Can I play low number first when bearing off?

Yes, you may play your numbers in either order, as long as each number is played legally. Using your low number first can sometimes get you out of a sticky situation. Here are some examples:

Whites rolls 4-1: If White plays 4 first, he takes the checker off the four-point and is forced to hit with the 1, leaving two blots. But if he plays the 1 first, moving from the four-point to the three-point, he can then use the 4 to remove the checker from the three-point. This wastes a pip, but it leaves no shots.

Whites rolls 5-4: If White plays his 5 first, he ends up with a gap on his two-point—not good if he rolls a 2 later. If he plays the 4 first, he fills the gap on the two-point and increases his chances of getting off in two more rolls.

BackGammon: Can I pass when it's my turn?

No, you must play your roll if there is any legal way to do so. If you can't play all of your numbers, you must play as many as you can. So if you roll and can only play three of your four 6's, that's what you must do.

U.S. BackGammon Tournaments Rules

1.0 Proprieties:
1.1 INTERPRETATION. The Tournament Rules and Procedures cannot, and should not, regulate all possible situations that may arise during a game. No set of rules should deprive the Director of his freedom of judgment or prevent him from finding the solution dictated by fairness and compatible with the circumstances of a particular case.

1.2 SCOPE. Except where otherwise specified, the commonly accepted rules of backgammon apply.

1.3 STAFF. A knowledgeable and disinterested Director or Directors, advised by a Tournament Committee, shall represent the Tournament.

1.4 ENTRIES. All entries are subject to the approval of the Tournament. Reasons for exclusion need not be stated. Where more than one Tournament division exists, an entrant may be restricted from playing in a lower division.

1.5 AIDS. Once a match is in progress, neither player may use mechanical or written aids except to keep score. Player may forbid his opponent from wearing headphones.

1.6 LANGUAGE. The official Tournament language is English. Speech in any other language will not be permitted between players and/or spectators while matches are in progress.

1.7 SPECTATORS. Spectators should remain silent while observing a match. Spectators have no right to draw attention to any misplays or comment on plays. Player may request Director to bar one or more spectators from viewing his match.

2.0 Regulations
2.1 PLACE. Matches shall be played in designated Tournament areas.

2.2 TIME. Matches shall start promptly at the appointed times. Each player is entitled to one 5 minute recess (between games) in a match not exceeding 13 points in length. Longer matches, or those of significant importance may be allowed additional recess time.

2.3 PENALTY POINTS. Unless excused as necessary by Director, time and recess violations shall be penalized by points awarded to opponent. The first penalty point will be awarded 15 minutes after the appointed starting time and accrue thereafter at the rate of 1 point for each 5 minute delay. When the penalty points amount to more than half of the number needed to win the match, the absent player will have then forfeited. To avoid penalties, player should secure Director's consent when leaving Tournament site for more than 10 minutes.

2.4 SLOW PLAY. Players are expected to play at a reasonable pace. Director may warn an unduly slow player, and thereafter award penalty points to his opponent if unreasonable slowness persists. A time clock may be used to monitor slow matches.

2.5 MONITORS. Director may appoint a monitor to observe a match on his own initiative, or at the request of a player. Monitor shall have full powers to protect each player against opponent's irregularities.

3.0 Preliminaries
3.1 EQUIPMENT. Either player may demand that both use, when available and approved by the Director: (a) precision dice (over any others) and/or (b) lipped dice cups (over unlipped).

3.2 PREFERENCES. If necessary, the backgammon board, direction of play, choice of checker color and seat location shall be decided by roll of the dice prior to the commencement of play.

3.3 EQUIPMENT CHANGES. Director may replace defective equipment at any time. Otherwise the four dice initially selected shall be used throughout. Either player may demand a mixing of dice prior to the start of any game. In this case, the demanding player shakes the four dice together in one cup and rolls them out. Opponent selects a die-then roller-then opponent-with roller taking the last die.

4.0 Play of the game/irregularities
4.1 RANDOM ROLLS. Dice are strictly a means of obtaining random numbers; any other use violates the rules and the spirit of backgammon. A legal roll consists of shaking the dice vigorously in a dice cup and then simultaneously tossing them out at a discernible height above the playing surface, allowing them to bounce and roll freely.

4.2 VALID ROLLS. Both dice must come to rest flat (not cocked) on the playing surface to the right of the bar; otherwise they must be rerolled.

4.3 MOVING. Player should move clearly, using only one hand to play the checkers. Player shall reenter any checker on the bar before moving any other checker. No player should move any checkers during an opponent's turn. Deviations from proper moving procedure may result in an adverse ruling in case of dispute.

4.4 CHECKER HANDLING. Checkers which have been hit must be kept on the bar pending reentry. Checkers which have been borne off must be kept off the entire playing surface for the rest of the game. Failure to observe these procedures may result in an adverse ruling in case of dispute, or redress to an opponent harmed thereby.

