Rules of Tiddlywinks • Overview

• The latest Official Rules of Tiddlywinks, dated April 2016, approved by ETwA and sanctioned by NATwA and IFTwA

Official Rules of Tiddlywinks • Versions Over the Years

• ETwA, NATwA, and IFTwA Rules, April 2016 (current) • (version showing changes from April 2013)
• ETwA, NATwA, and IFTwA Rules, April 2013 • (version showing changes from April 2012)
• ETwA, NATwA, and IFTwA Rules, April 2012 • (version showing changes from 24 April 2010)
• ETwA, NATwA, and IFTwA Rules, 24 April 2010 • (version showing changes from 30 April 2005)
• ETwA and IFTwA Rules, 30 April 2005 • (version showing changes from October 2001)
• ETwA and IFTwA Rules, 25 April 2004
• ETwA and IFTwA Rules, October 2001
• ETwA Rules, May 1990
• ETwA Rules, April 1987
• ETwA Rules, February 1981, new and revised per Winking World 38
• ETwA Rules, January 1976, in Winking World 26
• International Rules of Tiddlywinks, around 1967–1968
• International Rules of Tiddlywinks, from around 1960 to at latest mid-1963 (HTML)
• ETwA Rules, circa 1960 (HTML, PDF)
• ETwA Rules as of 24 March 1959, from the official programme for the Empress Club vs. CUTwC royal match
• Cambridge University, Rules of Tiddlywinks in The Thesis, 1955

Summaries of the Rules

• Charles Relle’s “simplified” (well, the rules are awfully complicated, aren’t they!) version of the rules

Articles on the History, Evolution, Issues, Discussion, and Interpretation of the Rules of Tiddlywinks

