1The parts of the board
A backgammon board has 24 narrow triangles called points, in alternating colors. They are grouped into four quadrants of six points each. The raised strip down the middle is the bar, and it splits the board into halves.
Each player has a home board and an outer board, and so does the opponent. Your home board is the quadrant where you finish, and it holds your points 1 through 6. Your outer board, points 7 through 12, sits next to it on the same side. The two quadrants across from you are your opponent's home board and outer board. Your checkers start in all four quadrants and travel around the board into your home board.
2Numbering the points
Each player numbers the points from their own point of view. Your 1-point is the point in your home board farthest from the bar, at the edge of the board. Counting continues through your home board to the 6-point, across the bar to your outer board (7 to 12), across the far side of the board (13 to 18 in your opponent's outer board, 19 to 24 in their home board).
Your 24-point is your opponent's 1-point. Every point has two numbers, one for each player, and they always add to 25. This is why the two setups look different on the board but are the same when each player counts from their own side.
3Where the checkers go
Each player has 15 checkers in their own color. Place them the same way from your own point of view. The easiest way to remember it is 2-5-3-5, working from the far corner back toward your home board: 2 on the 24-point, 5 on the 13-point, 3 on the 8-point, and 5 on the 6-point.
The 2 checkers on your 24-point sit deep in your opponent's home board and are called your back checkers. The 5 on your 13-point sit in your opponent's outer board, on the far side of the table, directly across from your 12-point at the edge of the board. Your 8-point is in your outer board, and your 6-point is in your home board next to the bar.
| Your point | Your checkers | Opponent's checkers | Same point in opponent's numbering |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| 6 | 5 | 0 | 19 |
| 8 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| 12 | 0 | 5 | 13 |
| 13 | 5 | 0 | 12 |
| 17 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| 19 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| 24 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 15 | 15 |
4Direction of movement
Checkers always move forward, to a lower-numbered point. You move from your 24-point toward your 1-point, which traces a horseshoe: out of your opponent's home board, along their outer board, across to your outer board, and into your home board. Your opponent travels the same path in the other direction.
The pieces pass each other going opposite ways. That is where the game's hitting and blocking come from. A quick way to check you have it right is that your back checkers start in the quadrant where your opponent is trying to finish, and theirs start in yours.
5Home board on the right or the left
Diagrams usually show your home board on your right, but both bkgm.com and the US Backgammon Federation describe the reverse as an accepted arrangement: home board on the left and outer board on the right. Either is legal. The checkers simply travel around the board the other way.
Whichever you choose, the two players' home boards must be directly across from each other, on the same end of the table. If your home board is on your right, your opponent's is on their left. Agree which end the home boards are on before you place checkers, since flipping it halfway through setup is how people end up with a lopsided board.
6Doubling cube, dice and the opening roll
Each player has a pair of dice and a dice cup. The doubling cube starts halfway between the players, on the bar or at the side of the board, with 64 face up. That means the game is worth 1 point and neither player owns the cube yet.
Dice are rolled together from the cup and must land flat in the right-hand section of the board. If a die lands outside that section, lands on a checker, or does not land flat, both dice are rolled again.
To start, each player rolls one die. The higher number moves first, and plays the two numbers showing, one from each die. If the dice tie, both players roll again until the numbers differ. In money play, some players add automatic doubles: a tie on the opening roll doubles the stakes, the cube is turned to 2 and stays in the middle, and players usually agree to limit this to one per game.
7Common setup mistakes
Most setup errors come from counting the points from the wrong end. Count from your own home board, and have your opponent count from theirs.
- Both players counting from the same end, which puts both sets of back checkers in the same quadrant.
- Home boards on opposite ends of the table instead of directly across from each other.
- 4 checkers on the 8-point and only 2 on the 24-point. The 2-5-3-5 count must add to 15.
- Five checkers on your 12-point instead of your 13-point. The 13-point is on your opponent's side of the table, directly across from your 12-point.
- Cube left at 2 from the last game. Reset it to 64 in the middle.
8Worked examples
Setting up with your home board on the right
Empty board; you have 15 white checkers, home board in your near right quadrant
- Your 1-point is the far right point on your side of the board, and the 6-point is next to the bar. Put 5 checkers on the 6-point.
- Across the bar, in your outer board, count to the 8-point (second point from the bar) and put 3 checkers there.
- Your 12-point is the far left point on your side. The 13-point is directly across from it, at the far left end of your opponent's side. Put 5 checkers there.
- Your 24-point is directly across from your 1-point, at the far right end of your opponent's side. Put 2 checkers there.
2 + 5 + 3 + 5 = 15 checkers
Checking a setup by pip count
Both sides set up in the starting position
- A checker's pip count is the number of the point it sits on, counted from its owner's side.
- 24-point: 2 × 24 = 48. 13-point: 5 × 13 = 65.
- 8-point: 3 × 8 = 24. 6-point: 5 × 6 = 30.
- 48 + 65 + 24 + 30 = 167. Both players should get the same number.
167 pips each
An opening roll
Starting position, cube in the middle at 64
- You roll a 3 on your single die and your opponent rolls a 1. You go first and play 3-1.
- A common play is 8/5 and 6/5: one checker from your 8-point to your 5-point, one from your 6-point to your 5-point.
- You now hold your 5-point with two checkers, and your opponent takes the dice for a normal turn with both of their own dice.
Your 5-point made
Questions people ask
- How do you set up a backgammon board?
- Each player puts 2 checkers on their 24-point, 5 on their 13-point, 3 on their 8-point and 5 on their 6-point, counting from their own home board. The setups mirror each other. The doubling cube goes in the middle with 64 showing.
- Which way do you move in backgammon?
- Always toward lower numbers, from your 24-point to your 1-point, in a horseshoe that ends in your home board. Your opponent moves the opposite way along the same track.
- Does the home board have to be on the right?
- No. Both bkgm.com and the USBGF accept the reverse arrangement, with the home board on the left. The two home boards just have to sit across from each other on the same end of the table.
- How many checkers does each player have?
- 15 each, in two colors. They start as 2, 5, 3 and 5 on the 24, 13, 8 and 6 points, which adds to 15.
- Where does the doubling cube go at the start?
- Halfway between the players, on the bar or at the side of the board, with 64 face up. That shows the game is worth 1 point and nobody owns the cube yet.
- Who goes first in backgammon?
- Each player rolls one die. The higher number goes first and plays both numbers showing as the first move. If the dice tie, both roll again.
Sources
Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.
- Rules of Backgammon, bkgm.com. Read September 29, 2026.
- Backgammon Basics: How to Play, US Backgammon Federation. Read September 29, 2026.