THE RULES OF LOBB

The Ground

Lobb is played by two players standing side by side on gravel or other loose stone. A line is marked in the ground and neither player may cross it while making a throw.

At the beginning of the first game a coin is tossed. The winner of the toss throws the hat onto the ground beyond the line. Eight to ten feet is considered a usual distance, although no exact distance is prescribed.

The hat is played wherever it falls. If the hat falls in such a position that it is impossible to play, it is thrown again.

The Throw

Players take alternate turns, choosing their stones from the ground immediately around them. A stone which lands and remains in the hat scores one point.

A stone resting on the brim also scores, provided that no part of the stone is touching the ground. A stone which comes to rest partly on the hat and partly on the ground scores nothing. This is known as a slack throw.

A stone which enters the hat but bounces, rolls or otherwise comes out again also scores nothing.

Stones aren't removed from the hat during play. All successful throws remain where they have fallen until the end of the game.

Conversions

Having scored one point, the player may choose to convert by throwing a second stone. If the second throw scores, it is worth a further two points, making three points for the turn.

The player may then attempt a second and final conversion. If successful, this is worth a further three points, making six points for the turn.

No further conversion is permitted. A player may therefore score 0, 1, 3 or 6 points in a turn.

A missed conversion ends the turn, but any points already scored are kept. A player isn't obliged to attempt a conversion.

The Game

A game is won by the first player to reach exactly 15 points.

A player may not make a conversion which, if successful, would take their score beyond 15. Thus, a player on 13 may score their first throw, bringing their score to 14, but may not attempt the two-point conversion. A player on 12 may score and convert, reaching exactly 15 and winning the game.

This restriction doesn't reduce the player's existing score. It merely ends their opportunity to convert, allowing the other player further opportunity to catch up.

At the end of the game, the stones are removed from the hat and both players' scores return to zero.

The winner of the game throws the hat for the next.

The Hat

Once thrown, the hat must not be moved by hand until the game is complete.

It may, however, be moved by stones during ordinary play. If this happens, the hat remains in its new position and play continues from there.

A player may deliberately attempt to move the hat with a throw. This is a legitimate part of Lobb and may be used tactically.

Lobb 45

Lobb 45 is the ordinary and most commonly played form of Lobb.

Each game won is worth 15 points towards the set. The first player to accumulate 45 points, by winning three games, wins the set.

Both players may win games along the way, so a set of Lobb 45 consists of between three and five games.

At the beginning of each new game, the previous game's winner throws the hat again.

Lobb Sevens

The longer form of the game is properly called Lobb Sevens, although players commonly refer to it simply as Sevens.

A match of Sevens is played as the best of seven sets of Lobb 45.

At the end of each set, when one player reaches 45, the players change ends. Each therefore begins the following set standing where the hat had been during the previous set, amongst the stones which have accumulated there during play.

The stones thrown during one set consequently replenish the supply for the next.

The first player to win four sets wins the match.

A full match of Sevens can take some considerable time to complete and is consequently played less often than Lobb 45.

Scoring