4.5 LIFTING DICE. Player concludes his turn by lifting either or both of his dice. But with notice to opponent, he may reposition the dice on the playing surface to facilitate moving the checkers. After lifting his dice, player may change his move only upon an opponent's demand to replay an illegal move.

4.6 PREMATURE ACTIONS. No player may roll or turn the cube until the opponent has picked up his dice. A premature roll must be rerolled. A premature double shall stand if otherwise valid. An opponent who has yet to complete his turn may then do so with foreknowledge of the premature double.

4.7 ERROR IN SETUP. An incorrect starting position must be corrected prior to the fifth roll of the game. Thereafter the existing setup becomes official. Players starting with less than 15 checkers in play may still be gammoned or backgammoned.

4.8 ILLEGAL MOVES. Upon drawing attention to an illegal move, player may condone it or demand that opponent legally replay the entire roll. Player condones a prior illegal move by rolling his own dice or turning the cube.

4.9 COMPLETION. Games must be rolled to completion, unless ended by a pass of a double or redouble, or conceded in no-contact positions as single game, gammon or backgammon losses. No game may be cancelled and replayed, or settled. Matches must be played to the appointed length.

4.10 REPORTING RESULTS. Final score shall be reported to Tournament Official by match winner. Official shall verify and post a correct result on draw sheet. Once posted, an erroneous result may still be corrected in a timely manner, but not after either player has begun a succeeding match.

5.0 Scoring/Doubling
5.1 KEEPING SCORE. Each player shall keep a running match score and compare his score with opponent's at the start of every game. In the event of a scoring dispute, a player not keeping score will be at a disadvantage.

5.2 CUBE SETUP. It is the responsibility of both players to see that the doubling cube begins each game centered with the "64" side face up. In the event of a dispute, the current position and level of the cube will strongly influence Director's ruling. Exception: the cube may be removed during the Crawford game (see Rule 5.5).

5.3 CUBE RULES. Gammons and backgammons will count at all times. It is not necessary to double an opponent in order to win a gammon or backgammon.

5.4 CUBE HANDLING. Player may double when it is his turn only before rolling the dice, but not after rolling cocked dice. To double or redouble, player moves the cube toward his opponent at the higher value while saying "double" or words to that effect. To take, one draws the cube toward himself while saying "take" or words to that effect. To reject the double, one says "pass" or words to that effect, enters the score and resets the board. The cube should not be handled capriciously; either verbal or physical acts may be interpreted as cube actions.

5.5 CRAWFORD RULE. The Crawford Rule will apply to all matches. When a player reaches match point (e.g., 8 points in a 9 point match), the doubling cube will be out of play for one game. In subsequent games following the Crawford game, the cube may be turned at first legal opportunity.

6.0 Contentions
6.1 DISPUTES. When a dispute arises, all players must leave dice, checkers, cube and score unchanged while Director is summoned. Violations by player in this area are most serious and create a presumption in favor of opponent.

6.2 TESTIMONY. Any player may argue issues of fact or rule. Spectators, except to report cheating, may testify only at Director's request.

6.3 APPEALS. Player may appeal Director's ruling, but he must do so promptly, while timely redress may still be obtained. To resolve an appeal, Director shall convene a committee of three knowledgeable and disinterested backgammon players at once. Committee shall hear relevant testimony and arguments, and may overturn Director's ruling by majority decision. This exhausts player's right to appeal.

BackGammon Tournaments Fundamentals

Equipment:
- A backgammon board.
- Checkers: 30 (15 of each color).
- Two pair of dice (1 pair for each player).
- A doubling cube.
- Two dice cups.

Board Set-Up
A game in tournament play starts as shown below. The board is composed of 24 triangular-shaped divisions known as points. The board is also divided down the center by a partition known as the bar. The two halves are called the outer and home boards. For the purpose of convenience the board diagram has been numbered.

Object of the Game
The first player to remove all his checkers wins a game.

The Mechanics of the Game
Players must the dice cups for rolling and must roll on the right side of the bar at all times. To start a game, each player rolls one die and the player with the higher number moves first using the both numbers. If the players roll the same number, both re-roll. The players then alternate rolling and moving using their own dice.

Players move their checkers around the board in opposite directions. A player moves his checkers according to the numbers shown on the dice. When rolling the dice, both dice must land completely flat within the player's right half of the board and on the playing surface. If not, the dice are cocked and the player must re-roll both dice.

The numbers shown on the dice are considered individually and not as a total. A point is blocked when the opponent has two or more of his checkers on that point. A player may move over blocked points but may not land on them. Bear in mind that, when moving a single checker for the total shown by the two dice, a player is actually making two moves with the one checker, each move according to the number shown on each dice.

Compulsory Move
A player must use both numbers rolled whenever possible. If he can play either number but not both, he must move using the larger number. If a player cannot make any moves, play passes to his opponent. A player may not voluntarily pass his turn.

