Backgammon Dice Angles

Tommo · Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 14

Hi, I have a question about the way that the dice lands in live backgammon play. Once in a while, because of the stitching of the backgammon board, a die will land at an angle. Initially, I thought that this was considered cocked dice, however someone wiser and more experienced told me than me that this was in fact a legal dice fall and had to be played. I was told that cocked dice applied to a cube that landed at an angle on the edge of the backgammon board. So, what is the real take on this? Is there any rule that states that a dice cocked on stitching is a good roll, while one against the edge isn’t? Surely a cocked dice is a cocked dice?!

Deuce · Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 38

The problem with this kind of situation is that there is really no rule about it in the official backgammon rulebooks. The accepted ruling is to play according to what the player told you: That a die that lands on stitching does not constitute a cocked throw. However, as I said there is nothing ‘written down’. I can only assume that we need to accept the general spirit of the rule and understand that in principle, the dice should land on a flat surface on the board (or as flat as possible). If a checker hampers that throw and the dice lands at an angle, it is considered a cocked dice. Bear in mind also that good tournament backgammon boards should not have stitching that hampers your dice throw. Hope this helps.