Backgammon rules: printable one-page version

Backgammon rules

Goal

Move all 15 of your checkers into your home board, then bear them off. The first player to bear off all 15 wins.

Setup

The board has 24 points, numbered 1 to 24 from your side (your 1-point is the last point before bearing off). Each player places 2 checkers on their 24-point, 5 on their 13-point, 3 on their 8-point and 5 on their 6-point. You move from 24 toward 1; your opponent moves the opposite way. See board setup.

Starting

Each player rolls one die. The higher number goes first and plays the two dice just rolled. Ties are rolled again.

Moving

• Roll two dice; each die is a separate move of that many points. One checker may use both dice.
• A checker may land on an empty point, a point with your own checkers, or a point with one opposing checker. It may not land on a point with two or more opposing checkers.
• Doubles are played four times: 4-4 is four moves of 4.
• You must use both dice if you legally can. If only one can be played, play it; if either but not both, play the larger. If neither, the turn is lost.

Hitting and the bar

• A single checker on a point is a blot. Landing on an opponent's blot hits it: it goes to the bar in the middle.
• A player with a checker on the bar must enter it into the opponent's home board before making any other move: a 1 enters on the opponent's 1-point (your 24-point), a 6 on their 6-point.
• If the entry points are blocked, the turn is lost.

Bearing off

• Only when all 15 of your checkers are in your home board (points 1–6).
• A die removes a checker from the matching point: a 4 from the 4-point. You may instead move a checker inside the home board.
• If no checker is on the rolled point or higher, take one off the highest occupied point.
• If a checker is hit during bearing off, it must re-enter and come all the way home before bearing off continues.

Scoring

• Single game: 1 point (times the cube).
• Gammon: 2 points if the loser has borne off no checkers.
• Backgammon: 3 points if the loser has borne off none and still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board.

Doubling cube

• Before rolling, a player may offer to double the stakes. The opponent either takes (plays on for double, and owns the cube) or drops (concedes at the current value).
• Only the cube's owner may make the next double: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64.
• In matches, the Crawford rule applies: no doubling in the one game after a player first reaches one point short of winning.

From Backgammon Lounge · backgammonlounge.com/printable-rules/