Shuffleboard Rules

How they differ

• Surface and equipment

  Outdoor shuffleboard

  Painted court, cue and flat discs

  Table shuffleboard

  Waxed wooden table and hand-sized weights

• How pieces move

  Outdoor shuffleboard

  Push discs with a cue

  Table shuffleboard

  Slide weights by hand

• Who scores

  Outdoor shuffleboard

  Both sides can score in a half-frame

  Table shuffleboard

  Only the side with the leading weight scores

• Scoring shape

  Outdoor shuffleboard

  Numbered triangle with a penalty area

  Table shuffleboard

  Bands at the far end with a hanger bonus

• Rules used here

  Outdoor shuffleboard

  Arizona fixed-frame game on an NSA court

  Table shuffleboard

  Federation singles and partner Knock-Off

• Winning condition

  Outdoor shuffleboard

  Highest score after the scheduled frames

  Table shuffleboard

  15 points; doubles sometimes 21; events may publish another total

Count the pieces where they finish

On the court: count both colours

An outdoor set has 8 discs. Players deliver their discs toward the scoring triangle and count the eligible resting discs at the end of the half-frame. A disc must sit wholly inside a scoring zone to earn that zone’s value; touching a scoring line earns no zone value. A disc wholly inside the penalty area scores -10 points for its own side.

You can move a disc with a later shot, including pushing an opponent into the penalty area. Count after the last shot. See court scoring and fouls.

On the table: find the leading weight

A table set has 8 weights. Only the side with the leading weight scores, and only its weights ahead of the opponent’s best weight qualify. A weight in a high-value band can earn nothing if an opponent has a better position.

The bands also use a different line test: a weight must clear a scoring line to earn the higher value. A weight that does not finish completely beyond the short foul line comes off. See the table scoring rules for hangers and tied positions before lifting the weights.

Starting order and finish

Outdoor shuffleboard

Under the December 2025 Arizona code, yellow leads the opening frame and the colour lead alternates after every frame, regardless of who scored.

The court page follows the Arizona game on an NSA court: Highest score after 12 Arizona frames. The page also explains the state-final qualifier.

The NSA sets no playing rules of its own; every National Tournament follows the rules of its host state, so the winning target changes by state.

Table shuffleboard

In the selected Federation 2024 singles and partner format, the non-hammer side shoots first and sides alternate one weight at a time. After a scoring frame the scoring side shoots first next; after a blank the previous hammer side shoots first, so hammer still switches.

The hammer is the last shot of the frame. Games go to 15 points; doubles sometimes 21; events may publish another total (Federation general rules, How to Play Table Shuffleboard; Federation table spec, §6.1). The table page also covers the older NASC format and Horse Collar.

Space for either game

For setup space: McClure's own guidance suggests at least 2 ft behind each end, though its room-length chart lists 2.5 ft as the per-end minimum and 3 ft as comfortable; more is not needed. The NSA court runs 52 ft (15.85 m) long by 6 ft (1.83 m) wide, plus room to walk each side. See court and table dimensions for the full comparison.