Basic rules More detailed rules

THE SJOELBAK TABLE TOP SHUFFEL BOARD GAME
( Sjoelbak is pronounced Shuel-bach)
By
Roger Balling
This Sjoelbak Board Game was brought to the US by a family returning from an overseas work
assignment in Holland in the mid 1970’s. I first saw it in the mid 1980’s, copied it, and quickly
found that it was very appealing to persons of all ages and genders from about age five upward.
It has proven to be a big hit at family gatherings and parties.
My youngest grandson (age 9) let it be known that he would like to have one for this (2011)
Christmas. I built it and my neighbor and friend Chuck Marvick used his CAD talents to provide
the accompanying plans.
As a note, an ironing board makes a good support for the game.
Basic rules
A score is tallied by sending a puck inside one of the compartments. The value of the score is
determined by the number of dowels above the entry opening. The first person slides all the
pucks down the board trying to get the highest score. Each person has 2 more turns shooting
the pucks which did not enter any of the four compartments before the next person has their
turn. Highest score wins! (For more detailed rules, see below)
More detailed rules
1. Each turn starts with 30 discs.
2. A disc is in play as soon as it has completely passed under the back side of the start bar.
3. Once a disc is in play, nobody is allowed to touch it anymore during the current sub-turn.
Exceptions to this rule are:
1. A disc that gets out of the sjoelbak;
2. A disc that enters the compartment going over the gate bar;
3. A disc that gets out of the compartment, but not through the gate bar, and
somehow:
1. returns in the same compartment,
2. returns in one of the other compartments,
3. remains on one of the partition walls.
In all these cases the disc immediately out of play.
4. A returning disc that has completely passed under the back side of the start bar
(i.e. towards the player), is removed from play.
4. A disc is only in the compartment when it has passed under the start bar and completely
passed the front side of the gate bar. In case of doubt, shove the straight gate keeper along
the front side of the gate bar. If the disc moves because of this then it is not in the
compartment.
Score counting
Score counting is done as follows:



in each compartment 1 disc = 20 points
in each compartment 2 disc = 40 points
in each compartment 3 disc = 60 points, etc.
In case any compartment contains more than the others, these extra discs will count for the value
indicated on the compartment. For example: each compartment contains 5 discs plus and extra
disc in the compartment with value 4. The score is then 100 + 4 = 104 points.
Game sequence
A turn consists of 3 sub-turns and played as follows:
1. The player plays the 30
2. The player then starts the second sub-turn.
3. After the second sub-turn the procedure above is followed again. (the third sub-turn).
Build it plans
Pictures
Sketchup drawings