About Backgammon
The aim of backgammon is to move all of a player's pieces into their own home board and then bear them off before the opponent.
Follow these backgammon rules and you're sure to enjoy a fair and pleasurable backgammon tournament.
Please remember, any violation of the customary standard of tournament behavior by a player can cause exclusion from the tournament.
To participate in a backgammon tournament, each player is responsible to be on time. Please check to see if there are any changes to the tournament times, this is the responsibility of the players. If a tournament time changed, you are eligible to join another tournament that is convenient for you.
Starting the backgammon game
The doubling cube is in the middle of the backgammon board at the start of each game.
Game breaks
Throughout the tournament, each player will be allowed two breaks during each match.
Playing Backgammon
The choice of direction of play, checker color and determining who rolls first is decided by a roll of the dice before play starts. Once decided, they remain constant during the match.
To begin the game, both players roll only one of the dice. Then the two dice are used by the player who rolled the higher number.
Both dice are placed in the dice cup and shaken and then rolled. Players may switch dice before the start of a game. Once a game is starts, the dice may not be changed.
Players roll to the board on their right. Cocked dice are rolled again.
Before rolling the dice, a player may double. To double, a player moves the cube from the middle tells of their intention to double. To accept a double or re-double, you place the cube on your opponent's side of the board, and tell your opponent of your intention to take. A player can refuse a double or re-double by telling of their intent to pass. Automatic doubles are not allowed.
A move is completed when a player picks up one or two dice. If a player tells their opponent Players must wait to roll or double until after their opponent picked up their dice.
In the case of a misplay, after a player has already picked up their dice, their opponent can still point out the misplay and demand that the move be re-played legally. The misplay stands if the opponent does not point to the misplay, or either rolls or doubles.
A player hitting a checker must remove that checker and place it on the bar.
In the event of a checker off the board during play time before one player reached bearing off, the play continues with fourteen checkers. The player with only fourteen checkers can still be defeated at gammon or backgammon.
Keeping Score
The Crawford Rule applies to all matches. When a player is only one point away from match score (such as, four points in a five-point match), for one game only, the doubling cube is not used. In the next games, there the doubling cube is used normally.
Gammons and backgammons are counted all the time, even if the cube has not been turned.
Time Limits
If a player thinks that their opponent is taking an undue long time to play, Gammon World will time them out. If after examination, the director determines that a player is continually exceeding the accepted time limits, a warning is issued. If it continues, penalty points are given to the offending player.
