds (commonly best of three turns, or a fixed number of frames). Add up each player's pins across every round. The highest total wins the match.
Scoring
- Each pin knocked fully flat scores one point
- You score the total pins you topple across all your balls in a turn (traditionally three balls per turn)
- A pin that leans or rocks back upright does not score; it must come to rest flat
- Clearing all nine pins early lets you reset the diamond and keep throwing remaining balls for bonus points in most house rules
- Play a set number of rounds or frames; the player or team with the highest total at the end wins
- Knocking the front pin alone (the 'king' or middle pin in some sets) is worth extra in certain regional versions, so set this house rule first
Distance & setup
Fun variations
- Lawn (garden) skittles: the outdoor nine-pin version. Roll or underarm-throw a ball down a grass lane at a diamond of nine pins. The closest relative to ten-pin bowling.
- Table skittles (devil among the tailors): the indoor pub version. A ball hangs from a post on a chain and you swing it to knock down a small diamond of nine pins on the board.
- Killer skittles: each player has lives. Fail to knock down at least one pin on your turn and you lose a life. Last player standing wins.
- Long Alley and Old English nine-pin: regional pub formats with longer alleys and 'cheeses' (flat throwing discs) instead of round balls. Fun to try if your set includes a cheese.
Nine-Pin Skittles: Lawn Game rules FAQ
Is the skittles game the same as the candy?
No, they just share a name. The skittles game is an old English nine-pin game, the ancestor of modern bowling, where you knock down a diamond of wooden pins with a ball. The candy borrowed the name much later. This page is entirely about the pin game.
How is skittles different from molkky?
Both use wooden pins, but they play completely differently. In molkky the pins are numbered and you throw a separate skittle to score the number or count of pins knocked down, racing to exactly fifty. In skittles the pins are plain, you knock down as many as you can with a rolled or swung ball, and you simply score one point per fallen pin.
How many pins are in a skittles set?
A traditional skittles set has nine pins arranged in a diamond, which is why it is also called nine-pin. Sets usually include two or three wooden balls as well. Some modern garden sets sell ten pins to double as a bowling set, so check the count before you buy.
What is table skittles?
Table skittles, sometimes called devil among the tailors, is the indoor pub version. A small wooden ball hangs from a post on a chain or string, and you swing it around the post to knock down a tight diamond of nine pins on a board. It is the same scoring idea as lawn skittles, just played on a table.
How far do you stand from the pins in lawn skittles?
There is no single official distance for garden play, but 15 to 21 ft is a common range. The key is to mark one fixed line and have everyone throw from the same spot all game. For children, move the line in to 8 to 10 ft so they can reach the diamond.
Ready to play?
Grab a set and start your league this weekend. We ranked the best nine-pin skittles: lawn game sets for every budget.
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