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Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively

Although the game of conkers has been played for over 150 years, there is no definitive set of rules. Like the game’s name (Clinchers, Conkers and Cheesers, to mention a few), the rules vary from region to region.

Conker Cup has evolved its rules over the years. The biggest change came in 2020, when the decision was taken to move from single strikes to the more popular triple strike. The change brings Conker Cup closer to the World Conker Championships rule book, which will make fielding teams at the world event an easier process.

Conker preparation remains the biggest area of controversy. The Campaign for Real Conkers takes a hard line, stating that there should be no regulation over the provision or hardening of conkers: conker campaigners offer guide on how to play real conkers, 2019 style.

Conker Cup agrees with campaign organiser Keith’s stance on these issues, and recommends these rules for private play. For our public competition, however, we aim to highlight conker skill, and so we level the playing field by not allowing nut tampering. We do allow contenders to select their own conkers from the large haul gathered for the event.

The latest Conker Cup rules

Conker preparation

In a recent ruling, the Conker Federation mandated that conkers may no longer be prepared in advance of any competition:

  • All conkers and laces will be provided by Conker Cup on the day. Competitors will select three conkers from the Conker Cup master batch.
  • Drilling and threading take place in full view of the competition. Laces must not be tampered with in any way.

Rules of play

Two competitors, each with a conker threaded on a piece of string or a shoelace, take turns to hit each other’s conker until only one conker is left.

  1. The competitor with the highest-scoring conker strikes first, and is referred to as the striker. If the conkers hold the same score, or if both are none’ers, a coin is tossed to decide who strikes first.
  2. The other competitor, referred to as the holder, holds out their conker at arm’s length, hanging down, ready to be hit. The string should be wrapped around their hand to stop it being dropped during a strike.
  3. The holder must keep their conker still as the striker hits it. If it accidentally swings, the striker may steady it before taking a strike. If the conker is deliberately moved, the striker gets an additional strike.
  4. The striker wraps the string of their conker around their hand, draws it back and takes aim before striking. The sanctioned length of string, measured from hand to conker, is 20cm.
  5. In turn, each player takes three strikes at the opponent’s conker.
  6. Each strike must be clearly aimed at the conker. Any deliberate miss (often made to avoid an Auto-Nut Split of the striker’s nut) gives the holder an additional strike.
  7. The bout is over when one of the conkers is de-stringed. If both nuts are de-stringed at the same time, the bout is replayed.
  8. If a game lasts more than three minutes, the “bonkers minute” applies. Each competitor takes turns to strike the other’s conker. If neither conker has been smashed by the end of the bonkers minute, the player who strikes the nut the most times during the period is judged the winner.
  9. Conkers may be changed between bouts, but not during them. Once all three of a competitor’s conkers are de-stringed, they exit the competition.
  10. The Conker Federation has banned “stampsies” and “stringsies”:
    • Stampsies: if a competitor’s conker is dropped, that competitor is allowed to retrieve it without interference.
    • Stringsies: if competitors’ strings become entangled, play is stopped to untangle them. Once the conkers are free of each other, play resumes.

Conker scoring

If a conker has never been used before and breaks another unused conker, it scores one and becomes a one’er. If, in the next game, it breaks another new conker, it becomes a two’er, and so on. If this two’er then loses a game and is broken, its score is added to the other player’s conker: if a new conker was used against the two’er, it becomes a three’er. If the winning conker had already broken others, the scores of both conkers are added together and awarded to the winner. So if a three’er beats a two’er, the winning conker is awarded a score of five.

Presiding officials

Chief Justice of the Nut

  • Acts as judge in any dispute and makes the final decision.

Conker Sheriff

  • Maintains the smooth running of each game.
  • Ensures the rules are followed.
  • Records the result of each game.
  • Times each game.
  • Refers any dispute to the Chief Justice of the Nut.

Other rule sets

In the interest of transparency, these are the three most referenced sets of conker rules on the internet, summarised as they stood when this post was written. Follow each link for the full original.

  • World Conker Championships. Conkers and laces are supplied by the organisers, with a new conker each round. Each player takes three strikes in turn, with at least 20cm (8 inches) of lace between knuckle and nut, and no deliberate misses. The game ends when a conker is smashed; three lace snags mean disqualification; and games over five minutes go to a fixed number of further strikes, with the most hits winning. Full rules.
  • Project Britain. The traditional playground game. Players alternate strikes, with up to two further goes after a miss. Calling “strings” when laces tangle earns an extra shot, knocking a conker “round the world” earns another go, and a dropped conker can be stamped on unless its owner calls “no stamps” first. Play continues until one conker is destroyed. Original page (archived).
  • BBC Norfolk. A simple guide for children. Players take turns to strike, the holder keeps their conker still at arm’s length, and a player who deliberately moves their conker while waiting to be hit gives their opponent another go. Original page (archived).