TallynightHow to keep score in shuffleboard
In table shuffleboard, a puck scores 1, 2 or 3 for the zone it stops in, and 4 if it hangs over the end. Only the side with the puck farthest down the table scores each frame, for every puck past the other side's best. Games go to 15, or to 21 in some doubles and casual games.
- Players
- 2 in singles, 4 in doubles
- Who wins
- First to 15, or 21 in some games
- Each frame
- 4 pucks a side, and only one side scores
- The hammer
- The last shot of the frame
What each puck scores
Score once all eight pucks have been shot. To judge a line, stand at the end of the table and look straight down over the puck.
| Where the puck stops | Points |
|---|---|
| Past the foul line, short of the 2 line | 1 |
| Completely past the 2 line | 2 |
| Completely past the 3 line, still on the table | 3 |
| Hanging over the end of the table, a hanger | 4 |
| Touching a line | The lower zone |
| Short of the foul line, or in the gutter | 0, and it comes off |
Most tables take off a puck that stops short of the foul line nearest the player. Some tournaments use the far foul line instead, so agree on it before you start.
Only the lead puck's side scores
When the frame ends, find the puck farthest down the table. Its side scores, and the other side scores nothing that frame.
The scoring side counts each of its pucks that's farther down than the other side's best puck, at its zone's value. A puck of yours that's behind their best scores nothing, even in the 3 zone. Knocking the other side's pucks off the table is part of the game.
Frames, ends and the hammer
Each side has four pucks, in two colours, and the sides take turns, one shot at a time, until all eight have been shot. That's a frame.
In singles, both players shoot from the same end, then walk to the other end, add up the score, and shoot back. In doubles, one player from each side stands at each end, so partners take alternate frames.
The last shot, the hammer, is the one to have, so the winner of the coin toss usually chooses to shoot second. After a frame, the side that scored shoots first in the next one, which gives the hammer to the other side. If nobody scored, the side that had the hammer shoots first.
How long a game lasts
Under the Shuffleboard Federation's rules, a game goes to 15. Some doubles games, and plenty of casual ones, go to 21. The first side to reach the target at the end of a frame wins, with no need to land on it exactly.
Deck shuffleboard
On a court, as on a cruise ship deck, players push discs with a cue towards a scoring triangle at the far end. The triangle is split into zones: 10 at the point, two 8s, two 7s, and 10 off in the strip across its base, called the kitchen.
A disc counts, for you or against you, only when it lies completely inside a zone without touching a line. Unlike table shuffleboard, both sides score every frame: add up your discs and take off 10 for each in the kitchen. Each side shoots four discs a frame, and the first to 75 wins. Some games play a set number of frames instead, such as 8, 12 or 16.
A scoring example
A singles game of table shuffleboard to 15. The third column lists the pucks that scored, by zone.
| Frame | Lead puck | Pucks that count | Frame goes to | Score, Ana to Ben |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ana's, in the 3 zone | 3 and 2 | Ana, 5 | 5 to 0 |
| 2 | Ben's hanger | 4 | Ben, 4 | 5 to 4 |
| 3 | Ana's, in the 2 zone | 2 | Ana, 2 | 7 to 4 |
| 4 | Ben's, in the 3 zone | 3, 3 and 1 | Ben, 7 | 7 to 11 |
| 5 | Ana's hanger | 4 and 3 | Ana, 7 | 14 to 11 |
| 6 | Ben's, in the 2 zone | 2 | Ben, 2 | 14 to 13 |
| 7 | Ana's, in the 3 zone | 3 | Ana, 3 | 17 to 13 |
| Final | Ana wins | 17 to 13 |
In frame 4, even Ben's puck in the 1 zone counted, because it was farther down than Ana's best. Ana passed 15 in frame 7 and finished on 17, which still wins.
Keep score for shuffleboard in Tallynight
Shuffleboard isn't one of Tallynight's built-in games yet, but it takes a minute to set up. Choose Something else, then Running score, "Add points as they happen", with Highest winning, and pick 1 · 2 · 5 points per tap. Add each side as a player.
Tap the star to add it to your favourites, then Start game. After each frame, add the points to the side that scored. Leave Play to a target off, and tap End game when a side reaches 15 or 21. For deck shuffleboard, tap each side's total and type its frame, with a minus sign for the kitchen.
- A big tile for each side, easy to read from the far end
- Points per tap of 1, 2 or 5
- Tap a total to type a whole frame, minus signs included
- Undo, and a scoring log to fix any frame
A Shuffleboard score sheet to print
Playing on paper tonight? Print a free Shuffleboard score sheet, or save it as a PDF.
Questions
How do you score shuffleboard?
In table shuffleboard, pucks score 1, 2 or 3 by zone, and 4 for a hanger. Only the side with the puck farthest down the table scores, for each of its pucks past the other side's best.
What is a hanger in shuffleboard?
A puck hanging over the end of the table. It's worth 4, the most a single puck can score.
What do you play to in shuffleboard?
15 under Shuffleboard Federation rules. Some doubles games, and plenty of casual ones, go to 21. Deck shuffleboard goes to 75.
What happens if a shuffleboard puck is on the line?
It scores the lower zone. A puck has to be completely past a line to score the higher number.
Who shoots first in the next frame of shuffleboard?
The side that scored, which gives the hammer, the last shot, to the other side. If nobody scored, the side that had the hammer shoots first.
How do you score deck shuffleboard?
Discs score 10, 8 or 7 by the zone they stop in, and a disc in the kitchen costs 10. A disc touching a line doesn't count. Both sides score every frame, and the first to 75 wins.