Official backgammon rules go far beyond how checkers move. In official tournaments, there are specific rules governing dice rolls, match clocks, the Doubling Cube, illegal moves, penalties, and even video review. The regulations of the International Backgammon Federation, or IBF, cover disciplines including Backgammon, Backgammon Blitz, Backgammon Doubles, Sprintgammon, Longgammon, and Longgammon Blitz.
What Is the Objective of Backgammon?
Backgammon is a mind sport played between two players using checkers and two dice on a dedicated board. The objective is to move all of your checkers according to the rules into the required final position and bear them off before your opponent.
A backgammon board has 24 points arranged in four groups of six. In standard backgammon, each player has 15 checkers.
When Does a Player's Turn End?
Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their checkers. In matches played with a clock, a player must press the clock button after completing the move. Once the turn has been passed, the opponent may pick up the dice and make the next roll.
Under IBF regulations, actions during a turn, including rolling the dice, moving checkers, operating the clock, and handling the Doubling Cube, must be performed with one hand.
Who Starts the Game?
To determine who starts, each player rolls one die. The player with the white or light-colored checkers rolls first, followed by the player with the black or dark-colored checkers. The player who rolls the higher number makes the opening move using the numbers shown on those two dice.
The starting player is determined again in the same way for each game of a match.
Rules for Moving Checkers in Backgammon
The number on each die indicates how many points a checker may move, and the numbers on the two dice are treated as two separate moves.
If a player rolls doubles, the number must be played four times. A player must use both numbers whenever possible or, in the case of doubles, make as many of the four moves as legally possible.
If only one of the two numbers can be played, that number must be used. If either number can be played individually but both cannot be used together, the player must play the higher number. If no legal move is available, the player loses the turn.
Hitting Checkers and Entering from the Bar
In Backgammon, a player may move a checker to an open point, a point occupied by their own checkers, or a point occupied by only one opposing checker.
When a checker lands on a point occupied by a single opposing checker, that checker is hit and placed on the Bar. A player with one or more checkers on the Bar must re-enter all of them before moving any other checker. If the required entry points are blocked and re-entry is impossible, the player loses the turn.
Rules for Bearing Off
A player may begin Bearing Off only after all 15 checkers have entered the Home Board.
Checkers are borne off according to the numbers rolled. If there is no checker on the point corresponding to a die number, the player may, under the conditions specified in the rules, bear off a checker from a lower point, provided there are no checkers remaining on higher points.
In Backgammon, Backgammon Blitz, Backgammon Doubles, and Sprintgammon, if a checker is hit during Bearing Off, the player must re-enter that checker, return it to the Home Board, and then continue Bearing Off. The first player to bear off all checkers wins the game.
Rules for Rolling the Dice
Under IBF regulations, dice must be rolled using a Baffle Box or a designated dice cup. Both dice must come to rest simultaneously on a flat playing surface.
If one or both dice leave the designated area, land on a checker, or fail to come to rest flat on the playing surface, the roll is invalid and the dice must be rolled again.
Rubbing the dice on the board, table, clothing, or other objects, hiding the dice from the opponent, referee, or camera, and deliberately setting the dice to particular numbers before rolling are also prohibited.
Interfering with an Opponent's Dice Roll
A player may not interfere with an opponent's roll. Contact with the dice, Baffle Box, or dice cup before the roll is complete may be considered interference. If an opponent interferes with a roll, IBF regulations allow the affected player to make any legal move of their choice.
Picking up the dice or beginning a roll before the opponent's turn has ended is also prohibited and may result in a warning and, for repeated violations, further penalties.
Match Clock Rules
In timed competitions, players must complete the match within the time specified by the tournament regulations. After making a move, the player must press the opponent's clock button with the same hand used to move the checkers and must not obstruct the opponent's access to the clock.
If a player forgets to press the clock, other people may not intervene. Only the opponent may remind the player.
Running out of controlled time means losing the match. In this situation, the opponent receives the points required to win the match. IBF regulations also specify separate conditions for certain special situations at the moment time expires.
How Does the Doubling Cube Work?
The Doubling Cube displays the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64. At the beginning of a game, the cube is centered and the initial value of the game is one point.
