Resources

Rules

Goal:

  • The game ends when all discs have been shot and the player with the most points wins.

Setup:

  • Players sit across the board from one another in opposite quadrants (between two diagonals).
  • Assign a color to each player and give each player 8 discs of this color. These should be set to the side of the board off of the play surface.
  • Once play begins neither player may move the board or their chair. A player may shift in their chair but a portion of their backside must remain in contact with the chair throughout the game.

Gameplay:

  • The shooter places a single disc of their color between their quadrant’s diagonal lines at least partially resting on the outermost (“shooting”) line. Note: A disc may overlap the diagonal.
  • The player shoots by flicking the disc with a finger of one hand.
  • Each valid shot is left where it comes to rest on the board. Invalid shots, and discs touching the shooting line, are removed from play immediately following each shot and score no points.
    • If opposing discs are on the board a valid shot causes one of the shooting player’s discs to strike an opposing disc. The shot disc does not need to strike an opposing disc so long as it causes another disc of the shooter to do so.
    • If no opposing discs are on the board a valid shot causes one of the shooting player’s discs to come to rest at least partially within the inner circular line (“15 line”). The shot disc does not need to rest within the 15 line so long as it causes another disc of the shooter to do so.  
    • The invalid disc, and any of the shooting player’s discs which were touched by the shot disc, are removed from play and score no points. 
  • Discs resting flat and entirely within the central hole (“20-hole”) after a valid shot are immediately removed and set aside to score the player 20 points at final scoring. Discs in the 20-hole due to an invalid shot are removed but score no points. Note: The removed disc is not shot again and does not change the total number of shots that a player takes. 
  • Play continues with shots alternating between players until both players shoot all 8 of their discs at which point the game is scored.

Final Scoring:

  • Discs entirely within the inner most circular line, but not in the 20-hole, score 15 points each.
  • Discs entirely between the inner most circular line and the intermediate/middle circular line score 10 points each.
  • Discs entirely between the intermediate/middle circular line and the shooting line score 5 points each. 
  • A disc touching a line is scored as the lower value.
  • Sum the score from each disc and add 20 points for each disc which was removed from the 20-hole to calculate the player’s final score.
  • If the players’ scores are tied the player with the greater number of discs removed from the 20-hole is the winner.
Equipment and Accessories

Board:

After a few games of crokinole you’ll quickly find yourself wondering if you should get a board of your own, the answer is yes! Now that you’ve come to the correct conclusion here are some things to consider:

  • Size: The modern standard for crokinole boards is a 26 inch diameter play area. Some creators currently provide 24 inch diameter boards but they are in the minority and these boards are not used in competitive crokinole. Older and homemade boards may be even more variable in dimension. Much smaller novelty boards (~20 in) exist but are probably not the best choice for a first board without a compelling reason.
  • Shape: Boards are typically either circular or octagonal, the circular construction is much preferable. The octagonal design is easier to manufacture but the distance from the side rail (where the shooting hand rests) to the shooting line is variable. With the circular design that distance is a constant which allows for more consistent shooting.
  • Pegs: The material of the 8 pegs dividing the 15 point zone from the 10 point zone varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and can have a significant impact on play. Typically pegs are either wood or metal and either variety may be wrapped with rubber tubing. Wooden pegs generally have less rebound than metal with or without a rubber sleeve. The tournament standard is a metal peg with a rubber sleeve.
  • Make vs Buy: Making a crokinole board is not for everyone, the boards are expensive for a reason and this is in no small part due to the specialized equipment and labor required. If you have the expertise, give making a board a try but for 95% of players the fastest and cheapest way to play crokinole will be on a board that they buy from an established manufacturer.   
Hilinski board with routed line highlight
Hilinski board – note routed (slightly depressed) lines and raised “easy out” button in 20 hole.

