Bagatelle
Bagatelle Rulebook
Table of Contents
Contents
Handmade in Sheesham wood. Includes a wooden playing board and metal balls.
Players
Two or more.
Objective
Players try to strike a ball in such a way that they score the maximum number of points.
Play
The participants, of whom there may be any number, each play in turn.
In each turn, the player takes the ball and places it at the head of the "guidance channel" that runs part-way along the right hand side of the board.
Releasing the striker, the player then strikes the ball so that it runs along the channel and into the main area of the board.
If the player strikes the ball with insufficient force so that it rolls back to the start instead of into the main area of the board, he may strike the ball again.
The number of balls each player may strike in a turn may be determined by the players before the start of the game. The players may also choose either to remove each ball from the board as soon as it has been played, or to leave all the balls in position until the end of a round.
Scoring
A player's score must be noted after each turn.
A ball cannot be judged until it has come to an absolute standstill. If it comes to a halt inside a cup, it scores the corresponding number of points.
There is no score if the ball:
- enters a cup but then rolls out again;
- becomes lodged against the nails outside a cup; or,
- comes to a halt in any non-scoring area of the board, including the near end of the board.
If balls are left in position until the end of a round, points may also be scored by a player managing to dislodge an opponent's ball that has already scored.
For example, if the opponent's ball scored 50 points, the player may add 50 points to his own score whether or not his ball comes to a halt in a scoring area.
End Play
The players may decide to continue a game until:
a) a set time limit has been reached, in which case the winner is the player with the highest score at that point;
b) one player's score has reached a predetermined number of points; or
c) each player has had a predetermined number of turns, the player with the highest score then being the winner.