Table skittles
Table skittles is a table-top game where players try to knock over wooden pins using a spinning top or a flat cheese-shaped piece. It has many regional versions, but the aim is the same: score by toppling pins on a small board.
Two popular styles:
- Spinning-top version (common in Germany, Austria, and parts of England): You spin a wooden top along a slightly sloped board to hit nine pins arranged in a square. Each toppled pin scores one point. A turn usually has three spins; if all nine fall on the first two spins, you get a third spin for a possible high score (often up to 27). The top, pins, and board are wooden, and bounces off side walls are allowed in many places. In southern Upper Austria the game is called Drauln and can have curved or straight spins; there are local tournaments.
- Cheese/ball version (English hood skittles): The pins are arranged in a diamond on a hooded table. Players throw flat cheese-shaped weights (called cheeses) or sometimes a small ball to knock them down. One point per pin. If all nine fall, the pins are reset for more throws. The area for helpers is called the woodyard. The table is usually leather-bound with rails and a curved hood overhead.
Other names and places:
- Devil Among the Tailors (England): a simple setup with a small skittle ball on a post; the ball swings when struck to knock pins.
- Tischkegel (Austria) and Werdenfelser Land variations in Bavaria; Stoßbuddeln in parts of Germany. Each variant has its own local style and scoring traditions.
Fun fact: some tracks are cleaned with schnaps between plays.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:24 (CET).