Major Manufacturers:

  • Tracey Boards
    • High volume manufacturer of very high quality boards. Boards are used in competitive/professional crokinole tournaments. Excellent quality, reputation and customer service. Less design/style variation than some other manufacturers. Boards ship from Canada.
  • Muzzies Crokinole
    • Excellent quality boards, comparable to Tracey designs in play. Wide variety of beautiful designs and variations. Boards ship from Canada.
  • BrownCastle Games
    • Excellent quality boards from a newer manufacturer. Several variations in color available. Great deals on crokinole “bundles” which combine a board, bag, discs and other accessories. Boards ship from US.
  • Wooden You Know
    • Smaller manufacturer with excellent testimonials and reported customer service. Many custom options. Boards ship from US.
  • Mayday
    • Introductory boards with a spotty record of quality control and customer service. The boards are significantly less expensive than most other manufacturers but the play surface is notably slower in real play conditions. Ships from US, manufactured overseas.
  • Woodestic
    • High quality boards with good reputation for customer service and many options for customization. Ships from EU.
  • Hilinski
    • Long time manufacturer of high quality boards. Boards have some non-standard features such as routed lines and a central bump in the 20 hole. Unfortunately does not appear to be taking active orders. Ships from Canada.

Discs:

Standard discs (aka pucks, stones, biscuits) are wooden and measure 1 and 1/8th inches in diameter and 3/8th inches thick with a weight of approximately 6 g. The discs have concave and convex sides as a result of the manufacturing process. The difference is difficult to feel but is obvious when the disc is spun on each of its flat faces. The side that spins more easily is the convex side. Shots can be made with either side but the disc may slide differently so paying attention to which side is down may lead to more consistent shots.

More recently alternative materials (resin) have been offered which offer more options for customization/style but play and slide slightly differently than the traditional wood option.

Most of the above board manufacturers also offer discs either as a solo accessory or as part of a bundle. Disc colors should be purchased in sets of at least 12 to allow for doubles play (2v2) as well as 1v1 matches and you will need two different colors in order to play (24 discs total).

Bag/Storage:

There is no getting around it, boards are heavy and awkward to carry. A bag protects the play surface from the elements and is much easier to carry than the board itself. Many board manufacturers offer bags of varying quality that can be bought with the board. Alternatively, cymbal or gong bags are available in sizes suitable for crokinole boards and may be cheaper than the dedicated offerings.

An additional pocket or two for holding accessories are a nice addition to many bags. It is also worth paying attention to the fastening mechanism and how easy it is to remove the board from the bag.

Muzzies bag with top slider design and a single accessory pouch.

Wax:

Maintaining the board’s play surface is key for consistent shots. The surface is finished by manufacturers but this will degrade over time and with play leading to frustrating slow patches. In order to maintain the board’s surface it will eventually be necessary to wax the surface.

Carnauba waxes are the most commonly recommended products for board maintenance and come in liquid and spray varieties. A popular wax is “California Gold” produced by Mothers. Regardless of the specific brand of wax used it is advisable to avoid “cleaner” waxes which may damage the board’s finish.

Miscellaneous:

Shuffleboard Powder

  • Powder may be placed in the ditch surrounding the play surface and applied to discs prior to each shot in order to reduce friction and improve the discs’ slide.

20 Holder

  • Small cylinders which rest on the side rail to display the 20’s made by each player. Clear materials much preferable to opaque.

Score Tracker

  • Wood or paper implement to keep track of the score within a round and/or across a match.

Disc Container

  • Sets of discs can be transported in draw string bags or in more rigid clam shell type containers.

Level

  • Circular air bubble levels are useful for quickly ensuring that the board and play surface are level. Particularly useful if you are transporting your board to a new location/tournament.

Lazy Susan

  • A lazy susan placed underneath the board allow rotation without requiring stretching or body movement when making shots. This is not legal in competitive play but is helpful during practice or in casual games.

“Hammer” Marker

  • The last shot in a crokinole round is the “hammer” and is a significant advantage for the player who shoots last. A Charm City Crokinole member created these tongue in cheek “hammer” markers to track which player goes last in each round.
Crokinole Community and Links

Competitive Crokinole

Forums/Community Discussion

  • BoardGameGeek – Long standing forum dedicated to crokinole. Years of reviews of board manufacturers as well as general discussion.
  • r/Crokinole – Lots of great pictures of custom boards with light crokinole discussion.

Skills Tips/Strategy

  • Tracey Boards – Tons of educational videos with crokinole strategy, tips and drills.
  • Crokinole Depot – Comprehensive site about all things crokinole. The skills page includes lots of interesting videos and shots to practice.

Clubs/Local Play