Shuffleboard Dimensions: How Long is a Shuffleboard Table & Court?7 min read

Shuffleboard has been around for centuries, and its appeal has evolved and shifted over the years. Shuffleboard can be played on a shuffleboard table (generally indoors) or a shuffleboard court (generally outdoors). Since the game doesn’t involve much physical activity, it became a favorite with the elderly and made its way into retirement homes and cruise ships. But over the past few years, its appeal has reached the younger generations as well. Now you can find shuffleboard tables in bars and pubs frequented by people of all ages.

One of the reasons why shuffleboard has become so popular is because of its versatility. You can easily adapt it based on how much space you have – whether you’re in a cramped bar, a spacious rec room, or the great outdoors. So although there are official table and court sizes, shuffleboard dimensions can vary significantly based on type and available space.

In this post, we’re going to take a closer look at some of the different variations of shuffleboard and the common dimensions. If you’re interested in building your own shuffleboard table or if you’re planning to draw your own shuffleboard court, this information will help you get it right. Also, if you’re not the DIY type and are more likely to purchase a ready made shuffleboard table, knowing a bit about the dimensions will help you select a table that’s right for you. For more tips take a look at our Shuffleboard Buying Guide. 

How Long is a Shuffleboard Table?

Let’s start with shuffleboard tables. Shuffleboard tables are typically made of a wooden or laminated surface. This surface is then covered with silicone beads to reduce friction. The name for silicone beads varies regionally and is also known as shuffleboard wax, dust, cheese, powder, salt, etc.

These tables are perfect for use in indoor shuffleboard and smaller spaces such as a game room, a bar, or a pub. But you can even use them outdoors on your deck. Standard regulation size shuffleboard tables are 22 feet long and 20 inches wide. However, you can find smaller tables that will fit nicely into most rooms.

What Shuffleboard Table Size Should I get?

It mainly depends on the space you have available. It’s recommended to leave at least two feet of clearance on all four sides of the table to ensure players can move around comfortably. Among the smaller range tables, 9-foot shuffleboard tables are extremely popular (though you could even find tables as small as 8 feet long). As the name suggests, these tables are 9 feet long and typically 24-32 inches wide (with a playing surface that’s 8 feet long and a play field width of 15 inches). Their height could be anywhere between 30 and 32 inches.

The next size is 12 feet, and this goes up in even numbers till 22 feet. The width and height of shuffleboard tables generally do not change even though the lengths are different. The main difference is the length of the playing surface. 

A 12-foot shuffleboard table will have a playing surface that’s around 10.5 feet to 11 feet long and 16 inches wide. Shuffleboard tables that are longer than 12 feet normally have a playing surface width of 20 inches. The playing surface length of bigger shuffleboard tables are as follows:

1. 14-foot – 12.8 feet to 13 feet of playing surface
2. 16-foot – 14.8 feet to 15 feet of playing surface 
3. 18-foot – 16.7 feet to 17 feet of playing surface 
4. 20-foot – 18.7 feet to 19 feet of playing surface 
5. 22-foot – 20.5 feet to 21 feet of playing surface 

Bottom Line for Shuffleboard Tables

Whether you’re building your own shuffleboard table or thinking about purchasing one, these shuffleboard dimensions should give you an idea of what’s typically ideal for proper game play. Consider your available space when selecting the dimensions of your table, remembering to leave at least two feet of clearance on each side for easy maneuvering.

Official Shuffleboard Court Dimensions for Floor Shuffleboard

An official shuffleboard court should be 39 feet in length and 6 feet in width. Besides this, there should be an additional shooting area of 6 feet at each end. Except for the mid-shooting area, the lines of an official shuffleboard court should be an inch wide. And this line width isn’t taken into consideration in the court dimensions.

You’d also typically have a scoring zone in the form of an isosceles triangle at each end of the court. The dimensions of this triangle are 6 feet by 9 feet, and the peak of the triangle points away from the shooter. There are five separate scoring zones within this triangle, divided by one-inch wide white lines.

You have a 10-off zone behind the scoring zone, which should be 1 ½ feet deep. There are two lines running on the sides of this area at an angle following the Scoring Triangle. There’s also a Back-7 Line crossing the entire court. From the middle of this line, there’s a 6-foot-long center-line that runs up the middle of the court.

You’ll find the two 7 score zones on each side of the center-line, running 3 feet in length. The Back-8 line bounds them at the top. It runs side to side across and within the triangle. Each side of the center-line has an 8 scoring zone, which runs 3 feet in length. The Top-8 line bounds this zone and runs side to side across and within the triangle. This line forms a T when joined with the end of the center-line.

The peak of the scoring triangle is the 10 scoring zone. This area is 3 feet in height when measured from the top-8 line to the peak of the triangle. There’s also a dead-line that is 12 feet long and runs from side to side from the base-line. Also known as a lag-line, this line is 3 feet away from the tip of the triangle.

Each side has a dead-line, which are 12 feet apart. A shot disk has to cross or touch the farthest deadline in order to be a qualified shot. Otherwise, the disk is removed from court and is counted as a wasted shot.