Jaques Traditional Nine Pin Quoits

Traditional Nine Pin Quoits set

Traditional Quoits

The traditional game of Quoits has a long and venerable history.  The full game is played outdoors using iron or steel quoits that are thrown at metal pins embedded in beds of soft clay.  Although a beginner will always aim for a "ringer", the game is very tactical and a ringer is not always the best shot - expert players will often attempt to "cover" the pin with a the top of a quoit sticking out of the clay in order to prevent their opponent from being able to place a better quoit.  A well aimed quoit can deliberately flip an opponent's quoit out of the way.  Two versions of traditional outdoor Quoits are played - "The Northern Game" played in the North of England and "The Long Game"  played in Scotland, Wales and North Suffolk, England.  The Long Game is as much a test of strength as skill with heavy metal quoits weighing up to 10lb being tossed 18 or 21 yards at a pin that is flush with the clay and consequently barely visible.   Scotland and Wales still play an international once a year.  In England, the Long game only survives in any major form in Suffolk where somewhat different rules and lighter quoits lend a quite different flavour.

More popular in England is the Northern Game which is played at the shorter distance of 11 yards and features a pin that sticks slightly out of the ground so a ringer properly encircles the stake.  The game is more tactical because only the top ringer scores which obviously gives a nominal advantage to the player who tosses second.  The first player therefore usually endeavours to block the second player's quoit by a covering the pin with the body of the quoit or maybe by positioning a quoit right in front of the stake.

You can learn more about the History of Quoits from The Online Guide to Traditional Games.