One checker can be hit; a made point cannot
A blot is exactly one checker on a point. When your checker legally lands there, move the opponent’s checker to the bar and put yours on the point. Two opposing checkers are not two possible hits: they make the point unavailable to you.
Position excerpt · Your point numbers
The bar has no ordinary point number. A hit checker is not simply pushed back one triangle, and the opponent cannot choose a convenient empty point for it. On their next turn it must enter through your home board.
Read the die from the opponent’s home board
A 1 enters at the opponent’s 1-point; a 6 at their 6-point. From your own numbering these are 24 and 19. You do not enter directly into your own home board, and you cannot use the sum of the dice as an entry number.
| Die / opponent’s point | Your point |
|---|---|
| 1 | 24 |
| 2 | 23 |
| 3 | 22 |
| 4 | 21 |
| 5 | 20 |
| 6 | 19 |
A closed board means the opponent has made all six home points. No die can enter until a point opens. This blocks checker entry, but does not by itself remove a player’s otherwise valid right to offer a double before rolling.
Enter everyone before moving anyone else
Bar priority lasts until the final barred checker enters. You cannot spend a leftover die on a checker already on the board while another checker remains on the bar—even if the entered checker could advance safely.
- 2 checkers barred
- enter one · die 2
- die 5 blocked
- 1 remains barred
Once entered, a checker follows the usual downward numbering all the way back home. If you were bearing off before the hit, bearing off pauses until every remaining checker is home again.
Common mistakes
- Entering on your own 1–6 rather than the opponent’s 1–6.
- Moving an already-entered checker while a teammate remains on the bar.
- Trying to hit a made point or enter using the sum of the two dice.
- Assuming a hit on an intermediate stop disappears when the hitter moves on.
Reader questions
- Can I hit while entering?
- Yes. An opposing blot on the entry point is hit just like a blot anywhere else. A point with two or more opposing checkers remains blocked.
- Can an entered checker use the second die?
- Yes, after the bar is empty and if its next landing is legal. If another checker remains barred, the second die must enter that checker or is unplayable.
- Does a closed board mean the game is over?
- No. It prevents entry while all six points remain made. The opponent continues playing, and a point may open. A played-out game ends when a player legally bears off their last checker.
Sources and further learning
Original Bet On Gammon explanations, worked examples and illustrations. Further reading and rule references are listed below.
- USBGF — Beginner’s Guide to Backgammon ↗ — standard setup, checker play, bearing off, cube and results.
- USBGF — Tournament Rules ↗ — the governing rules hub.
- USBGF — Rules for In-Person Play ↗ — match and cube procedures; follow your event’s rules and director.
Beginner’s Guide to Backgammon brings the full game together. Use the rules reference for a compact check, or return to the learning order.