• February 1961 • A Tiddlywinks Experiment—Will You Please Help? • in Winking World 1 • re suggestions for revisions to the June 1958 rules, including addressing over-squopping, missing a turn when going off the mat, and tiddlies for winks in the pot
• October 1961 • The E.Tw.A. Rules 1961–62 • in Winking World 2 • re no changes to the rules for the coming season
• January 1963 • The E.Tw.A. Rules 1963 • in Winking World 3 • re shooting one’s wink off the mat, tiddlies for winks in the pot, repositioning a wink hitting a person, color order
• October 1963 • The International Rules • in Winking World 4 • re squidger dimensions, missing turn after going off table, failure to free, introduction of rounds, quick and continuous
• October 1963 • A Potted History of Tiddlywinks • in Winking World 4 • by Guy Consterdine • re playing surface, introduction of squopping
• October 1964 • Tiddlywinks Equipment: Some Theoretical Considerations • in Winking World 6 • by Aeacus • re playing surface, wink shape, squidger
• March 1965 • The Genesis of Modern Tiddlywinks • in Winking World 7 • by Guy Consterdine • re adopting Marchant Games’ rules, squopping, size of winks
• March 1965 • Winks Equipment: Some More Theoretical Considerations • in Winking World 7 • by P. J. Villar • re playing surface, winks, squidger sizes and thickness, sharp squidgers
• April 1965 • E3: The Third International Tiddlywinks Congress: International Rules • re turning over winks, bouncing out of the pot, table size, squidger shape and material, wink hitting a player, baselines, distance between winks replaced on mat after going off, foul shot options, rounds after time limit, potting out, match duration, point transfer 
• October 1965 • Third International Congress • in Winking World 8 • re baselines, scoring, double-squop, point transfer after potting out, positioning winks after going off the mat, turning over winks
• February 1968 • Interpretations • in Winking World 12 • re not squopping wink freed after free turns, failure to free
• May 1968 • Warwick Congress 1968: Minutes of Congress Under I.F.Tw.A. • in Winking World 13 • re voting on future changes to the rules
• July 1969 • Why Not Single-Winks? • in Winking World 15 • re playing winks as a singles game rather than just pairs
• September 1970 • Editorial: Compromise & New Scoring System • in Newswink 3
• July 1971 • The Rules—New Proposals • in Winking World 19 • re not attempting to pot out, barely developed games, proposed extra shot for potting any wink, proposed lose turn in any wink sent off mat, illegal shot resolutions
• February 1972 • Letter from the Desk of the Sec-Gen • by Bill Renke • in Newswink 5 • re time limits, extra shots after potting, losing turn when going off the mat, etc.
• January 1975 • 1974 E.Tw.A. Annual General Meeting: The Rules • in Winking World 24 • re allowing a turn of a freed wink after free turns
• September 1976 • 1976 Manchester Open at Owens Park • in Winking World 28 • re remedies for slow game play including time limits per shot
• February 1979 • A. O. B. • in Winking World 32 • re 25 minute time limit for pairs and 20 for singles, no shot time limit unless imposed by tournament organizer
• 17 February 1979 • The Reasons Behind the Rules • in Newswink 9 • re Joe Sachs’ proposed Rules of Four-Color Tiddlywinks
• September 1979 • Problem Corner • in Winking World 33 • re reconstructing a pile disturbed by a pot knocked over onto it
• 2 August 1980 • Origin of Double Squop • in Newswink 11 • by Charles Relle
• September 1980 • The Rules • in Winking World 36 • re undersized tables, wink on an unsupported mat, 30 second rule for stopping clock during a shot, winks sent off mat cannot be placed closer than 4 inches from another wink, failure to free,  25 minute time limit for pairs and 20 for singles, whether to lose next shot after sending one’s wink off the table
• Summer 1981 • The Rules—Again • in Winking World 38 • substantial revisions, including: wink on unsupported mat, wink off mat placed at least 4 inches from another wink, 25 minute time limit for pairs and 20 for singles, 30 second rule during a shot, rounds begin after completion of free turns, only most recent play out of turn is considered, slow play
• 1 July 1981 • Evolution of the Rules • by Charles Relle • in Newswink 13 • re scoring system, introduction of free turns, introduction of the time limit, double-squop, point transfer, etc.
• 13 February 1982 • Minutes of the 1982 NATwA Congress at MIT Student Center, West Lounge • in Newswink 16 • by Charles Frankston • re undersized tables, jab shots, winks shot over baselines
• 13 February 1982 • Unexplored Frontiers • by Rick Tucker • in Newswink 14 • re possible obscure game scores when potting out
• April 1982 • When Not to Pot Out • by Charles Relle • in Winking World 40 • re possible obscure game scores when potting out
• 19 February 1983 • A Note on ‘Unexplored Frontiers’ • in Newswink 15 • by Charles Relle, in response to Rick Tucker’s article in Newswink 14 • re possible obscure game scores
  
• March 1983 • Minutes of the A. G. M. of E. Tw. A. 27th November 1982 • in Winking World 42 • re prohibiting personalized winks and large squidgers (without specifying what large size was prohibited) • 
  
• March 1983 • Minutes of the A. G. M. of E. Tw. A. 27th November 1982 • in Winking World 42 • re megacrud shot height and breaking winks.
• March 1983 • A Sad Day for Winks • by Charles Relle • in Winking World 42 • re flattening warped winks
• March 1983 • The Evolution of the Rules • by Charles Relle • in Winking World 42 • essentially a reprint of the 1 July 1981 article in Newswink 13
• March 1983 • Points to Note from the Singles • by Jon Mapley • in Winking World 42 • playing a shot before wink(s) in previous shot come to rest, shooting wrong color, time limit ending during free turns, must attempt to free on first shot following free turns, failure to free
• 18 February 1984 • Sunshine House Rules • by Sunshine • in Newswink 17 • re shooting winks off the playing surface, legal shots, scoring, out-of-order play, squidge-offs, time limits, blitzes, 30 second rule
• July 1984 • A Code of Conduct and Other Ideas • by Jonathan Mapley • in Winking World 43 • re recommended behaviors during winks games
• July 1984 • The Shape of Winks to Come • by Rob Cartwright • in Winking World 43 • re flattened winks, personalized winks, using own winks
  
