The game of quoits is played professionally and can also be played for recreation. This game has quite a number of rules and for official games; the playing arena should be exactly the same as has been specified. However, if you are playing for fun, you can do away with some rules. The rules also vary from country to country.
General rules
The main aspect of the game is to throw heavy rings over the ‘hob’ or the pin. The game involves 2 pits with a 21” difference between their centers. 2 to 4 players can play the game. A player needs to call upon a winning margin of points. The official quoits score is 21. Players can call up to 15 and the winner has to win by a minimum of two points.
The Quoits ring.
The quoits ring weighs around four pounds, and each player gets one ring to throw. The material used in the rings is rubber, stiffened rope or metal. For the play to begin a quoit is thrown into the air. The players have to decide whether the ring will land top first or bottom first. It is similar to tossing a coin and determining heads or tails. A player calls, ‘he’ referring to the top, and ‘she’ referring to the bottom. The player who wins is the one who gets to throw first.
The ringed stake
Starting with the winning caller, each player gets to throw the quoits ring in turns. The players have to aim for the stake. A rink stake carries three points and a leaner carries two points. Leaner is referred to a throw which makes the ring land on the side of the stake but leaning on it. It does not allow other players to get their throw right. In recreational quoits, the rules and point distributions can be changed.
Board
The board is required to fix the pin or ‘hob’ firmly to the ground. The board is generally made of clay. You may also find slate and sand boards.
Ringer
Ringer is the throw that lands the quoits ring on the hob. Scores are awarded as long as a player manages to make the ring land on the board. The closer the throw the more points you get. If the ring lands out of the board, you don’t get any points.
Points
usually the game is played for 21 points. However, a mutual decision may be taken to set a different cut off point at the beginning of a match. The boards have concentric rings, which determine the points to be awarded.
Giant quoits
Giant quoits are similar to traditional quoits and were first discovered through the internet. The game is popular in Canada and England. Here the board at the bottom is green and the one at the top is red. More points are awarded for pinning the red board.
A quote is a game that builds up your accuracy. You need a good hand and eye coordination to earn some points. Quotes played for fun, can be very interesting and are a perfect game for vacations.
