Kubb: A Nordic Way To Play

By Timothy Krumland

What You Need: Two teams, six throwing batons (total), five kubbs (each), one king kubb (total)

The Goal: Knock over the opposing team’s kubbs (wooden blocks) by throwing wooden batons. The “king kubb” in the center of the pitch (playing field) must be knocked over last—if your team knocks over the king kubb before the other kubbs, your team loses.

The Game: Both teams place five kubbs in a line at their end of the pitch. These are their “baseline kubbs.” The king kubb is placed in the center of the pitch, in between the two parallel baselines. The first team starts by throwing batons at the second team’s kubbs. The batons must be thrown underhand and spin end-over-end.

Any kubbs which are knocked over become “field kubbs” for the team who hit them. If Team Red knocks over any of Team Blue’s kubbs, at the end of the turn Team Blue will pick up the fallen kubbs and toss them onto Team Red’s side of the pitch. Team Red will stand up their new field kubbs where they landed. Team Blue must now knock down all of Team Red’s field kubbs before they can attack Team Red’s baseline kubbs. Only after all opposing field and baseline kubbs have been knocked down can a team attempt to knock over the king kubb.

The first team to knock over their opponents’ field and baseline kubbs and then knock over the king kubb wins!

Rules, field diagrams, and more can be found at www.kubbunited.com/rules-of-kubb.