Backgammon basics: Rule irregularities

Now that we have tackled the basics of playing backgammon as well as some of the more basic strategies involved with playing the game, there are still a few more things that needs to be discussed. For example, there are certain rule irregularities that exist when playing backgammon. Although only a few, it is still quite important for a novice player to learn these irregularities and be able to spot them instinctively. It will be a dead giveaway of a novice player’s skill level if he shows that he does not know the kind of basic information that more experienced backgammon players already know.The rule irregularities that you must know about are:

1. The dice should be rolled together and it must also land flat on the surface of the right hand section of the board. The player is compelled to reroll both dice if either one of the die lands outside the right hand board, lands on a checker, or it does not land flat.

2. a turn is completed the moment a player picks up his dice. IF the play is incomplete or is deemed as illegal then the opponent has the choice of accepting the play as made or requiring the player to initiate a legal play. A play is considered as accepted when your opponent rolls his dice or offers you a double as a way of starting his own turn.

3. If a player rolls before his opponent has finished his turn by picking up the dice then the player’s roll is going to be voided. This particular rule is usually waived anytime a play is force or when there is no more contact between the opponents.