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Europeans 2027 · 1–4 July
In the background: a game at the Castello di Villafranca, 2026.

A guide to the game

What is Kubb?

A throwing game born in Sweden: two teams, a lawn and some wooden blocks. You learn it in ten minutes and play it at any age.

In 30 seconds

The idea behind the game.

Who
Two teams, from one to six people each.
What
Wooden pieces: ten kubbs, six throwing sticks and the king, in the middle of a lawn.
Goal
Knock down the other team's kubbs with the sticks, then the king.
Watch out
The king comes last: if he falls before that, even by accident, you've lost.

8 × 5 mthe pitch

ages 6+no upper age limit

Origins

The story, told properly.

From an island in the Baltic to the meadows of Valpolicella, in seven milestones.

  1. Gotland

    Kubb comes from Sweden's largest island, in the Baltic Sea.

  2. 1911

    A Swedish encyclopaedia describes kägelkrig, an almost identical game that many consider its ancestor.

  3. 1931

    The word “kubb” appears in print for the first time, in a book by an ethnologist from Gotland.

  4. 1980s

    From island pastime to Swedish craze: the first commercial sets appear.

  5. 1995

    In Rone, on Gotland, a big international tournament begins: it's played every summer and open to everyone.

  6. 2000s

    Kubb leaves Scandinavia: Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, then the United States and Canada.

  7. Italy

    Played here since 2023, with an association since 2024. In 2027 the European Championships will be held in Valpolicella.

    Kubb pitch on the grass in front of a large historic stone building with many windows, red and blue gazebos and people playing

    Tocatì, Verona 2025.

Read the full story

Kubb was born on Gotland, Sweden's largest island, in the Baltic Sea. In 1911 a Swedish encyclopaedia described kägelkrig, an almost identical game that many consider its ancestor; the word “kubb” first appeared in print in 1931, in a book by an ethnologist who came from Gotland himself.

Until the 1980s it remained a local pastime, played in the island's gardens and meadows. Only at the end of that decade did its popularity explode: the first commercial sets were made to meet a sudden demand, and from Gotland Kubb spread across the whole of Sweden.

The turning point came in 1995: in Rone, a small village in the south of Gotland, a big international tournament was born. It has been played every summer since, open to anyone who wants to take part: no age divisions, no qualifying rankings.

In the 2000s Kubb went beyond Scandinavia and spread to many European countries, the United States and Canada. It reached Italy later: it has been played here since 2023, and the national association was founded in October 2024. From here, we want to build the community.

The playing area

Eight metres by five.

Four pegs at the corners, two halfway along the long sides for the centre line. Five kubbs at each end, the king in the middle. Hover over a measurement to see it in the drawing.

Very large playing area with several matches under way, kubbs and king in the foreground, benches and players dotted around; behind, vineyard hills and blue sky.
Where to play: a big enough lawn, a park, a beach with firm sand. At tournaments, closely mown grass. Pictured: III ValpoKubb, Marano di Valpolicella, 2025.

The equipment

The official set.

All wood, made to the sizes in the international rules. The pieces below are drawn to the same scale.

Sets that meet the rules are made by specialist producers, for example Londero (an external supplier, not connected to the association).

Wooden Kubb set on the grass: the king with its red crown, the stacked kubbs and the throwing sticks in the foreground.
III ValpoKubb, Marano di Valpolicella, August 2025

  • base 7 × 7 cm

    Kubbs

    × 10

    Height 15 cm, base 7 × 7 cm. The blocks to knock down: five per side on the baseline.

  • base Ø 4.4 cm

    Throwing sticks

    × 6

    Height 30 cm, base Ø 4.4 cm. Thrown underarm: they spin vertically, never like a helicopter.

  • base 9 × 9 cm

    King

    × 1

    Height 30 cm, base 9 × 9 cm. In the centre of the pitch. Can only be knocked down last.

  • base ≈ 2 × 2 cm

    Pegs

    × 6

    Height ≈ 30 cm, base ≈ 2 × 2 cm. Mark the corners and the centre line.

    Recommended size: no rule set specifies one.

How to play

The essential rules.

Six steps, in the order they happen in a game. The pitch follows what you're reading.

  1. Step 1: Who starts

    One player from each team throws a stick towards the king at the same time. The team whose stick stops closest starts; if the king falls, the other team wins the toss.

  2. Step 2: Throw underarm

    From behind your own baseline, underarm: the stick may spin vertically, never like a helicopter. A 2-4-6 opening, then six sticks per turn.

  3. Step 3: Knocked-down kubbs come back into play

    The team they belong to throws them into the other team's half. Any that land out get a second throw; if they land out again, the receiving team places them.

  4. Step 4: Field kubbs first

    The receiving team stands them up where they landed: they become field kubbs, to be knocked down before the baseline kubbs. A baseline kubb hit too early is stood back up.

  5. Step 5: The attack line moves up

    If a field kubb is left standing, the other team throws from closer in: their line moves up to that kubb.

  6. Step 6: The king comes last

    Once all the other team's kubbs are down, you throw at the king: if he falls, you've won the set. If he falls before that, even by accident, you lose it.

Want the full rules?

Phases of a turn, throwing in the kubbs, attacking the king, tiebreak and fair play, based on the European Championships rules.

The full rules

A European community

Kubb around the world.

From Gotland across Europe, then to the United States and Canada. And now to Italy too.

the big tournament in Rone, on Gotland
1995
the big tournament in Rone, on Gotland
at the European Championships 2025, approx.
380
at the European Championships 2025, approx.
players per team at tournaments
1–6
players per team at tournaments
Each dot is the capital of a country where Kubb is documented. Off the map: the United States and Canada.
Large group photo in front of the gazebo with the A.S.D. Kubb Italia flag, a bell tower and mountains in the background

And in Italy?

A small, growing community: played here since 2023, with an association since 2024, and tournaments and open days all year round. A.S.D. Kubb Italia connects clubs and enthusiasts, and in 2027 it brings the European Championships to Valpolicella.

Join usTry an open day

In the photo: the Festival del Gioco, Dolcè 2025.

Sources: Wikipedia, European Championships rules (EKC v3.4), KUBB-VM (Gotland), USA Kubb, Kubb World.

See you on the pitch.

Join the association Europeans 2027
Large park lawn with cypresses and hills in the background: a Kubb pitch marked out with wooden kubbs, two players shaking hands in the middle and many people watching from the sides, with a red gazebo on the leftEvening prize-giving on a stage: three players show their plaques while a man speaks into the microphoneMan in a straw hat throws a stick low over the grass, the stick in flight towards the red kingKubb match on the grass with players on the throwing line, a bell tower and rocky mountains in the backgroundIn the evening, under the string lights, a player throws a stick along a pitch marked out on the grass while others watchA player in a light T-shirt leans forward and throws a stick low over the grassy pitch; in the background terraced vineyard hills under a blue sky.A player in a straw hat bends and throws a stick on the grass, while two teammates wait their turn; in the background a valley with vineyards and hills.Two men celebrate with raised fists under a blue gazebo, one wearing a horned Viking helmetA player in a straw hat throws a stick, seen in flight, while a boy with folded arms watches; behind, trees in full sun.Group photo of all the participants on the grass, standing and kneeling, in front of the gazebos and the Kubb Italia flagPrize-giving in front of the A.S.D. Kubb Italia board: seven people with certificates and boxes of wine in handA player in a black policewoman costume throws with one leg raised, next to a teammate dressed as a chef, in front of a low stone wall.