Shuffleboard Table

In tabletop shuffleboard, players slide weighted pucks down the length of the table in an attempt to score the most points. A player often will try to use his puck to knock one of the opponent's pucks out of the scoring area or off the table surface. It is similar to the type of shuffleboard played on cruise ships, but the pucks are shot by hand in tabletop shuffleboard instead of pushed along the deck with a cue stick. Identification Shuffleboard tables come in many lengths between 8 and 22 feet. The width remains a standard 20 inches and the height should be around 30 inches to allow players to comfortably shoot the pucks. The table's surface is made from polished wood and can be coated with silicone wax to make the pucks slide better. Players Tabletop shuffleboard can be a two-player or a four-player game. In singles play, the players stand at the same end of the table and take turns shooting their four pucks. After the round is over, the players walk to the other end and shoot their pucks back down the table until someone wins the frame. When playing doubles, one member of each team stands at each end of the table. Each pair of competitors alternates shooting their pucks down to the other end of the table. Scoring Areas The scoring area at each end of the shuffleboard table is divided into three sections. The section closest to the edge is worth three points and the middle section is worth two points. The section closest to the middle of the table is four times as long as the other two sections and is only worth one point. A puck hanging over the end of the table is worth four points. Awarding Points After all eight pucks have been shot, check to see which player has made it closest to the end of the table without falling off. This player is awarded points for each of his pucks that has gone farther than the opponent's best shot. For example, if a blue puck is closest to the edge and sitting in the three-point section and a red puck is in the two-point section, the blue player will earn three points for the round and the red player will earn none. Length of Match Tabletop shuffleboard matches consist of a series of frames, usually in a best-of-three frame or best-of-five frame format. The length of the frame depends on whether it is a singles or doubles match. In a singles match, the first player to earn 11 points wins the frame. A doubles team must earn 21 points to win a frame.