How to Play Spinning the Trencher

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

Spinning the Trencher is a lively, physical parlour game for five or more players that needs nothing more than a flat floor, a wooden disc or plate, and a group willing to move fast and laugh at themselves. Players sit in a circle, one takes their turn spinning the trencher in the centre, and the scramble to catch it before it falls keeps energy levels high throughout.

Its appeal is its simplicity: no reading, no complicated scoring, and rounds take seconds rather than minutes, so the pace never drops. It works equally well at a children's party and an adults' gathering, and because forfeits can be tailored to the group, the game scales from gentle to raucous without changing a single rule.

A little history

Its origins are unclear, though games involving spinning platters or discs appear in Victorian and Edwardian accounts of parlour and drawing-room entertainments, and the game is widely documented in British games compendiums of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The name refers to a trencher, a flat wooden board historically used as a plate, which was the object traditionally spun. By the mid-twentieth century the game was a fixture of children's party guides, though the core mechanics appear to have changed very little from early recorded descriptions.

Setting up

1. Clear a space of at least two metres across on a hard, smooth floor. Carpet slows the spin considerably and is best avoided.
2. Players sit or stand in a circle around the space, evenly spaced so no one has an unfair distance to the centre.
3. Number or name every player. Each player must know their own name or number and everyone else's before play begins.
4. Agree the forfeit system before the first spin: either a fixed forfeit for every failure (a song, a challenge, a point against) or an elimination format.

How to play

1. One player is chosen as the first spinner, either by agreement or by drawing lots.
2. The spinner takes the trencher to the centre of the circle, stands it on its edge, and spins it as fast as they can so it rotates freely in place.
3. The instant the trencher is spinning, the spinner calls out the name or number of one other player in the circle.
4. The named player must dash to the centre and grab the trencher with at least one hand before it falls flat on the floor.
5. If the named player catches or stops the trencher successfully, they become the next spinner and take the trencher back to the centre to spin again.
6. If the trencher falls before the named player reaches it, that player earns a forfeit. The original spinner spins again and may call the same player or a different one.
7. A player may not call the name of the player who has just called them. All other names are fair game, including players who already hold forfeits.
8. If the spinner fails to produce a spin that stands freely for at least two full rotations, the spin does not count and must be retaken. Other players and a non-playing judge (if present) call this.
9. Forfeits are carried out at the end of the game, or immediately after each failure, depending on the format agreed at setup.
10. Play continues until a set time is reached, a set number of rounds is completed, or players are eliminated on reaching a agreed forfeit limit.

Winning and scoring

In the forfeit format, the player with the fewest forfeits at the end of play wins. In the event of a tie, tied players each spin once more and the one whose trencher spins longest decides the winner. In an elimination format, any player who accumulates the agreed number of forfeits (commonly three) is out; the last player remaining wins. Where forfeits are tasks rather than points, the game is often played for the fun of the forfeits themselves rather than a declared winner, which is entirely traditional and perfectly valid.

The fine points

The most common dispute is whether the trencher counts as caught if a player touches it but cannot prevent it falling. The standard ruling is clear: the trencher must be stopped from falling. A touch that fails to halt the fall is a miss, and the forfeit stands. Players should agree this before the first spin to avoid argument mid-game.

A second common point of contention is the quality of the spin. If a trencher is placed rather than spun, or wobbles to a stop almost immediately, the named player has no fair chance. The group or a non-playing referee should call a re-spin without penalty to either player. Similarly, if the spinner calls a name before the trencher is visibly rotating freely, the call is void and the spin is retaken. In all cases, a calm majority vote resolves the dispute if no referee is present.

How to win more often

• Spin the trencher as fast as you can manage rather than just fast enough. A faster spin gives you a fraction more time to call the name clearly and gives the named player less margin for error.
• Call names unpredictably. If you keep returning to the same two or three players, others relax and stop watching the centre carefully. Keep everyone alert by spreading calls evenly, then surprising with a repeat.
• Stand close to the spinner during other players' turns without being obviously poised. Moving from standing to running is faster than moving from sitting, and a short head start on a stumbling player often saves the forfeit.
• Watch the trencher's lean as it slows. A trencher tips in a predictable direction as it loses momentum; approach from that side so you can scoop it up with minimal wrist movement rather than lunging across your body.
• If you are the spinner and hold no forfeits, consider calling a confident, fast player rather than an easy target. A failed catch by a strong player still earns them a forfeit, and calling only slower or younger players will be noticed and resented, which changes the atmosphere of the whole game.

Variations

Numbered Trencher

Instead of assigning names, each player is given a number and the numbers are also written on slips of paper placed face-down in the centre. The spinner picks a slip at random, reads the number aloud, and that player must catch the trencher. This removes the spinner's ability to target specific players and makes every round genuinely unpredictable. It is particularly good for groups where age or ability differences are wide.

Double Call

The spinner calls two names simultaneously. Both named players race to the centre, but only the first to touch the trencher is safe. The slower of the two earns the forfeit, even if the trencher is still spinning when they arrive. This variant raises the physical energy considerably and works best with older children and adults on a clear, safe floor.

Reverse Trencher

In this variant the named player does not try to catch the trencher: they must run around the outside of the entire circle and return to their place before the trencher falls. The spinner has an interest in a strong spin, and the named player has an interest in a short circuit. This version rewards agility over reaction speed and suits players who find the sprint to the centre too brief to enjoy.

Forfeit Auction

Forfeits are not carried out immediately. Instead, each failed catch earns the player a token. At the end of the session all tokens are counted and players with tokens must perform forfeits in descending order, with the player holding the most tokens going first and choosing from a pre-agreed list. This keeps the game moving quickly and saves the theatrical part for the end of the evening.

Spinning the Trencher: frequently asked questions