Here is a great video that explains the game of Kubb from our friend and sponsor Country Kubb. Official rules can be found here.


Short Rules Description (from U.S. National Kubb Championship)

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. Starting in 2015, the U.S. Championship began to use the 2, 4, 6 open. Team A throws two batons (two different players have to throw). Team B then throws four batons. Team A then throws six batons, and six batons are then used through the remainder of the game. The game begins with the first team throwing their batons from behind their baseline, attempting to knock down the kubbs on the opposite baseline. Batons may rotate vertically when thrown.

Once all the batons are thrown, the opposing team gathers any kubbs that were knocked down. That team throws 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 within 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 opponents 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. In tournament play, matches are often best-of-three games.

The East Coast Kubb Championship and most other U.S. tournaments play with the official U.S. National Kubb Championship Rules. The U.S. Championship rules were developed from the World Championship rules. It is the most in-depth kubb rules document in the world. Some phases and situations in kubb can be complicated and potentially indefinable by any ruleset. If a situation is not covered in these rules, the decision shall be made in accordance with fairness, with decisions being influenced by the spirit of the game. Often a logical extension of the closest existing rule or the principles embodied in the rules will provide guidance for determining the resolution.

For tournaments, the below dimensions are used:

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