How To Play Table Skittles
Teams consist of eight players who play in pairs against each other. Each pair plays three games or legs.
The players of each pair take it in turns to play, first one from one team, and then one from the other. When all four players have played, the first player plays again, and so on until the leg is finished.
A game has four sets of three legs, so in total a game lasts twelve legs.
To win a game, a team must amass at least seven legs.
The away team throw first. One player in the pair goes to the table and has three throws.
The throw is taken by holding the ball in one hand and propelling it past the left-hand side of the pole, so that when the chain brings the ball back, it strikes the pins (or skittles) where the player desires.
Each game is played ‘91 down’, which means that the scores start at 91 for each pair and each of the player’s scores is subtracted from that until the winning pair reach exactly zero.
As there are nine skittles on the table, a single throw (also called a ball) can theoretically knock down (or take) all nine pins. This is called a flopper.
If this is the case, then all nine skittles are replaced. The player’s second throw could again take nine pins, and the third too, resulting in a maximum total score of 27 with each visit to the table. Any score of over nine is called a spare.
More likely, a player will hit fewer than nine skittles down with the first throw. In this case, the second throw is aimed at some or all of the remaining pins. If some skittles still remain after two throws, the third throw aims for those that still remain. If, however, the second throw completes the knocking down of all nine original skittles, then they are all replaced, and the third throw aims again at the full frame, with a potential maximum score for all three throws of 18.
There is no need to use all three throws to get out. If, for example, a player needs 6 to be ‘out’ – in other words, to reach zero - they can get this with either one, two, or all three of their throws. They do not need to throw any more when they have reached the score they need. If however, they bust – knock down more skittles than they needed – then the score that existed before any of their throws on that visit to the table remains on the scoreboard.
In cases where a pair is near to getting out, a player may decide not to score any more on his visit to the table to leave an easier ‘out shot’ – an easier score for getting out – for his partner. In this case, he is theoretically obliged to ‘throw it away’ – in other words, throw to deliberately miss. Most teams, however, accept it as read that a player can miss if required, and do not make the player throw the unwanted ball(s).
The first pair to get to exactly zero wins the leg. Clearly, the pair that starts first has an advantage, which is why the team that is away starts first. The team that is home is considered to have the counterbalancing advantage of ‘knowing their own board’.
In cup games, which are played on neutral boards, teams have ‘level throws’ – in other words, equal visits to the table. In cup games, therefore, legs can be tied, which is not the case in league games. A tied leg counts as half a point. Pairs toss to see who goes first, the winner having the choice to start or put the other in – ie, make them play first. The team that didn’t start the first leg starts the second leg, and the pairs toss again for the final leg.
The first team to reach seven legs becomes the winner. Six legs each is a draw. All twelve legs are played, in any game, so a team can win – or lose – 12-0. The league is scored as football used to be, with one point for a draw, and two for a win. Legs are recorded to separate teams on the same points, the way goal difference is in football.
If the score is drawn after all twelve legs in a cup game, a pair from each team is chosen to play again (they need not have partnered each other in the original game) and they play another three legs. If that is tied, a second pair from each team play three more legs, and after that the game needs to be replayed because it will be long past drinking-up time!
In individual matches, and in cup competitions involving pairs, the same rules apply as in team cup matches – level throws, the possibility of tied games and so on. In the event of a tie in these games after three legs, the game is decided by playing 31 down. If this is tied, another 31 down is played, and so on until a winner is found.
Teams consist of eight players who play in pairs against each other. Each pair plays three games or legs.
The players of each pair take it in turns to play, first one from one team, and then one from the other. When all four players have played, the first player plays again, and so on until the leg is finished.
A game has four sets of three legs, so in total a game lasts twelve legs.
To win a game, a team must amass at least seven legs.
The away team throw first. One player in the pair goes to the table and has three throws.
The throw is taken by holding the ball in one hand and propelling it past the left-hand side of the pole, so that when the chain brings the ball back, it strikes the pins (or skittles) where the player desires.
Each game is played ‘91 down’, which means that the scores start at 91 for each pair and each of the player’s scores is subtracted from that until the winning pair reach exactly zero.
As there are nine skittles on the table, a single throw (also called a ball) can theoretically knock down (or take) all nine pins. This is called a flopper.
If this is the case, then all nine skittles are replaced. The player’s second throw could again take nine pins, and the third too, resulting in a maximum total score of 27 with each visit to the table. Any score of over nine is called a spare.
More likely, a player will hit fewer than nine skittles down with the first throw. In this case, the second throw is aimed at some or all of the remaining pins. If some skittles still remain after two throws, the third throw aims for those that still remain. If, however, the second throw completes the knocking down of all nine original skittles, then they are all replaced, and the third throw aims again at the full frame, with a potential maximum score for all three throws of 18.
There is no need to use all three throws to get out. If, for example, a player needs 6 to be ‘out’ – in other words, to reach zero - they can get this with either one, two, or all three of their throws. They do not need to throw any more when they have reached the score they need. If however, they bust – knock down more skittles than they needed – then the score that existed before any of their throws on that visit to the table remains on the scoreboard.
In cases where a pair is near to getting out, a player may decide not to score any more on his visit to the table to leave an easier ‘out shot’ – an easier score for getting out – for his partner. In this case, he is theoretically obliged to ‘throw it away’ – in other words, throw to deliberately miss. Most teams, however, accept it as read that a player can miss if required, and do not make the player throw the unwanted ball(s).
The first pair to get to exactly zero wins the leg. Clearly, the pair that starts first has an advantage, which is why the team that is away starts first. The team that is home is considered to have the counterbalancing advantage of ‘knowing their own board’.
In cup games, which are played on neutral boards, teams have ‘level throws’ – in other words, equal visits to the table. In cup games, therefore, legs can be tied, which is not the case in league games. A tied leg counts as half a point. Pairs toss to see who goes first, the winner having the choice to start or put the other in – ie, make them play first. The team that didn’t start the first leg starts the second leg, and the pairs toss again for the final leg.
The first team to reach seven legs becomes the winner. Six legs each is a draw. All twelve legs are played, in any game, so a team can win – or lose – 12-0. The league is scored as football used to be, with one point for a draw, and two for a win. Legs are recorded to separate teams on the same points, the way goal difference is in football.
If the score is drawn after all twelve legs in a cup game, a pair from each team is chosen to play again (they need not have partnered each other in the original game) and they play another three legs. If that is tied, a second pair from each team play three more legs, and after that the game needs to be replayed because it will be long past drinking-up time!
In individual matches, and in cup competitions involving pairs, the same rules apply as in team cup matches – level throws, the possibility of tied games and so on. In the event of a tie in these games after three legs, the game is decided by playing 31 down. If this is tied, another 31 down is played, and so on until a winner is found.