Yorkshire Meds Marbles Team

Rules & How to play

An outline of the official rules of the British & World championships and some hints on how to play

The Official Rules of the British Marbles Board of Control

Rule 1. The Ring

The ring is a circular horizontal surface, six feet in diameter, on which the game is played.
The playing surface shall be approximately 3 inches above the surrounding ground level.
The ring must be covered in sharp sand for every game.

Rule 2. The Referee

A referee controls the play, and their decisions on rules interpretation and play matters are final.

Rule 3. A Marble

A marble is a ceramic or glass sphere with a diameter of approximately half-an-inch.

Rule 4. A Tolley

A Tolley is a ceramic or glass sphere with a diameter up to three-quarters-of-an-inch.
Players must provide their own tolley, which must satisfy the referee.
Tolleys cannot be substituted during a match without prior referee approval.

Rule 5. The Play

(a) The object is to knock marbles off the ring by hitting them with a tolley.
(b) The method of projecting a tolley is called "shooting":
1. Place the knuckle part of the hand on the ring (known as "knuckling down").
2. The index finger cradles the tolley, and the thumb is placed behind the index or second finger.
3. The thumb is squeezed out, flicking the tolley forward.
(c) Every initial shot must follow Rule 6(a).
(d) Following a shot, a player will be in one of four positions:
1. Tolley rolls off the ring without hitting marbles: Score is ZERO.
2. Tolley knocks marbles off the ring and also rolls out: Score is 1 point per marble removed.
3. Tolley stays on the ring without hitting marbles: Score is ZERO. If the tolley is knocked off by another player before the player's next turn, they are eliminated. If it remains, the next shot is taken from where it lies.
4. Tolley stays on the ring and knocks marbles or tolleys off: Score is 1 point per marble removed. The player takes an immediate further shot from where the tolley lies.

Rule 6. Knuckling Down

(a) From off the ring: The knuckle of the index finger only must touch the edge of the ring.
(b) From within the ring: The index finger knuckle is placed so the tolley is directly above where it previously rested. If a player cannot knuckle down correctly due to the tolley's position, the turn ends and the tolley is removed.
(c) Misfiring or dropping a tolley after knuckling down counts as a shot.

Rule 7. Foul Shots

FUDGING: Any forward or advantageous movement of the shooting hand during a shot.
CABBAGING: Attempting to shoot from an incorrect point within the ring.
BLOCKING: Intentional contact between a player/clothing and a moving marble or tolley.
Penalties:
- Marbles knocked off by a foul are relocated near the center of the ring.
- Opposing tolleys are returned; teammate tolleys result in teammate elimination.
- No score results from a foul shot, and the turn is terminated.
- Three foul shots result in automatic elimination from the game.

Rule 8. Breakages

Marbles: If a marble breaks, its position is determined by the largest piece. If on the ring, it is replaced with a new marble. If it disintegrates, it is deemed knocked out.
Tolleys: Position is determined by the largest piece. A new tolley may be substituted with referee approval. If it disintegrates, it is deemed to have rolled off the ring.

Rule 9. Club Team Matches

Teams: Comprise six players, including a Captain.
Order: The Captain sets the play order; it cannot change during a game but can change between games.
Benches: Teams sit on benches at least 3 metres from the ring.
Setup: 49 marbles are placed in a close-packed group in the center.
First Play ("Nose Drop"): Captains drop their tolley from the end of their nose onto a line scribed in the sand. The closest to the line chooses who plays first.
Winning: The first team to 25 points wins.

Rule 10. International Team Matches

Played like club matches, but teams are picked by the British Marbles Board of Control.

Rule 11. Individual Matches

Marbles: The number used is 25 or (4 × number of players) + 1, whichever is greater.
Winning: The winner is the first to score more than half the starting marbles, or the highest score once all marbles are cleared.
Tie-break: Played with 13 marbles; the first to 7 wins.

Rule 12. British Marbles Board of Control

On the day of play, the Board consists of each captain, the referee, and other officials.

Credit: These rules were downloaded from the (now defunct) britishmarbles.org.uk (04/04/2010)

Main team event	Individual trophies
6x Winners 1x Runner-up 3x Semi-Finalists	5x Best lady 3x Individual best player 3x Golden Oldies 2x SMcF (highest break) 1x KC3 coronation