Backgammon Rules on One Page
All the backgammon rules you need at the table, on one printable page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser, and keep it next to the board as a quick rules cheat sheet — simple enough for kids.
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1. The board and setup
- 2 players, 15 checkers each, 24 points (triangles), two dice.
- Number your points 1 to 24 from your home board outwards. Start: 2 on 24, 5 on 13, 3 on 8, 5 on 6. Your opponent mirrors you.
- You move from your 24-point toward your 1-point; your opponent moves the other way.
2. Starting and moving
- Each player rolls one die. Higher goes first and plays both numbers as the first move. Tie — roll again.
- Each die is a separate move: one checker can play both, or two checkers one each.
- Doubles are played four times (5-5 = four moves of 5).
- You can land on an empty point, your own point, or a point with one opposing checker. Two or more opposing checkers close the point.
- You must use both dice if you can. If only one can be played, play it; if either could but not both, play the higher.
- No legal move — you lose your turn.
3. Hitting and the bar
- A lone checker is a blot. Land on an opposing blot and it's hit: it goes to the bar in the middle.
- With a checker on the bar you may not move anything else until it re-enters.
- It enters in your opponent's home board, on the point matching a die (a 1 enters on their 1-point, which is your 24-point).
- If both entry points are closed, you lose your turn. More: bar rules.
4. Bearing off
- Only when all 15 checkers are in your home board (points 1–6).
- Remove a checker from the point matching a die, or move inside the home board.
- If the die is higher than your highest checker, bear off from the highest point.
- If a checker is hit during bear-off, it must come back home before you continue. More: bearing off.
5. Winning and scoring
| Result | When | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Single game | Loser has borne off at least one checker | 1 |
| Gammon | Loser hasn't borne off any | 2 |
| Backgammon | Gammon, and the loser still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board | 3 |
A match is played to an agreed number of points (on NARDEON: 1, 3, 5 or 7). Some clubs add a doubling cube; NARDEON doesn't use one.
Six quick tips
- Make points — two checkers together are safe.
- Avoid leaving blots where your opponent can easily hit them.
- Your 5-point, 4-point and bar point (7-point) are worth making early.
- Get your two back checkers moving before they're trapped.
- When you're far ahead in the race, stop fighting and run home.
- A blot six points away, with nothing in the way, is hit by 17 rolls out of 36 — almost one in two.
Printing tips
Press Ctrl+P (Windows, Linux) or Cmd+P (Mac). Choose your printer, or "Save as PDF" to keep a file. The diagram prints fine in black and white. For long nardy, which has a different setup and no hitting, print the long nardy rules instead. Want explanations instead of a summary? Read the full backgammon rules or how to play backgammon.
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FAQ
How do I get these backgammon rules as a PDF?
Press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on a Mac) and choose "Save as PDF" as the printer. On a phone, open the browser's Share or Print option and choose to save as PDF.
Are these the official backgammon rules?
They're the standard rules used in clubs and online, and the exact rules the game on NARDEON enforces. The doubling cube, used in some clubs, is explained on its own page.
Are these rules simple enough for kids?
Yes. Most children who can count to 12 and add two dice can learn backgammon from this page. Start without scoring gammons, then add them once the basics stick.
What's the one rule beginners forget most?
That you must enter a hit checker from the bar before moving anything else. The second most forgotten: you can only bear off once all 15 checkers are in your home board.
Updated: October 24, 2026