“My Crokinole Piece is Standing on Edge”! The most Beautiful Non-20

Picture this: You’re playing crokinole, you have the final shot, and a game winning 20 is in your sights. You shoot, discs go flying, and your piece wobbles around in the centre. You wait in anticipation for the final drop and… it never comes. Your piece, as if by the will of a supernatural force, stands on edge in the centre hole. You and your opponent first stare in awe, and then awkwardly at each other. What happens now?

An image from Reddit, R/Crokinole: https://www.reddit.com/r/Crokinole/comments/1iybltp/so_this_is_a_first_for_me/

Very few have experienced this first-hand, some have seen it while watching a game, but mostly everybody has seen a viral photo of such an incident. Most recently, this happened in the middle of the Crokinole Cup semi final match between Andrew Hutchinson and Josh Carrafiello. On a make or break open 20, Carrafiello’s piece ended up on edge in the centre. A phenomenal moment like this almost always has people asking the internet this question: does this count as a 20?

An image from the Crokinole Cup Semifinal Match between Andrew Hutchinson and Josh Carrafiello: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5PfA6SJPVb4

Some would argue yes: after all, it’s in the centre, and impressively so. When we originally posted this question, some even argued that it should count for more points given how miraculous it is! However, when we look at the National Crokinole Association Rules, we find that this is NOT the case. As the rules state:

In order to score 20, a disc must be completely in the centre hole and lying flat (NCA Rules, 6c). 

It is admittedly heartbreaking to tell this news to someone who has ended up with a disc standing in the centre of the board, however, it’s similar to how you would treat a leaner. Since the disc isn’t completely in the centre, and not laying flat, it does not count as a 20. So, if your shot ends up like this, 1) if there are still shots remaining, you play the disc as it lays (or stands, I suppose), or 2) if it’s the end of the round, it counts as 15 points! 

HOW to Play It

After player’s find out that a disc standing on edge is still in play, the next immediate question is “how should I approach my shot with a disc standing on edge”? This is admittedly an area that hasn’t been explored much, mainly because it rarely ever happens. That being said, here are some general pointers, for the one in a thousand chance that you ever end up in this situation:

Situation One: Your Opponents Disc is Standing on Edge

This is the more likely of the two unlikely scenarios: this most commonly happens on an open 20 attempt when the disc flips up perfectly on edge in the centre. As the person with the next shot, how should you approach it? 

Our biggest recommendation is that you hit it with some power. The worst thing you could do is lightly tap the standing disc, as there’s a chance you could knock it down so that it lays flat in the centre. If you want the 20 with it, our best guess is that you treat it like a heavy hanger. Try to aim dead centre for the flat side of the disc (as opposed to one of the edges), and give it enough power to at least guarantee the off. This was the approach Hutchinson took in the semifinal match against Carrafiello. 

Situation Two: Your Disc is Standing on Edge

NOTE that, in my mind, this seems even less likely to happen. For this to happen, 1) your opponent would have to butcher a takeout, have your disc bounce around in the centre, and then miraculously end up on edge, or 2) you shoot an open 20 which results in this, and then your opponent completely misses their shot. Still, I suppose it’s technically possible, so here’s what to do with it. 

The good news is, if you are somehow left in this situation, it is really easy to convert into a 20; you just need to touch the disc that’s standing on edge. I played with this for a bit, and any kind of nudge caused the disc to drop: if that be head on, from the edge, any small touch did the trick. Just keep in mind that it needs to be a very light tap. Too much force will cause it to bounce out of the centre. 

That’s everything you need to know about a piece standing on edge in the centre! While it is disappointing to learn that this 1 in a 1,000 shot doesn’t count for 20 points or more, the situation does help to better understand the rules of the game and how to deal with unique situations. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more unique crokinole situations! And, to learn more crokinole skills, make sure to check out our Crokinole skill series library!