Learn proper backgammon board set up by following a few simple rules. Backgammon is a board game that blends luck and skill to create a fun and exciting contest.

The Backgammon Board
The backgammon board is divided vertically into two halves. The portion to the right is called the inner or home board and the portion to the left is called the outer board. The center portion of the board is called the bar. The bar serves as a sort of penalty box for pieces that have been hit and temporarily removed from play.

The areas of the board used for movement are called points. Points appear as long, narrow triangles along the horizontal edges of the board. Traditionally, points alternate in color from light to dark. The color of the points doesn’t affect play—the alternating colors make it easier to count moves and pick out individual points. There are 24 points on a backgammon board, 12 on each side.

In tournament play, and for the purposes of setting up the backgammon board, points are numbered from 1 to 24. The numbering sequence creates a counter-clockwise “C”. The point at the lower right of the board is number 1 and the point numbers increase from right to left. Along the top of the board, the leftmost point is number 13 and the numbers increase from left to right.

Setting Out Your Pieces
Each player starts with 15 pieces, colored all dark or all light. Each piece must rest on a point. If more than one piece rests on the same point, lay them out edge-to-edge along the axis of the point. If more pieces are assigned to a point than will fit, you may stack the pieces on top of each other.

The pieces start out scattered around the board in a specific pattern. As you face the board, set your pieces up in this manner