Beach Games

Crossbones® beach games not only provide the chance to cool off between rounds... they also require a different playing strategy to playing on grass.

Sand is usually soft, so the bounce that is often a big part of lawn Crossbones® games is not a factor. Therefore when playing games on sand you'll need to rely on 'bone bombing' rather than 'bone bouncing'.

The 'bomb' is when you landing the bone directly on your opponent's bone - using the sand to cushion the landing. You'll want to try and keep the bone almost horizontal when it lands, but with one bone end dropped ever so slightly. This type of throw will help anchor the bone in the sand, while also helping to reduce the chance of "bone on bone" bounce off.

Then play your next Crossbones® battle on hard sand. It takes the game and your tactics to a whole new level. Bones will roll when you land on them, bone on bone bounce increases significantly, and you will need to be a master of the 'over drop'. This is when you overshoot the target bone by about 10 cm, land your bone on its end, and then have it fall back towards you so it covers your opponent's bone. Games on hard sand are often low-scoring, due to the skills required, and are not for the faint-hearted. But if you win on hard sand, you are on your way to claiming the title of 'Master Crossboner'.