General Shuffleboard Information
Glossary
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Glossary
of Shuffleboard Terms Alley - The space between the courts is called the "alley". Players walk in the alleys from one end of the court to the other when playing walking singles. Players also walk in the alleys when they gather the disks. Alleys are also called "gutters". Backstop
- 1.
A barrier at the end of a court to stop disks from leaving
the play area
2. A disk that
is used to stop another disk in a scoring area Bait - Bait is a series of scoring disks (usually 7s and 8s) placed by a shooter - who is behind in score or who is at some disadvantage near the end of a game - to entice or force his opponent to use his next shot to make a play on the "bait". The shooter is depending on the "law of averages" that sooner or later the opponent will make some kind of shooting error. The objective is to capitalize on any errors the opponent might make with his responding shots. Bait shots are usually called "kitchen bait" because players mostly want to shoot one or more of their opponent's disks into the kitchen to cause them to lose points from the scoreboard. Baseline
- The last line on the court - the farther horizontal line of the ten-off
area - is
the "baseline". Its
extension across adjacent alleys is called the "baseline
extension". Black Court - A court is said to be a "black court" if the drifts on that court favor the player playing the black disks. Block
- 1.
A "block" is another name for a disk.
A “set of blocks” is a set of disks.
2. To "block" is to shoot disk A to stop in
front of disk B to prevent a subsequent
3. To
"block the board" is to place a disk or disks so as to block the
opponent’s Board
- The
“board” is the playing area of a court which includes the
farther foul line and extends all the way to (and also includes) the baseline, but especially the
scoring diagram Board Situation - The "board situation" is the placement of any disks on the board or the absence of disks. Top Call
(a disk) -
To “call” a disk is to decide if a disk counts as a
scoring disk or not Carom - A type of combination shot where the shooting disk hits one disk then bounces over and hits one or more other disks, usually with the intention of driving them all off the board. Chase
(a block) - A player will "chase" a block when he tries
to hit a disk that is Clear
(a disk) - To
“clear” a disk is to shoot (with some force) at a target disk
with the intention of hitting it on or near the edge of the disk
and driving it and the shooting disk off the court Clear
the Board
- To
“clear the board” means to forcefully shoot at your
opponent’s disks with the intention of hitting them
on the edge and driving them and
your shooting disks off the court. This is a defensive strategy
whose purpose
is to deny your opponent any extra scores and to protect the score
you already have on the scoreboard.
Close
(disk) - A disk that is within a scoring area, but is so close to
a line that it requires careful
inspection to determine whether it is touching the line or not, is
a "close" disk. Coach - To "coach" is to tell a player (especially your partner) what shot or shots to take. Coaching may be verbal or non-verbal. Coaching is illegal in tournament play. Cold - A player is "cold" if he can not execute his shots. Combination (shot) - A shot where the shooting disk A hits disk B and then B continues on and hits disk C. Combinations involving 4 or more disks are rare. Competitive
Game
- A
game played for the purpose of winning by use of strategy and
skillful play. Tournament
games are competitive games.
Most expert players play only
competitive
games, whether they are in a tournament
or not. Control
(of the board) - When a player is able to continually execute
shots with a high degree of
precision on a particular court, then he is said to have
"control of the
board". Correct
Shot
- That shot which, if successfully completed, will give the
shooter the greatest actual or potential advantage
score-wise that the board
situation will allow. Court
- The structure on which the game of outdoor shuffleboard is
played Cue - A "cue" is the device which is used to shoot the disks in the game of outdoor shuffleboard. (Also called a "stick".) Top Dead -
1. A
"dead" disk is out of play - Said of a disk if it stops
before it touches the
2. "Dead"
space - the area between the two foul lines, also known as
"foul Dead Line
- One of the two lines between the diagrams on the court.
(Also "foul line" Deep -
A scoring disk is "deep" when it is close to the farther
horizontal border line of the scoring area. A
"deep" 7 is near the 7-10-off line, a "deep" 8
is near the 7-8 line and a "deep" 10 is near the 10-8
line. A "deep" "kitchen" is close to the
baseline. Desperation
Shot
- A low percentage shot taken at or near the end of the game in a
last ditch effort
to save the game. Usually
the opponent has a scoring disk which
will give him the game if it is
not removed immediately. Disk
-
One of eight playing pieces in the game of outdoor shuffleboard.
