Edition: Standard backgammon for two players with 15 checkers each and a doubling cube, as played in clubs and tournaments worldwide. Last checked October 25, 2026
Backgammon Rules: How to Play Backgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world, and it mixes luck and strategy in a way few games do. Your goal is to bring all your checkers home and off the board before your opponent. Here are the rules in plain English, plus answers to the questions people argue about most.
- Players
- 2
- Age
- 8 and up
- Playing time
- 15 to 30 minutes per game
How to win: The first player to move all 15 checkers into their home board and bear them all off wins.
Who is right?
The classic arguments at the table when you play Backgammon.
Can you choose to use only one die?
No, not if both can be played.
You must use both numbers if it is possible. If only one can be played, you must play the higher one when you can.
In casual games many people let it slide, but that gives an advantage the rules do not allow.
Do you get four moves when you roll doubles?
Yes.
If you roll two 5s, you move 5 spaces four times. You can use one checker or split the moves between several.
Some players skip doubles on the very first move. Under the official rules the opening roll can never be doubles, because matching dice are rerolled.
Does a roll count if a die lands off the board or cocked?
No.
Both dice must land flat on the board in the right-hand half. Otherwise both dice are rolled again.
Many families count the roll as long as you can read the number, wherever the die ends up.
Do you have to play with the doubling cube?
It is part of the game, but optional at home.
The doubling cube is part of standard backgammon and is used in clubs and tournaments.
Many families skip it and just count wins. Others use automatic doubles when the opening roll is tied.
Do gammons and backgammons really count extra?
Yes.
A gammon is worth 2 times the cube value and a backgammon 3 times the cube value.
Some families count every win as one point to keep it simple.
What you need
- A backgammon board with 24 points
- 15 light and 15 dark checkers
- Two pairs of dice and two dice cups
- A doubling cube marked 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64
Setup
- 1The points are numbered 1 to 24 for each player, counted from that player's own home board.
- 2Each player places 2 checkers on their 24 point, 5 on their 13 point, 3 on their 8 point and 5 on their 6 point.
- 3Your home board is points 1 to 6. Your checkers move from 24 down toward 1.
- 4Put the doubling cube on the bar in the middle with 64 facing up. That means the game is worth 1 point.
How to play
- 1Each player rolls one die. The higher roll goes first and uses both dice as the opening move. If the dice match, roll again.
- 2After that, players take turns rolling both dice and moving checkers forward by the numbers shown.
- 3Each die is a separate move. You can move two checkers, or one checker both numbers if it lands on an open point in between.
- 4You may not land on a point held by two or more of your opponent's checkers.
- 5If you roll doubles, you play that number four times.
- 6If you land on a point with just one opposing checker, you hit it. That checker goes to the bar in the middle.
- 7If you have checkers on the bar, you must bring them back in through your opponent's home board before you move anything else.
- 8Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board, you may start bearing them off.
- 9You must use both dice if you can. If you can only use one, you must use the higher number when possible.
Bearing off
- A checker on your 4 point can be borne off with a 4.
- If you roll a number where you have no checkers, you must move a checker from a higher point if you can.
- If there are no checkers on higher points, you may bear off your checker on the highest point.
- If one of your checkers gets hit while bearing off, it must travel all the way home before you can bear off again.
Scoring and the doubling cube
- Regular win: 1 point times the value on the doubling cube.
- Gammon: the loser has not borne off any checkers. It counts double.
- Backgammon: the loser has not borne off any checkers and still has one on the bar or in the winner's home board. It counts triple.
- Before you roll, you may offer to double. If your opponent refuses, they lose the game at the current value.
- If your opponent accepts, they take the cube and are the only one who can double next.
House rules
Pick the rules you want to play with tonight. Everyone at the table has to agree.
Our Backgammon rules for tonight
Everything else follows the official rules.
Frequently asked questions
Which way do the checkers move in backgammon?
The two players move in opposite directions, like a horseshoe. You move from your opponent's home board, around the board and into your own home board.
What happens if you can't move?
If you cannot use either die, you lose your turn and your opponent rolls.
Can a checker on the bar enter on a point with two opposing checkers?
No. If every point you could enter on is blocked, you wait until your next turn, and you may not move anything else in the meantime.
Source: The international backgammon rules used by clubs and tournaments, which are the same in the US and in Denmark. The rules are written in our own words. Ask the referee if you are unsure.