• July 1984 • A Code of Conduct and Other Ideas • by Jonathan Mapley • in Newswink 18, reprinted from Winking World 43 • re recommended behaviors during winks games
  
• [continue indexing from Winking World 44 onwards; also the Missing Wink, My Winkly Reader, Squopsman, etc.]
• 23 November 1985 • Going Out of Turn • by David H. Lockwood • in Newswink 19
  
• 22 November 1986 • New Improved Perimeter Rule • by Sunshine • in Newswink 20 • re the introduction of the optional Perimeter Rule when winks are boondocked off the mat
• April 1987 • The Rules of Tiddlywinks Compiled for the English Tiddlywinks Association by Charles Relle • in Newswink 21
• 21 November 1987 • Rules Brittania vs. Rules Americana • in Newswink 21 • by Rick Tucker • re differences between NATwA’s as-played rules vs. ETwA’s April 1987 rules
• 1 July 1988 • The Editor’s View or, Meanderings of a Neanderthal: Rules of Thumb • in Newswink 22 • by Rick Tucker • proposing that NATwA adopt ETwA’s 1987 rules update
• 1 July 1988 • Regulae Universae • in Newswink 22 • by Charles Relle • recommending approaches for converging NATwA’s rules practices and ETwA’s 1987 rules
• 28 July 1989 • A Proposed Additional Requirement for Shot Legality • in Newswink 24 • by Larry Kahn • re prohibiting shots with strongly horizontal directionality
• 28 July 1989 • What Is a Legal Shot? • in Newswink 24 • by Brad Schaefer
• 29 September 1990 • Rules and Their Interpretation • in Newswink 25 • by Jon Mapley, in response to articles by Larry Kahn and Brad Schaeferin  Newswink 24
• 29 September 1990 • Rules of Engagement • in Newswink 25 • by Rick Tucker • re changes introduced in the May 1990 ETwA rules (metricization of units, undersized tables, winks disturbed in motion, winks supported by the pot, failure to free, etc.)
• 17 October 1990 • Letter to the Editor: Failure to Free • in Newswink 26 • by Jon Mapley
• 9 March 1992 • Letter to the Editor: Slow Play • in Newswink 26 • by Andy Purvis, reprinted from Winking World 57
• 9 March 1992 • Survey: What to Do When a Wink is Shot Off the Mat? • in Newswink 26 • by Sunshine • re the optional Perimeter Rules
• 27 January 1993 • Barrie vs. Sachs on the Rules • in Newswink 28
• 3 April 1993 • Règles par Relle • in Newswink 28 • by Charles Relle
• 10 April 1993 • The Perimeter Rule in Peril? • in Newswink 28
• 10 April 1993 • Purvis on the Relle/Barrie Proposals • in Newswink 28 • by Andy Purvis
• 10 April 1993 • Rules for Winks Akimbo • in Newswink 28 • by Andy Purvis

Historical Rules in Books

• Rules from The Young Folks’ Cyclopædia of Games and Sports, 1890

Historical Rules in Commercial Tiddlywinks Games

• Rules from McLoughlin Bros., Improved Game Tiddledy Winks, Patent Pending, 1890

Tiddlywinks Perversions… The Only Way to Have Fun!

Perversions are variations on the traditional tournament game. Just about anything goes!

• Sunshine’s remarkable tome, Alleghany Airlines Book Club Presents, from February 1976, is the source authority for winks perversions
• Multi-Miniwinks, or What to Do Without a Pot by Phil Tepper, in Winking World 23, September 1973
• Winks Tennis by Cyril Edwards, based on a perversion by Sunshine, in Winking World 23, September 1973
• Duplicate Winks by Alan Dean, in Winking World 22, May 1973
• Tiddly-Football by Stephen Williams and Bungy Wells, in Winking World 11, March 1967
• Tri-Winks by Bungy Wells, in Winking World 11, March 1967

Additional Tiddlywinks Variations

• Michael Crick’s The Game of Squop, 10 March 1969