What Happens If You Can't Move in Backgammon
Sometimes the dice give you nothing to play — or only half a move. Backgammon and long nardy have clear rules for that: you must play as much of the roll as you can, and if nothing is legal the turn simply passes.
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Rule 1: you must move if you can
In backgammon there's no "pass". If a die can be played legally, you have to play it — even when every option leaves a blot or breaks a point you'd rather keep. Choosing the least bad move is part of the skill. The same holds in long nardy.
Rule 2: play both dice whenever possible
If there's any sequence that uses both numbers, you must pick one of those sequences. Suppose you roll 6-1: playing the 1 first might make the 6 impossible, while playing the 6 first lets you play the 1 as well. Then you're obliged to play it the second way. A move that "uses up" only one die is illegal when a two-dice move exists.
With doubles the rule is the same, only bigger: play as many of the four moves as the position allows — four if possible, otherwise three, two or one.
Rule 3: if only one die fits, the larger one
Sometimes you can play either die on its own, but not both. In that case the rules say you must play the larger number. If the larger number can't be played at all, you play the smaller one. Then the rest of the roll is forfeited.
| Situation (roll 5-2) | What you must do |
|---|---|
| Some sequence plays both the 5 and the 2 | Play both — one of those sequences |
| The 5 or the 2 alone is playable, never both | Play the 5 |
| Only the 2 is playable | Play the 2, lose the 5 |
| Nothing is playable | Turn passes |
When you're completely blocked
Typical situations where a whole turn is lost:
- On the bar against a strong board. In backgammon your hit checker has to enter your opponent's home board first. If the points matching both dice are closed — or all six are, a "closed board" — you can't move anything. See the bar rules for the odds of entering.
- Behind a prime. A wall of consecutive closed points can trap checkers so that big numbers simply don't fit.
- In long nardy, behind a block. There's no hitting, but any point with an opposing checker is closed, so a five-point block can leave you with nothing to play. A six-point block is only allowed once at least one of your checkers is already past it.
- The head rule. In long nardy only one checker may leave the head per turn. Early on, that alone can make part of a roll unplayable.
Common arguments at the board
- "I'll play the small one, the big one's ugly." Not allowed if the big one is legal and both can't be played.
- "I'll bear off with this one and keep the other." If both dice can be played — in the home board or bearing off — you must play both.
- "I don't want to break my point." If breaking it is the only legal move, you break it.
- "Can I skip because I'm winning the race?" No. Passing is never optional.
How NARDEON applies these rules
You don't need to work any of this out at the table. The game checks every possible sequence for your roll and only lets you play moves that use the maximum number of dice — and the larger die when only one can be played. If no move exists, it shows No moves and passes the turn; when it's your opponent who's stuck, you'll see Opponent has no moves. Online, the server checks the same rules, so neither side can play an illegal move.
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Related questions: can one checker use both dice, what happens with doubles, and the full backgammon rules.
FAQ
Do you have to move in backgammon if you can?
Yes. You can't pass voluntarily. If any legal move exists for a die, you must play it, even if it hurts your position.
What happens if you can't move at all?
You lose your turn and your opponent rolls. Nothing else happens — there's no penalty beyond the wasted roll.
Do you have to use both dice?
If there's any way to play both, you must choose a way that plays both. You may not play one die and skip the other just because you like that position better.
If only one die can be played, which one?
If you can play either die but not both, you must play the larger one. If only the smaller one fits, you play the smaller one.
What if I'm on the bar and can't enter?
In backgammon you can't move any other checker until every checker on the bar has entered. If neither die enters, your whole turn is lost.
Updated: October 23, 2026