Each disk is 6 inches in diameter and weighs between 14 and 16
ounces. (Also
called a “block”) Disconcert
(the opponent) - To harass or annoy the opponent in an attempt to
distract them at any time during a match, but especially when
they are preparing to shoot. It
is a foul to disconcert an opponent
in a tournament and it is an example of poor
sportsmanship. Distance (Control) - A player has “distance control” when they are able to place a high percentage of their shots exactly where they want them, anywhere on the board. A
player is said to have “the distance” when they are able to
shoot their opponent's disks into the kitchen
with an exceptionally high frequency. Double
- A player makes a "double" when he hits a
non-scoring disk and drives it into a
scoring position and also causes
his shooting disk to stop in a scoring position. Doubles (Play) - Team play. Two two-player teams compete against each other in doubles play. Drift - A "drift" is the direction a disk curves, to the left or right, as it travels along the court. Similar to a "break" on a putting green. Top Fast
- A
court is said to be “fast” if a small amount of physical
effort is required to shoot a disk from one end of a court to the
other end.
The less effort
required – the “faster” the court.
Disks are said to be “fast” if they slide smoothly and effortlessly along the length of any court. Feel
(of the court) - A player is said to have "the feel of
the court" or "the feel of the board" when he has a
high degree of distance control. (Similar to
"touch".) Fish
- An
unskillful or inexperienced player, especially said of
strategically weak players. Follow-Through
- The extended arm motion at the end of the stroke which increases
the accuracy of
a shot. Foot
(of the court) - The end of the court that does not have the
scoreboard Foul
Line
- One
of the two lines between the diagrams on the court.
(Also called “lag line” or "dead line") Frame
Game
- A
game that is played a certain number of frames, such as 12 or 16
frames . Whoever has
the
higher score at
the end of the specified number of frames, wins the game. Fun Game - A recreational shuffleboard game played for the purpose of social recreation and fun. (Also called a "friendly game".) Top Game
Block -
A player has the
“game block” on the board when he has a scoring disk that will
give him
enough points to win
the game. Game
Point
- The
number of points needed to win a point game, usually 75. Glass
(Beads) -
1. Microscopic
glass beads are added to a court's surface to make the
2. To “glass
the court” means to add glass beads to the court
3. To
"snow the court” means to add too many glass beads to the
court Good
- If a disk is within a scoring area and does not touch a line
that borders the scoring area, then it
counts
for the number
of points of that scoring area. It
is a "good" disk. Grip - The manner of holding the shuffleboard cue, while shooting, is called the "grip". Top Hammer - The last of eight shots. The last shot of the round (or frame). When a player has the "hammer" they have the advantage for that round. Hammer
Position
- If you only need to score on your next hammer (or hammers, if
you are playing
doubles) to win the game then you are said to be in "hammer
position". You
are in a position to win the game by scoring with your next hammer(s). Head (of the court) - The end of the court with the scoreboard is called the "head" of the court. All games start at the head of the court except non-walking singles matches being played at the foot of the court. Head Block - A "head block" is any disk that a player must shoot past to execute a particular shot, but especially a disk that is blocking or partially blocking a disk or a scoring area, such as a "pilot". Hide
- 1.
A "hide" is an opportunity to shoot a scoring
disk into a protected area, such as 2. To "hide" is to shoot a scoring disk into a protected area.
3. Sometimes players use the term "hide" in place
of the term "pilot", such as "He High Number - Any scoring disk that is less than six inches from the upper line - the first horizontal line of a scoring area - is called a "high number", especially said of 7s and 8s. There is not enough room to score another disk between the "high number" and the line. High Ten - A "high ten" is a scoring disk in the ten area that is so close to the point of the ten that there is not enough room to score another ten behind it. A "high ten" is often placed to steal the opponent's hammer, especially late in the game. Hot - A player is "hot" when he is able to accurately execute a very high percentage of his shots. If he is able to shoot his opponent's disks into the "kitchen" continuously, then he is said to be "hot on the kitchen". Top In the Hole - You are "in the hole" anytime your score on the scoreboard is less than zero. Any score that is less than zero should be enclosed within a circle. Inside -
1. All areas of the court that are within 12 inches or less
from the center line (or
2. If you hit a disk on or near its edge facing the center
line, then you have hit Jockey (a disk) - To "jockey" a disk means to slide the disk around in the starting area before you shoot it to be sure there is no sand or other substance on the bottom of the disk which might cause the disk to slide unevenly. Top Kill
(a disk) - To “kill” a disk means to cause a disk to be moved
from a scoring position Kitchen
- 1.
