The Bar in Backgammon: Getting Off the Bar
When your checker is hit, it goes to the bar — some players call it "jail". Getting off the bar has its own rules, and it's where beginners most often get stuck. Here's how coming off the bar works, with the odds.
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How a checker ends up on the bar
The bar is the raised strip down the middle of the board. A single checker on a point is a blot; when an opposing checker lands on it, the blot is hit and placed on the bar. It hasn't left the game — but it has to start its journey again from the very beginning, which costs a lot of pips.
Getting off the bar: the rules
- Enter first. While you have a checker on the bar, you may not move any other checker.
- Enter in your opponent's home board. Each die number matches a point there: a 1 enters on their 1-point (your 24-point), a 6 on their 6-point (your 19-point).
- The point must be open. You can enter on an empty point, a point with your own checkers, or a point with one opposing checker — which you then hit. A point with two or more opposing checkers is closed.
- Use the rest of the roll. Once all your checkers are in, any unused die is played normally, by any checker.
- Can't enter, can't move. If neither die lets you enter, your whole turn is lost.
Examples
- You have one checker on the bar and roll 5-3. Your opponent holds their 5-point but not the 3-point. You enter with the 3, then play the 5 with any checker — including the one that just entered.
- You have two checkers on the bar and roll 4-2. Both points are open: both checkers enter and the turn is over.
- You have two checkers on the bar and roll 6-6. If the 6-point is open, two checkers enter and you play the other two 6s with any checkers. If it's closed, you can't move at all.
- You have a checker on the bar and roll 4-1 against a home board with the 4- and 1-points closed. You stay on the bar.
Odds of coming off the bar
| Closed points in opponent's home | Chance to enter (one checker) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 97% (35 of 36) |
| 2 | 89% (32 of 36) |
| 3 | 75% (27 of 36) |
| 4 | 56% (20 of 36) |
| 5 | 31% (11 of 36) |
| 6 (closed board) | 0% |
The numbers fall fast. Against a five-point board you'll stay on the bar more than two times in three, and against a closed board you can't move until your opponent opens a point. More dice numbers on luck or skill.
Why the bar matters for strategy
- Hitting gains tempo. While your opponent is entering, they aren't building. Hitting two checkers can win a game outright — that's the blitz.
- Build your home board. Every point you close in your home makes entering harder. A closed board with a checker on the bar is close to a winning position.
- Gammon risk. A checker stuck on the bar when your opponent finishes bearing off counts as a backgammon — 3 points. See gammon and backgammon.
- Hits during the bear-off. If you're hit while bearing off, you can't take any more checkers off until that checker comes all the way back home.
The bar on NARDEON
The game enforces all of this for you: when a checker is on the bar, only entering moves are offered, and if you can't enter, your turn passes automatically. Hit checkers are drawn on the bar in the middle of the board. Practice against the computer and you'll soon see both sides of the bar.
The rest of the rules: backgammon rules, or the one-page summary. In long nardy there's no hitting and no bar at all.
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FAQ
How do you get off the bar in backgammon?
Roll a number that matches an open point in your opponent's home board. A 1 enters on their 1-point, a 6 on their 6-point. A point is open unless your opponent has two or more checkers on it.
Can you move other checkers while one is on the bar?
No. Every checker on the bar must come in before you move anything else. With two on the bar, both must enter first.
What if I can't get off the bar?
If both numbers you rolled land on closed points, you can't move at all and the turn passes to your opponent. If all six points are closed, you don't move until one opens.
Can you hit when coming off the bar?
Yes. If the entry point holds a single opposing checker, your entering checker hits it and sends it to the bar.
Is there a bar in long nardy?
No. In long nardy nothing is ever hit, so checkers never go to the bar.
Updated: October 24, 2026