World Conker Championships - The Rules

The Rules

Players’ Rules of Engagement for the Noble Game of Conkers at the Liberal Clubs Conker Championships:

1. The game will commence with a toss of a coin, the winner of the toss may elect to strike or receive.
2. A distance of no less than 8" or 20 cm of lace must be between knuckle and nut.
3. Each player then takes three alternate strikes at the opponent’s conker.
4. Each attempted strike must be clearly aimed at the nut, no deliberate miss hits.
5. The game will be decided once one of the conkers is smashed.
6. A small piece of nut or skin remaining shall be judged out, it must be enough to mount an attack.
7. If both nuts smash at the same time then the match shall be replayed.
8. Any nut being knocked from the lace but not smashing may be re threaded and the game continued.
9. A player causing a knotting of the laces (a snag) will be noted, three snags will lead to disqualification.
10. If a game lasts for more than five minutes then play will halt and the "5 minute rule" will come into effect. Each player will be allowed up to nine further strikes at their opponents nut, again alternating three strikes each. If neither conker has been smashed at the end of the nine strikes then the player who strikes the nut the most times during this period will be judged the winner.