The way we play

We follow international conventions for playing backgammon which are standardised in the UK by the UK Backgammon Federation. The key points are use of the doubling cube, the crawford rule, and clocks. We've outlined these below. If you come to play at Ealing and aren't sure of any of the etiquette and rules, we'll help you every step of the way.

BGiE Code of Conduct

Respect other players, their safety and wellbeing, and treat others the way you would wish to be treated yourself.

Adhere to the club rules, regulations, and time constraints, and always exhibit appropriate and courteous behavior whilst playing.

Don't behave offensively, and be aware how anti-social language and noise level can impact on others.

Respect the club facilities and BGiE property.

UKBGF RULES

UKBGF Code of Conduct, Etiquette and Rules apply to all club events and tournaments. Results are entered on the UKBGF live play database and form part of BGiE club standings.

DOUBLING CUBE

If a player thinks they are in the position to win the game, they can turn the doubling cube and announce a double. This means that the total stake will be doubled. If their opponent refuses the double, they immediately loses their (undoubled) stake and the game is finished. At BGiE we use the doubling cube in all matches.

CLOCK

Just like chess clocks, but with a 'delay' function to allow time for shaking and rolling the dice. Regular nights are 'clock preference' which means players choose to use the clock. Grand Prix nights and some tournaments are 'clock mandatory' which is self-explanatory.

CRAWFORD RULE

BGiE uses the Crawford rule which says when a player is 1 point away from winning the match, the cube is out of use for the next game. The cube comes back into use for any/all subsequent games, referred to as ‘Post Crawford’. It is normally right for he trailing player to double immediately in Post-Crawford games.