Learn to Play Backgammon

Hitting and Entering

Hitting and Entering

A “blot” is a single man of either color occupying a single point. If the opposite player moves his man to land on that “blot”, then that is called a “hit” and the blot is removed and placed on the “bar”. It is mandatory of a player when he has any number of men on the bar, to enter his men to the opposite home board (between the 18-24 point). For a player to re-enter his men into the opposite home board, he must roll a number on the dice that is open.

For example, if a player rolls 2 and 5, then the player may enter his man into either the two point or the five point on the opposite home board, as long as it is not filled with 2 or more of the opponent’s men.

This picture shows if White rolls a 4 and a 5 while having a man on the bar, he must enter the man onto Red's Four point since Red's Five point is occupied by two opposite men and therefore is not open. A player will lose his turn his either of the points on the opposite home board are not open. If a player has more then one man on the bar, then he must try to enter as many men he can during any one turn. If he can only enter one man but still has men on the bar, then the player will forfeit the reminding roll.

Once all of the player’s men are entered to the opposite home board from the bar, then the player must use any remaining roll to move either the re-entered men or any other men on the board.

Bearing Off

Bearing off is possible once a player has moved all of his men into his own home board. To bear off, a player must take out any man that corresponds to the number of the dice. For example, rolling a 5 allows the player to remove a man from the five point.

If on the roll, the number that comes out is not occupied by any men, then the player must make any legal move using any man on a higher numbered point. If there are no men on any higher-numbered points, the player will remove a man from the highest point available on which one of his men resides. Bearing off will be done under the discretion of the player and if the player can make any legal move without bearing off, he may do so.

This picture illustrates White rolling a 6 and a 4 therefore, bears off two men.

All available men must be in a player’s home board in order to bear off. If any man is hit during the bear off and re-enteres on the opposite home board, then the player must first bring him back to his own home board and only then continue to bear off. The first player to bear off all of his men wins the game.

This page was last updated on July 31st, 2006.