How to Play Murbles

1. Each player takes possession of 2 or 3 Murbles of one color.
2. The challenger also takes possession of the remaining white Murble, the target ball, and will start the round of play.
3. With players standing comfortably side by side, the target ball is thrown underhand forward into play from 3 to 30+ feet.
4. Once the target ball is in play, players cannot move from their relative positions.
5. The players alternate underhand throws, attempting to get their game balls as close as they can to the target ball.
6. Points are received by only one player in a round. The player closest to the target ball scores 1 point per ball. The player who received the point (or points) also gains control of the target ball and will start the next round of play (from this location) in any forward direction. (Repeat from Rule #3).
7. If a tie occurs for the first point in any round of play, the tied Murbles are removed from play and points are reassessed from the remaining game balls (1 point per ball).
8. A bad throw exists when a player starts a round of play with a game ball instead of the target ball. A penalty of -1 point and a turnover of the target ball to the opponent results.
9. A replay exists when the target ball is thrown into an unsafe or hazardous area (no penalties, just restart the round).
10. A round is 1 to 3 points; a set is when the first player reaches 10 points. A game is best 2 out of 3 sets.

• A good way to determine who starts the game is to use the dump method. Just call out your game ball color and dump the Murbles from the bag. The player whose game ball is closest to the target ball picks up the target ball, their game balls and starts the Murbles game.
• The player who tosses out the target ball to start the game will be the last player to toss out a game ball at the target ball.
• Use the terrain to your advantage. When in control of the target ball, try to place it to your advantage, remember rule #4. Once the target ball is in play, players cannot move from their relative position.
• You can toss your game ball and hit the opponent’s game ball to move it away from the target ball.
• You can also hit the target ball and move it to your advantage. If the target ball is hit, it is still the target ball no matter where it is moved to.
• Points are accessed after the last ball is played. Wait to pick up your game balls until after points are determined (in case there is a tie for first place).
• Try using the high toss backspin technique to obtain better ball control over areas with rough terrain.
• Overpowering your opponent with extra long-distance throws is not allowed.
• If the distance between 2 opposing game balls is very long, you may have to walk it off by counting heal-to-toe steps to see which ball is closer to the target ball. 
• To measure close-call situations, use a string, twig or a blade of grass as a measuring devise, or call a tie and revert to Rule #7.
• It is not recommended to play Murbles in water because movement makes it is too difficult to score. However, do not fear water because Murbles are buoyant so they can be retrieved.
• To avoid confusion, it’s a good idea for the controller to announce the score at the start of each round of play.
• When Murbles get dirty or grass stained, wash with dish soap & a little bit of bleach in cold water then rinse well with hot water. The bag can be machine washed on gentle cycle and then air dried.

Visual Examples of How to Score

Only the player who has a game ball closet to the target ball can score. To find out the points awarded, simply count the number of game balls they have between the target ball and their opponents nearest ball. If the target ball gets moved during a round of play, score points from the new position.