Quoits

History:

Popular with soldiers in ancient Greece and Rome, quoits became one of the original five events in the Greek pentathlon.  Since quoits requires little equipment, it became a favorite pastime among peasants during the Middle Ages, and is now a staple of backyard barbecues, family gatherings, and camping trips.

Object of the Game:

Players toss rings at stakes planted into the ground, attempting to land on top of the stake.  The first player to score 21 points is the winner.

Playing Field:

There is no standardized dimensions in recreational quoits.  In tournament play, the motts (stakes) are set 54 feet apart, each mott surrounded by a target.  The target is generally a white circle, five inches in diameter around the mott.  The target's size isn't critical because it has no bearing on points.  In some regions, the stakes are referred to as hobs.

Equipment:

Quoit- a ring made of metal or hard rubber, approximately 8" in diameter, weighing roughly 3 pounds.

Rules:

A quoit that lands over the mott is worth 2 points.
A quoit that lands closer to the mott than the opponents' scores 1 point.
A quoit leaning against a mott is worth 1 point.

If score is tied at 20, play continues until one side wins by 2 points.

In singles play, both players must stand behind a mott at one end of the court.  Each player tosses two quoits at the opposite mott.  After both sides have tossed their quoits, the players walk to the target area and record their scores.  The higher-scoring player is first to toss towards the other mott.

In doubles play, each partner stands behind a mott and throws the quoits back toward their partner behind the opposite mott.  This eliminates the need to walk back and forth.