The "kitchen" is the ten-off scoring area at the
opposite end of the court
2. To "play kitchen" is to try repeatedly to shoot
your opponent's disks into
3. To
"kitchen a disk" is to shoot an opponent's disk into the
kitchen
4. To be "kitchened"
is to have one or more of your disks shot into the kitchen Kitchen
Player - A "kitchen player" is anyone who
shoots most of their shots to get their opponent's disks in the
kitchen. Kitchen Speed - The amount of force needed to shoot a disk into the kitchen (on a particular court) is called that court's "kitchen speed". Also, a player is said to have the "kitchen speed" if he can shoot his opponent's disks into the kitchen with a high degree of consistency. Top Lag
Line -
One
of the two lines between the diagrams on the court. (Also called
“foul line” or "dead line") Liner
- A disk is a "liner" if it touches a line and does not
score any points. Line-itis
-
An
unfortunate condition that causes player’s to continually
shoot liners, especially on their hammers.
The
CDC has yet to catalog this mysterious condition. Live (disk) - A "live" disk is a disk that is in play. Any disk on a court that has been shot and is at least touching (or has passed over) the farther foul line and has not completely passed beyond the farther baseline is a "live" disk. Top Match
- A
match is usually three games.
Whoever wins two games first, wins the match. In
most friendly or fun matches, the Miss - A "miss" occurs when a player tries to hit a target disk and shoots past the target without hitting it. Top Nibble
- To get a "nibble" means to cause the opponent to lose
2 or 3 points instead of a Nick
- To "nick" means to hit the edge of a disk you are
trying to shoot past No
Good
- A
disk that is "no good" is touching one or more lines
that border the scoring area and it does
not
count for
any points. Number
- 1.
To score a "number" means to score a 7 or an 8.
2. To
"steal a number" means to score an extra disk,
especially when the Off -
1. A player is "off" if he is not able to
reliably execute his shots as he is
2. A shot is "off" if it does not hit the intended
target accurately or if it does Open
- 1.
A disk is "open" if there are no disks blocking
you from making a direct hit
2. The
"open side" of the board means the side where access to
the scoring
3. To
"open up the board" means to clear out one or more disks
that may be Out - You are "out" when it is your turn to shoot. Outside -
1. All areas of the court that are about 12 inches or less
from either edge of the
2. If you hit a disk on the side that faces the nearest edge
of the court, then you Percentages
(Playing the) - A player is "playing the percentages"
when he chooses shots that he has
a reasonably good chance of successfully completing - provided he
has the option to choose. Pigeon
- A
disk is a "pigeon" when it is touching the 7-10off
line and there is enough of the disk
in the 7 so that a shooter can
use it as a backstop and easily tap it and bump it into
the kitchen and at the same time
score a 7, especially with his hammer.
Pilot
- A "pilot" is a type of blocking shot that a player
places on the board to provide advance protection
for
part of the scoring
areas into which he may shoot a subsequent scoring disk.
There are two types of pilots - the St. Pete and the Player's Side (of the court) - If a shuffleboard court is divided lengthwise by an imaginary line that is an extension of the center lines, then one side of the court is yellow's side and the other side of the court is black's side. The players on yellow will shoot the yellow disks from the same side of the court at both ends of the court. And the players on the black disks will play the black side of the court at both ends as well. When discussing a game, a player who played the yellow disks may say, "I shot a 7 on my side." which means that he shot a 7 on the yellow side of the center line. Or a player who played the black disks might say, "He tried to block my side." meaning that the player on yellow tried to block the scoring areas on black's side of the imaginary line. Pot
Shot
- A "pot shot" is a variation of the "desperation
shot". If there
are several disks on the board
that constitute a disadvantage for the shooter then she may make a
forceful "pot
shot" to get rid of as many of them as possible. (Also
called a "slam".) Practice
- 1.
To "practice" means to play frequently with the
objective of improving one's
2. "Practice"
in a tournament refers to the formal warm-up shots the Protect
- To
"protect" a disk (usually a scoring disk) means to place
another disk in such a way
as to block the opponent from being able to hit the scoring disk
with a direct hit. (Also
known as to "cover" or "cover up" a disk.)
