KubbRules Card

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

Set it up

There is no single official pitch size. The Kubb World Championship plays on 8 x 5 m, which is about 26 x 16 ft, and that suits most adult games. Beginners and mixed family games run better on roughly 20 x 10 ft, and young kids can shrink it further still. The pitch length is your throwing distance, since batons are thrown from behind the baseline (or the throwing line once field kubbs are in play).

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
• If field kubbs remain standing, the next side may advance its baton line to the standing field kubb closest to the center line. King throws still come from the original baseline.

How to play

1. Mark the pitch and set the wood. Stake 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.
2. Choose the opening side. Toss a coin to choose who starts. This backyard version gives each side six batons per turn, including the opening turn; tournament formats may use a shorter opening sequence.
3. Throw underhand, always. Batons 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.
4. Throw the fallen kubbs back. At 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.
5. Clear field kubbs before baseline kubbs. Throw your six batons at the field kubbs in the opponent's half before trying for baseline kubbs. A baseline kubb toppled too early is stood back up. If field kubbs remain after your turn, your opponents may advance to the standing field kubb closest to the center line for their baton throws. King throws always stay at the original baseline.
6. Finish the king from the baseline. Once 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.