Rules Document

The below PDF document is the official rules and is authorized by the U.S. National Kubb Championship. The rules have been designed to promote a fair and enjoyable tournament environment for all kubb players, regardless of age, sex, or ability. The spirit of the game of kubb demands good sportsmanship, courtesy, and honorable conduct. The spirit should influence both the interpretation and application of the rules of the game and conduct of the participants.

Most sets sold in stores and online have smaller game pieces than tournament sized sets. Before purchasing, make sure to look at the dimensions compared to the tournament sizes below. Some may even say they are tournament size, but they are not. 

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US National Kubb Championship_Rules_v4.0

Rules Description
The following is a quick description of the rules:
The corner stakes are placed so that a rectangle is formed, measuring 5m x 8m. The center stakes are placed in the middle of the sidelines. The king is placed upright in the center of the pitch, and five kubbs are placed on each baseline. The pitch is ready for play. The teams determine which team throws first and which side each team will be on. Team A throws two batons (two different players have to throw). Team B then throws four batons (at least three different players have to throw). Team A then throws six batons, and six batons are then used through the remainder of the game. Batons must rotate within 30 degrees of vertical when thrown. 

Once all the batons are thrown, the opposing team gathers any kubbs that were knocked down. That team throws (inkasts) them back across to the other half of the pitch (the opponent’s side of the field). Kubbs thrown back into play are called field kubbs, and are raised by the first team where they came to rest. If a kubb comes to rest outside of the field of play, the team is allowed to throw that kubb again, after all kubbs have been thrown. If that kubb comes to rest outside the field of play a second time, it becomes a punishment kubb, and the other team is allowed to place it wherever they would like outside of one baton length of the king or marking stakes. The second team then throws their batons, first attempting to knock down any field kubbs, then the kubbs on the baseline, then the king.

If they are unable to knock down all of their kubbs and the king, then the first team picks up all knocked down kubbs, throws them into play as field kubbs, and then tries to knock them over with the batons. Play continues until the game ends. If at any time a team does not knock down all the field kubbs in their opponents half of the pitch, the other team is allowed to move up to the kubb closest to the center line and throw their batons from that new line. Kubbs and baton throws at the king are always thrown from the baseline.

The game is won by the team who knocks down all the kubbs in their opponent's half of the field and on the baseline then knocks over the king. However, if a team knocks down the king prior to knocking down all the kubbs, then that team immediately loses the game. 

For tournaments, the below dimensions are used:
Pitch: 5m wide x 8m long.
One King: 8x8x25cm to 9x9x30cm
Ten kubbs: 7x7x15cm.
Six batons: diameter 4.4cm, length 30cm.
Four corner stakes and two mid-pitch stakes

For recreational play and differing skill levels, pitch dimensions can vary.

Note: There is no official kubb set of all the tournaments in the U.S., however, all tournaments in the U.S. play with standard size sets, as listed above. The U.S. National Kubb Championship uses JP's Backyard Games sets. In Eau Claire, JP's Backyard Games sets can be found at Chippewa Valley Sporting Goods and the Volume One The Local Store.

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