Protected - A disk is "protected " (or "covered") when one or more disks completely or partially block the opponent from making a direct hit on that disk. Top Rebound
- A rebound is a disk that has been driven from the court, it then
hits a solid object and bounces back onto the court.
Rebounds are dead disks and are removed from the court. Reverse
- A “reverse” is a
type of combination shot that causes a reversal of circumstances.
If your opponent has a good 7 and you have a disk in the
kitchen for 10 points off, then you make a “reverse” when you
shoot at his 7 in such a way as to use his 7 to drive your disk
out of the kitchen and leave his disk in the kitchen.
Now you have a good 7 and the opponent has a disk in the
kitchen for 10 points off. You
have "reversed" the situation. Roll - A "roll" is a disk that slides sideways across the court. It usually occurs as a result of an error when a player is trying to clear the board. Instead of hitting the target disk on the edge, the shooter hits the target disk about an inch or so to the right or left of center. The target disk will leave the court, but the shooting disk will slide slowly across the board. If a "roll" stops in a place of advantage for the shooter, such as in a scoring position behind another disk so that it is blocked from a direct shot, then it is called a "lucky roll" or a "jelly roll". If it stops at a place of disadvantage for the shooter, such as in the "kitchen", then it is called a "bad roll" (or worse). Round
(Full) - A full-round in an outdoor shuffleboard game is the number of
times the disks must be shot from one end to the other so that
each player on the court has the hammer once. In
walking singles, there are two players on the court, so the disks
must be shot from one end to the other twice, so that each player
has one hammer. When
only the player playing the black disks has had a hammer (in
singles), then they have played a half-round.
When the player playing the yellow disks has also had a
hammer (in singles), then that is another half-round.
Two half-rounds make one full round. In
doubles, there are four players on the court so the disks must be
shot from one end to the other four times so each player has one
hammer. When the two
players on the black team have each had a hammer, then they have
played a half-round of doubles on that court. Then, when the two
players on the yellow team have each also had a hammer, then they
have played another half-round of doubles on that court.
Two half-rounds make one full-round. In non-walking singles, there are two singles matches on the court – one match at each end. Each match has two players - which makes four players on the court. That means that the disks must be shot from one end to the other four times, just like in doubles. When the two players playing the black disks have each had a hammer, then both games have played one half-round of singles. Then, when the two players playing the yellow disks have each also had a hammer, then both games have played another half-round of singles. Two half-rounds make one full round for each game. Run - Players usually "run" (clear the board) when they have the lead in score, they have some advantage late in the game and/or when they are in hammer position. If
a player (or team) is "running", then they are clearing
the board and they plan to score on their hammers while
keeping you from getting any extra scores and also keeping you
from shooting any of their disks into the kitchen. They
don't want you to catch up in score and they don't want to lose
any points.
Top St.
Pete
(Pilot) - A type
of “pilot” that is placed about halfway between the edge of
the court and the point of the ten - diagonally across the court
from the shooter. It
protects part of the 7 and 8 scoring areas so the shooter can
place a scoring disk into that protected area with a subsequent
shot – if the opportunity arises. Score
-
1. To “score” means to shoot a disk
into a scoring area so that it does not touch Score
Situation
– A player’s “score situation” is their current score in relation to the opponent’s
score and the game objective, such as 75 in a point game or the
number of frames left to play in a frame game. See
(a disk) -
To be able to “see” a disk means to be able to hit it
directly. Usually
said of disks that are only partially blocked. (Similar to
"sticking out".) Separation Triangle - The “separation triangle” is the small triangle in the ten-off area which divides the ten-off area into two separate and equal starting areas. The lines of the "separation triangle" do not count
as border lines when "calling" a disk in the
"kitchen". Shoot
- To
“shoot” means to deliver a disk to the opposite end of the
court. Shoot
Short
- To
“shoot short” means to not shoot hard enough to accomplish the
intended shot. Shooting
Disk
- The
“shooting disk” is the disk being shot to the opposite end of
the court. Singles - When two players compete against each other then they are playing a “singles” game or match. Sitting Duck - A disk is a "sitting duck" when it is unprotected and open for a direct hit and a bump into the "kitchen", especially with the opponent's hammer shot. Slow - A court is said to be "slow" if extra physical effort is required to shoot a disk to the opposite end of the court. The more effort required - the "slower" the court. Disks are said to be "slow" if they do not slide smoothly and effortlessly along the length of any court. Snuggle