Hints on Moving the Checkers
The points on the board have alternating colors. When moving an even number, a checker will land on the same color as moved from. Odd numbers will move to the other color. A move from the 9-point to the 5-point is a move of 4 since the bar does not count as a point.

Rolling Doubles
When a player rolls the same number on both dice, known as doubles, the player moves that number 4 times. The player may move one checker all four times or any combination of checkers the player chooses with the rules above applying.

Blots
A single checker on a point is a blot. Since checkers of opposite colors cannot occupy the same point, when a player lands on an opponent's blot he removes that checker and replaces it with his own. The opponent's checker must be placed on the bar.

The Bar
The bar is the middle strip that separates the two halves of the board. Once a checker has been hit and placed on the bar, the player must re-enter it into play before moving any other checker. A hit checker returns to play by moving the checker from the bar to a point in the opponent's home board indicated by the numbers on the next roll. For example, if a player rolls 5 and 2, he may enter a checker either on the five or two point, so long as two or more of the opponent's checkers does not occupy the prospective points. If your opponent has a closed board (all points in his home board with two or more checkers on each point) and you have a checker on the bar, you automatically lose your turn to move but not to use the cube (explained later).

Bearing Off
Bearing off means removing checkers by the rolls of the dice. A player may not start bearing off until all 15 of his checkers are in his home board. If there is no checker on the point indicated by the die, the player must make a legal move using a checker on a higher-numbered point. If there are no checkers on the higher-numbered points, the player may remove a checker from the highest point on which his checkers resides.

If a checker is hit after bearoff, that checker goes to the bar and must re-enter as described earlier. The player may not bear off another checker until that hit checker has returned to his home board.

Match Play
In tournaments, players compete by playing a match. The Director specifies the match length. Score cards are provided and should be used by both players by keeping a running score. Point(s) won are added to the player's total. The first player to reach the designated match length is the winner. There is no advantage to winning a match by more points than the match length. The winner advances but otherwise the match score bears no importance in the tournament's outcome.

Scoring
The player who bears off all his checkers first wins a game. A double game (gammon) is won if your opponent has not removed any of his checkers by the time you have removed all of your checkers. The winner gets two times the value of the cube for a gammon. A triple game (backgammon) is won if the opponent has not removed any checkers and still has one or more checkers in your home board or on the bar. The winner gets three times the value of the cube for a backgammon.

Doubling Cube
The doubling cube is used in tournament backgammon. The value of the cube at the end of each game and whether the game was a gammon or backgammon determines the points won each game. The six values on a cube are 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64. The cube starts at 1 although it sits with the 64 face up. The starting position of the cube is centered between the players and visible to both players.

Either player can make the initial double. The player doubling thinks he is favored to win the game and wants to play the current game for 2 points instead of 1 point. The cube may only be offered before a player rolls his dice. A double is offered by a player placing the cube on the playing surface and saying I double to 2. The player being doubled may either accept or decline the cube. If the cube is declined, the game is over and the player offering the cube wins (in this case) 1 point. If the cube is accepted, the player accepting puts the cube on his side of the board in view of both players with the 2 facing up. Once the cube has been offered and accepted, only the player with the cube can re-double. If sometime later, the player with the cube thinks he will win he may re-double to 4 and his opponent has the same options as before. At the end of a game, the cube should be replaced to the centered position.

Crawford Rule
The Crawford Rule will apply to all matches. When a player reaches match point (e.g., 8 points in a 9 point match), the doubling cube will be out of play for one game (know as the Crawford Game). In subsequent games following the Crawford Game, the cube is active.

General Strategy
It may seem that the sole object of the game is to race the checkers around the board as quickly as possible. If that were the case, the outcome of the game would be determined completely by Lady Luck. Victory would go to the player fortunate enough to cast the higher numbers and interest in the game would soon evaporate.

Backgammon is also a strategy game. The sure way to succeed is to construct an obstacle that your opponent cannot hurdle. Thus, if he should leave a blot and you hit it, he will find it difficult to bring his checkers around the board into his home board. Remember, a checker that has been hit goes to the bar and must re-enter in the opponent's home board. The checker must complete the full course of the board before it is in a position to be removed. In addition, the player has lost ground - the number of points he has advanced the checker to the position where it was hit have all gone to waste.

There are two key points in each board: the 5-point and the 7-point (also called the bar-point). Early moves should be designed to gain control of these important points. Your opponent's checkers on your 1-point have to travel the longest distance and your early efforts should be designed to impede their progress. Thereafter, you must attempt to construct a prime (points in a row with 2 or more checkers on each point): the more the better.

Cube Strategy
Strategy on the use of the doubling cube is often complex and experience is the primary teacher. However, it should be noted that a player offering a double should have something to gain by doing so. Thus he should normally at least be leading the game. Secondly, even though a player may be currently losing the game, he may stand to gain by accepting a double, with the hope of turning the game in his favor.

More Help and Information
When playing in a tournament and any questions arise, consult the Director or staff person. For your enjoyment of the game, it is better to know the rules for sure.