What is Kubb?
Kubb—rhymes with “tube”—is a lawn game that is growing in popularity across the world. The Swedish island of Gotland is considered the birthplace of modern Kubb and has hosted the Kubb World Championship since 1995.
Across the United States, there are more than 30 active Kubb clubs, and many annual tournaments. The upper Midwest is the center of American kubb culture. The city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin has declared itself the “Kubb Capital of North America,” and has hosted the U.S. National Kubb Championship since 2007.
Kubb can be played on a pitch of grass, dirt, sand, snow, or any other available surface. Two teams of 1-6 players stand on opposite sides of the pitch and throw batons to knock down the wooden blocks—the “kubbs”—on their opponents’ side. At the end of a turn, any kubbs that you are able to knock down are picked up by your opponents and thrown onto your side of the pitch, where they are then stood up as newly-earned members of your kubb army. When you knock down all the kubbs on your opponents’ side of the pitch, all you need to do is topple the “king” to win the game.
HELPFUL LINKS
KubbOn.com – the #1 news and information source for all things Kubb. Kubb On maintains a worldwide map of active kubb clubs, as well as a tournament schedule for events across the United States.
U.S. National Kubb Championship Rules v4.0 – the current rules utilized by the U.S. National Kubb Championship and many other tournaments across the world.
Kubb United’s Rules for Open Play – a rules set that popularized the concept of “Elevated Award” kubbs, a rule that is now utilized in many clubs and tournaments across the United States.
JP’s Backyard Games – the official manufacturer of kubb sets for many of the nation’s largest tournaments, including the U.S. National Kubb Championship and The Orlando Open.
USAkubb.org – website of the U.S. National Kubb Championship, held every July in Eau Claire, WI—the “Kubb Capital of North America.”
Kubb On Strategy Articles – a collection of articles written by Phil Dickinson, founder of Great Lakes Kubb in Alanson, MI and author of multiple books on kubb strategy.
Kubbnation Magazine – archived issues of KubbNation Magazine, edited and published by Eric Anderson—founder of the U.S. National Kubb Championship—from 2011 to 2021. These magazines are a treasure trove of information and history.
Tyr’s Tre “How to Play Kubb” Videos – educational videos produced by Eric Anderson, founder of the U.S. National Kubb Championship.
“Klassic Format” Explanation – Kubb United’s explanation of the most common tournament format utilized across the United States.