How to Play Crokinole

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Crokinole is a tabletop disc-flicking game played on a large circular wooden board divided into concentric scoring rings. Two or four players take turns shooting discs from the outer edge, trying to land in high-value zones or knock opponents' discs off the board entirely. The play is fast, tactically rich, and satisfying in a way that rewards both precision and cunning.

The game is popular at family gatherings, games nights, and community clubs, particularly across Canada where competitive leagues are well established. The boards are substantial pieces of craftsmanship and tend to become prized household objects in their own right. It crosses age groups unusually well: younger children can join in quickly, while adults find genuine strategic depth.

A little history

The origins of Crokinole are unclear, and several communities have made competing claims to its invention. The most widely cited documented example is a board dated 1876, associated with Ontario, Canada, which is held in a Canadian museum. The game shares mechanical similarities with older European finger-billiards and carrom traditions, suggesting influences may have arrived with settlers, though a definitive chain of origin has not been established. It remained largely a North American regional pastime for most of the twentieth century before growing international interest from the 1990s onwards brought it to a wider audience.

Setting up

1. Place the board on a stable table at a comfortable height for all players.
2. In a two-player game, each player takes one set of 12 discs (one colour each). In a four-player game, partners sit opposite each other and share a colour, 12 discs per team.
3. Decide who shoots first. A coin toss or mutual agreement works; in organised play the winner of the previous round shoots last in the next.
4. Each player or team keeps their discs in front of their shooting segment. The board should be oriented so every player has a clearly designated quadrant from which they must shoot.

How to play

1. Players alternate shooting one disc per turn, beginning with the player or team who goes first that round. In a four-player game, teammates alternate with opponents so turns cycle: Team A, Team B, Team A, Team B.
2. To shoot, place your disc anywhere within your shooting area (the outermost ring or designated zone on your quadrant). At least one finger must be touching the disc. Flick it with a single finger from your other hand, or push it with a thumb. You must remain in your seat and not reach across the board.
3. If no opponent disc is currently on the board, you may aim anywhere. Your disc must reach the 15-point zone (the second ring in from the outside) or it is immediately removed from the board.
4. If one or more opponent discs are on the board when you shoot, your disc must contact at least one opponent disc. If it fails to do so, your disc is removed from the board. Any opponent discs disturbed by an illegal shot are returned to their original positions.
5. A disc that lands cleanly in the centre hole scores 20 points and is removed from the board and placed in the centre hole cup or set aside. It cannot be knocked out once holed.
6. After all 24 discs have been shot (each player or team having shot all 12 of theirs), scoring takes place for that round.
7. Only one side scores per round. Count the point value of every disc remaining on the board for each side. Subtract the lower total from the higher total. The difference is the number of points awarded to the leading side. If scores are equal, no points are awarded for that round.
8. Add any 20-point centre-hole discs to each side's total before calculating the difference.
9. Collect all discs, and begin the next round. The side that did not score in the previous round shoots first in the new round. If no one scored, the same player or team who shot first shoots first again.
10. Continue playing rounds until one side reaches or exceeds the agreed winning total, commonly 100 points.

Winning and scoring

The standard winning target is 100 points, reached across multiple rounds. Only the leading side scores each round, and they score only the difference between the two sides' totals, not their gross tally. For example, if one side has discs worth 35 points on the board and their opponents have discs worth 15 points, the leading side scores 20 points that round. Centre-hole scores of 20 are counted per disc holed and added before the subtraction is applied. The first side to reach 100 points wins the game. Some groups play to 50 or agree a fixed number of rounds instead, tallying totals at the end.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns the shooting line rule: a disc must be entirely within the shooting quadrant before the shot and the shooter's body must not cross over the board's outer edge. If a disc is placed partially outside the shooting area or the shooter leans over the board, the shot is invalid and the disc is removed. If the shot disturbs any opponent discs, those are returned to their positions as accurately as possible. Players should agree before the game starts on who will adjudicate positional disputes; in organised play a neutral referee is preferred.

A second frequent question involves discs on the line between scoring zones. The standard ruling is that a disc must be fully inside a zone to score that zone's value. If any part of the disc touches the line, it scores the lower value. The centre hole is an exception: a disc that is resting partly in and partly out of the hole has not been holed cleanly and scores only the ring value it is sitting in, not 20. Discs that leave the board entirely are out of play for that round and score nothing.

How to win more often

• Prioritise the centre hole early in a round. A holed disc scores 20 points and is completely safe from being dislodged, so building a lead in hole shots forces your opponent into riskier play.
• When opponent discs are on the board, aim to cannon off them and still land in a high-value zone rather than simply knocking them off the edge. A well-placed hit scores for you and removes them simultaneously.
• In four-player games, talk with your partner between rounds to agree on a plan. One partner can set up discs in useful positions while the other focuses on aggressive clearing shots.
• Do not always shoot for the centre. If your opponent has several discs in the 15-point ring, clearing them while staying in the 10-point zone may yield a better net score than a missed centre attempt that leaves your disc vulnerable.
• Control your weight of shot. The board surface matters more than direction on most shots. Practise so you know exactly how hard you need to flick to stop a disc in each scoring zone rather than bouncing it out.

Variations

Three-Player Crokinole

Three players each take 8 discs and shoot from their own third of the board's outer edge. Scoring works the same way but is calculated individually: the player with the highest total on the board scores the difference against each opponent separately, so it is possible for two players to score in the same round. This variant is less common than two or four-player formats because the board geometry slightly favours certain shooting angles, but it is a practical and enjoyable option when three people want to play.

Nines (Single-Round Scoring)

Rather than playing to a cumulative target, players compete over a fixed number of rounds, typically nine, and total their scores at the end. This format suits casual play or situations where time is limited, and it rewards consistent performance over a full session rather than a single decisive run of good shooting.

Strict Tournament Rules

Competitive events typically enforce additional rules: a fixed disc size and weight standard, a required shooting finger technique (the disc must be shot cleanly with one finger, not pushed or slid), and a formal shot clock to keep play moving. Discs touching the outer boundary line are removed immediately rather than left in play. If you play regularly with the same group, adopting some of these conventions tidies the game up considerably.

Gross Score Variant

Instead of scoring only the difference, each side scores their own gross total every round with no subtraction. Points accumulate faster, the game reaches the winning target sooner, and there is less incentive for purely defensive play. This variant suits younger players or anyone who finds the standard differential scoring method unintuitive at first.

Crokinole: frequently asked questions