Kubb looks like a throwing game and is really a territory game. You are clearing your opponent's blocks while they are rebuilding theirs in your half, and the king sits in the middle the whole time as a permanent hazard.
Published specification
The pitch and the pieces
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Pitch | 5 m x 8 m (about 16 x 26 ft) |
| Kubbs | 10 blocks, 15 cm tall, 7 cm square |
| King | 30 cm tall, 9 cm square |
| Batons | 6, 30 cm long, 4.4 cm diameter |
| Players | 2 to 12 |
| Surface | Grass, sand or dirt |
Set the king in the center of the pitch. Set five kubbs along each baseline, evenly spaced. That is the whole setup, and it is why a set that includes boundary markers is worth choosing — getting the 5-by-8-meter rectangle right is otherwise a pacing exercise you will do differently every time. See best kubb sets.
The sequence
A turn, in order
- Throw any field kubbs first. If your opponent felled any of your kubbs last turn, you throw those into their half. They stand them up where they land. These are field kubbs.
- Your opponent must fell all field kubbs before touching your baseline. This is the rule that makes the game a back-and-forth rather than a race.
- Throw your six batons underhand, end over end, aiming at your opponent's field kubbs first and then their baseline kubbs.
- If a field kubb survives your turn, your opponent may throw from the line of their closest standing field kubb rather than their baseline — a meaningful advantage.
- When all your opponent's kubbs are down, and only then, you may attack the king with a remaining baton.
- Fell the king and you win.
Technique
Throwing rules that matter
- Batons are thrown underhand, end over end, vertically. Helicopter throws — spinning horizontally — are not permitted in the championship rules, because a horizontally spinning baton sweeps a much wider area and makes a narrow target trivial.
- Field kubbs are thrown, not placed. They stand up wherever they land, which means a badly thrown field kubb hands your opponent a close target.
- A field kubb that lands outside the pitch is re-thrown once; if it goes out again, your opponent places it a baton's length from the king.
That last consequence is severe and it is why throwing field kubbs well is a real skill rather than a formality.
Practical
Why kubb suits a crowd
Teams can be any size within the published 2-to-12 range, and everybody on a team gets batons. Turns are short, both teams are always doing something, and the skill gap between a strong and weak thrower matters far less than in a distance game.
That combination makes kubb the best crowd game we cover — see games for large groups. If 430 square feet is more than you have, Molkky vs kubb compares it against the 260-square-foot alternative.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
How big is a kubb pitch?
What happens if you knock over the king too early?
How do you throw a baton in kubb?
How many people can play kubb?
Read next
Related pages
Picks
Yard game guides
Rules, regulation dimensions, materials and storage — sourced from governing bodies and makers.
Picks
Best kubb sets
2 to 12 players on a 5 by 8 meter pitch — three hardwood sets compared on published piece dimensions.
Comparison
Molkky vs kubb
430 square feet and 12 players versus 260 square feet and the best endgame in yard games.
Picks
Best yard games for large groups
The games that genuinely absorb a crowd, by published player count and turn length.
Sources
- Kubb World Championship — rules (English)
- U.S. National Kubb Championship — rules
- Yard Games — kubb premium set
Every figure on this page is copied from one of these sources. If you find one that is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.