Backgammon rules FAQ: bearing off, doubles, no move
Answers to the questions that start the most arguments at the board. All follow the international rules, and where a local custom differs, it says so.
What happens if you can’t move?
Your turn passes to your opponent and you don’t move. It happens mostly when you have a checker on the bar and the points you rolled are closed.
Must you play both dice?
Yes, if you can. If only one of them can be played, you play that one. If either can be played alone but not both, you must play the higher one.
Do doubles give you another turn?
No. In standard backgammon a double is played four times, for example double six is four moves of 6, and then the turn passes. Some folk variants let a double roll again, but that is not the standard rule.
Do you need an exact roll to bear off?
Not always. You bear off from the point matching the number rolled. If there is no checker there and you have checkers on higher points, you must move one of them. If there are none higher, you bear off from your highest occupied point.
When can you start bearing off?
Only when all 15 of your checkers are in your home. If one gets hit along the way, it has to come back home before you continue bearing off.
How many checkers can go on one point?
As many as you like. There is no limit in standard backgammon.
Can you move while you have a checker on the bar?
No. First you bring every checker in from the bar, and only then can you move others.
Can you hit while bearing off?
Yes. You can hit a lone opposing checker in your home while bearing off, and you can be hit too.
I bore off one checker. Is it still a gammon?
No. One checker off is enough to save the gammon, and the winner scores one point.
Who starts the game?
Each player rolls one die and the higher number starts. Under the international rule the starter plays the two numbers rolled. In many cafés the starter rolls again instead.
The full rules, from the setup to the doubling cube: Backgammon rules.
How to set up the board: Board setup.
Here the game enforces every rule by itself: an illegal move is impossible.