A player may offer a double on their turn before rolling the dice. Under IBF regulations, once a player picks up the cube, the double must be made and the player may not return the cube to its previous position.
If the opponent rejects the double, or Drops, the game ends. If the opponent accepts, the game continues at the new value and ownership of the cube passes to the player who accepted the double.
The cube may subsequently be Redoubled to 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64. IBF regulations do not set a limit on the number of Redoubles.
What Is the Crawford Rule?
When one player reaches Match Point, the Crawford rule applies for one game. During this game, the Doubling Cube is removed from play and neither player may double.
What Happens After an Illegal Move?
Moving a checker incorrectly, making an extra move, moving an opponent's checker, bearing off a checker incorrectly, or failing to place a hit checker on the Bar are examples of illegal moves.
In such situations, the opponent may accept the move as played or request that it be corrected. If a referee observes an illegal move, the referee may require the player to correct the error.
If the opponent makes their responding move, they lose the right to request correction of the previous move. If a player makes an illegal move and presses the clock, the opponent may restart that player's clock and require the error to be corrected using the offending player's own time.
Deliberately making an illegal move and starting the opponent's clock to gain additional thinking time is considered a serious violation.
Longgammon Rules
In Longgammon, each player has 15 checkers, but the starting setup and some movement rules differ from Backgammon. The initial arrangement of the checkers is called the Head, and moving a checker from this position is considered a move from the Head.
Normally, only one checker may be moved from the Head during a turn. There is an exception for the second player's first move: if that player rolls 3-3, 4-4, or 6-6, two checkers may be moved from the Head.
In Longgammon, a checker cannot be placed on a point occupied by an opposing checker. A six-point block may be created, but blocking all 15 opposing checkers is prohibited. Temporarily creating such a block during the course of a turn is also prohibited.
Backgammon Doubles Rules
Backgammon Doubles follows the rules of Backgammon, but each side consists of two players, and teammates are allowed to consult with one another.
During each game, only one of the two players on a team may roll the dice, move the checkers, and operate the Doubling Cube. Teammates may switch roles between games.
Sprintgammon Rules
Sprintgammon is one of the most distinctive disciplines defined in the IBF regulations. Each player has only three checkers, which are placed at the start of the game on points 24, 23, and 22 in the opponent's Home Board.
After this different starting setup, play continues according to the rules of Backgammon.
Break Rules During a Match
The number of permitted breaks depends on the length of the match. In 7-point or 9-point matches, each player is entitled to one break. In 11-point or 13-point matches, each player receives two breaks, while matches of 15 points or more allow three breaks per player.
In Sprintgammon, the two players have one shared break, which cannot be taken earlier than 45 minutes after the start of the match.
Breaks are not permitted in matches of 5 points or fewer, nor in Backgammon Blitz or Longgammon Blitz. A break may not last longer than five minutes.
Penalties for Players
A referee may impose penalties for violations of the rules, tournament regulations, or unsportsmanlike conduct, depending on the nature of the offense.
- Warning
- Reduction of the player's remaining time by up to half
- Adding time to the opponent's clock
- Deduction of one point
- Loss of a game
- Disqualification from the tournament by decision of the chief referee
The type of penalty depends on the nature of the violation and the referee's judgment. Deliberately dishonest play, including intentionally losing, may result in removal from the tournament and possible suspension.
Video Review in Tournaments
IBF regulations allow tournament matches to be recorded using equipment provided by the organizer. The organizer determines which tables are recorded and which matches are broadcast live.
When reviewing a dispute at the board, a referee may use a technical specialist and video footage of the match. The rules also provide consequences for unsuccessful review requests. If a player causes play to be stopped three times in one match to call a technical specialist for video review and all three reviews show that the player's claim was incorrect, that player loses the match.
Summary of Backgammon Rules
Understanding backgammon rules at tournament level involves much more than knowing the direction of checker movement and how to Bear Off. Clock management, correct dice procedures, the Doubling Cube, Crawford, illegal moves, and player conduct at the board can directly affect the result of a match.
For players planning to compete in official tournaments, studying the rules is just as important as practicing positions and technical decisions. Sometimes a match is decided not by a complicated move, but by whether one of these rules is followed or overlooked.