Quick Game of Quoits, Anyone? Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Quoits is a target-throwing game where players toss rings (quoits) at an upright stake, called a hob or pin. The aim is to encircle the pin or land it close to the pin. Traditionally, it is done on the ground in a prepared bed of soft clay or dirt. A less formal version is played on a standard lawn, using iron stakes stuck in the grass. There is also a variant that uses a small, raised square board featuring a central pin and concentric scoring circles.

It is commonly believed that quoits originated in ancient Greece as a variation of the discus throw, where Greek warriors hurled metal rings, or a mass of iron, at targets for both training and entertainment. The Romans saw this and spread the game across their empire, including Britain. There it grew into a popular gaming event over the centuries. By the 15th century, quoits was a popular organized sport in English pubs and taverns. It saw a huge popularity as a spectator sport in England, Wales, and Scotland by the 1820s. English colonists brought traditional quoits to the Americas but over time it morphed into horseshoes. Variations of the original quoits remained popular until the late 1800s in states like Pennsylvania where slate quarry workers made their own boards.

Players can play against one in another in a one-on-one match or in teams of two people each. Each player has two quoits. Two pins are placed about 11 to 21 feet (3.3 to 6.4 meters) apart. There is a 3 foot (.9 m) square area marked around each pin. Players stand at one pin and pitch their quoits at the other pin. The idea is to "ring" the pin with the quoit. A defensive tactic is also to "block" the pin with a quoit or to knock an opponent's quoit out of position. After a round is scored, the players who pitched walk to the other pin, where the other players are waiting and start the next round.

Scoring is determined after all quoits in a round have been thrown. A quoit that perfectly encircles the pin scores the highest points. This is called a ringer and is usually 3 points. If an opponent's ringer is on top, it cancels out the one below, and the top ringer scores the points. A quoit is a leaner if it is leaning against the hob. The exact points for this can vary by region (e.g., 2 points for a top lean, 1 for a side touch). If there are no ringers or leaners, the player with the quoit closest to the hob scores one point. If a quoit touches the ground outside the designated pitching area or court, either during its flight or after landing, it is considered dead and is removed from play for that round, meaning it cannot score any points. A person wins quoits by being the first player or team to reach a specific target score, which is typically 21 points, though this can vary depending on the local rules being used.