- A
“snuggle” is a type of shot where the intention is to have the
shooting disk stop as close as possible to (and preferably
touching) an opponent’s disk, especially an opponent’s scoring
disk. This shot
requires precise distance control. Speed
of the Court -
The “speed of the court” refers to how much
physical effort is required to shoot a disk to the opposite end of
the court. If little
effort is required then the “speed of the court” is said to be
“fast”. If a lot
of effort is required then the “speed of the court” is said to
be “slow”. Extremes
in either direction will reduce accuracy rates for most players. Speed of the Disks - The “speed of the disks” refers to the amount of effort required to shoot a disk from one end of a court to the other. If they require little effort to shoot them from one end of the court to the other then they are called “fast" disks. If they require extra effort to shoot them to the opposite end of the court then they are called “slow" disks. “Fast" disks enhance accuracy. Spotty - A court is said to be "spotty" if there are both "fast" and "slow" areas on the court. "Spotty" courts can be challenging to play. Starting Area - The general “starting area” is in the ten-off at the end of the court where the players are preparing to shoot. The actual “starting areas” are on either side of the “separation triangle” in the ten-off area. Yellow places their disks within and not touching any lines in one starting area and black similarly places their disks in the other starting area. All disks are shot from within the starting area. Steal
- 1.
To “steal a number” means to score an extra disk,
especially when the 2.
To
“steal a hammer” means to cause the opponent to be unable to
add points to their score with their hammer. 3.
To
“steal the game” means to win the game when statistically
the opponent should have won it. Stick
- 1.
To “stick” means to hit a disk head-on and cause the
target disk to leave the 2.
A
“stick” is another term for a cue. Sticking
Out
- A
disk is “sticking out” if part of it is available for a direct
hit. Said
of disks that are only partially blocked. (Similar to
"see".) Sticky
- 1.
A court is “sticky” if it has areas that cause the
disks to slow down noticeably 2.
Lines
are “sticky” if disks tend to slow down significantly when
passing over the lines or if they stop quickly
("grab") on the lines. Strategy
- The analysis
of numerous current game conditions and factors to determine the
most prudent shot selection in a given
situation for the purpose of improving one's position in a game or
to gain an advantage in the game. Stroke - The “stroke” is the motion of the arm in the delivery of a shot from the beginning of the delivery up to and including the follow-through. Sucker's Hide - If your opponent appears to have made an error by placing his Tampa pilot a little too far away from the point of the ten (or by placing his St. Pete a little too close to the point of the ten) so that you are now able to hide a number behind it then you should check his score to see if he has intentionally set up a "sucker's hide". A player might set up a "sucker's hide" in hopes of having you seize the opportunity to "steal a number" which would then leave him the chance to also "steal a number" on your hammer which might put him into "hammer position" or worse, let him "steal the game" from you. If you see a "sucker's hide" and hear "Oops!", watch out. Suicide Alley
- When a player tries to hide a disk behind the opponent's
St. Pete pilot (or any other similarly placed disk) by shooting
down the "outside" of the court then he is shooting down
"suicide alley". So called because the edges of
many courts are slow and players need to shoot harder than normal
to accomplish their shot. Frequently, a slight over-shot (the
player shot too hard) will leave the shooting disk in the kitchen
and instead of "stealing a number", the player loses 10 points for his efforts.
Top Team
- Two
players playing as partners constitute a “team”. Tickle
- To “tickle” a
disk means to hit it on the very edge and move it sideways,
slightly. Many
“tickles” are
the result Touch
- A player has
the “touch” when he is able to make most of his shots,
especially those requiring good distance control. Waste
-
1. To “waste a shot" means to shoot a
disk so that it cannot be used by the opponent for any
purpose. Usually
players “waste” a shot (especially near the end of the game)
by shooting it forcefully off the court, shooting it so it stops
very near the edge of the court or by shooting
the disk so it stops in the
space between the two foul lines and therefore, must
be removed from the court. 2. To "waste your hammer" means to use your hammer shot to try to hit a disk that is effectively blocked, especially if the game is not at a critical phase. The usual result is failure to hit the blocked disk and also failure to score points with the hammer. Winning Block - A "winning block" is a scoring disk that will give the player enough points to win the game. (See “game block”.) Yellow Court - A court is said to be a "yellow court" if the drifts on that court favor the player playing the yellow disks. |
