Setting Up a Kubb Pitch

Ordered setup procedure: pitch dimensions, kubb placement, king and baton rules.

Kubb is a lawn game in which players throw wooden batons (kastpinnar) to knock over wooden blocks (kubbar) on a rectangular pitch. Lay the rectangle out first: mark the two baselines at the ends, the side lines connecting them, and the center zone where the king will stand.

Place the kubbar on the baselines — the opponent's blocks sit on their own baseline and are the targets for your batons. The larger block, the king, stands in the middle of the pitch and must be toppled last, after the opposing kubbar.

Check the king's distance from the baselines before the first baton is thrown. A king placed too close gets clipped on ordinary throws, which ends the game the wrong way.

Kubb games can last from five minutes to well over an hour, so agree on how long you intend to play before starting. The game can be played on grass, sand, concrete, snow or ice — pick the surface first, then mark lines on it.

The turn passes after each baton throw, and only when all opposing kubbar are down may players target the king. Toppling it early loses the game on the spot.

• Step 1 — choose the surface: grass, sand, concrete, snow or ice.
• Step 2 — mark the rectangle: baselines, side lines, center zone.
• Step 3 — place kubbar on each baseline.
• Step 4 — stand the king in the middle and check its distance.
• Step 5 — confirm baton rules: turn passes per throw, king last.

Further reading

• Cornhole Rules and Scoring
• Bocce Basics