free printable
Quoits Rules Card
A one-page quoits rules card: how to play, how to score, and how to set it up. Hit print, fold it, and keep it with your set. Want the full walkthrough? See the Quoits rules.
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rules card Quoits
Players2 or 4 (1v1 or 2v2)
Ages8+
Setup2 to 10 min
SpaceAbout 20 to 60 ft long by 6 ft wide
What you need
- A set of quoits (4 rings total, 2 per player or team, often two colors)
- 1 or 2 hobs (the target pins or stakes)
- A flat lawn, or a clay or sand bed around each hob for heavier steel sets
- A flat stretch of yard the right length for your set type
- Optional: a tape measure to set the distance
Scoring
- Ringer (the quoit rings the hob clean): 2 points in most common rule sets.
- Closest quoit to the hob that is not a ringer: 1 point.
- Only the side with the closest ring scores in an end, and cancellation applies, so matching ringers from each side cancel out.
- A leaner or a quoit resting against the hob counts as the nearest ring (1 point), not as a ringer.
- First side to reach the agreed total (commonly 21) wins. Some clubs play exactly 21 with a bust if you go over, so agree beforehand.
How to play
- Set up the hobs. Stand the hob (the target pin) upright. For a two-hob game, set a second hob at the pitching distance so players throw back and forth between them. Heavier steel quoits land in a clay or sand bed around each hob; rope and rubber sets play straight on the lawn.
- Decide who pitches first. Flip a coin or play a quick toss-off. The winner pitches first in the opening end, and after that whoever scored last pitches first.
- Pitch both quoits. Standing at one hob, the first player pitches both of their rings one at a time at the far hob, trying to ring it or land as close as possible. Then the opponent pitches their two rings at the same hob.
- Score the end. Walk down and see whose rings landed closest. Count up the points, using cancellation so only the leading side banks the difference, then clear the rings. That completes one end.
- Pitch back the other way. Now both players pitch from the far hob back toward the first one. Keep alternating ends, pitching back and forth, end after end.
- Play to the finish. Keep pitching and stacking points until a side reaches the winning total. Most backyard games play to 21, and many clubs play to 21 as well. Agree on the number before the first pitch.
Set it up
Pitching distance depends on your set. Traditional steel quoits are pitched at about 18 to 21 feet between hobs (English long-game quoits use 18 yards, but that is a serious club distance most backyards skip). Rope and rubber-ring garden sets are usually played at roughly 8 to 15 feet, which you can shorten for kids. The hob stands a few inches proud of the ground (or its clay bed). Always set both hobs the same distance apart.