From the publisher’s rulebook

Who goes first in Crokinole?

NCA English competitive rules

Determine the first player or team by chance, or use the order set by the club or tournament organizers. In doubles, the starting team chooses which partner takes the first shot.

Rule details

Turns proceed clockwise. In singles, players alternate who starts each round. In doubles, the obligation to start moves one player clockwise for each subsequent round.

Source & edition

Crokinole: English rulebookNational Crokinole Association · Basic rules of play: Getting ready; Singles; Doubles · Checked 2026-09-26Printed page references: 1, 2
PDF page 1 PDF page 2

Image: Alessio Sbarbaro (Yoggysot) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0; resized) · Wikimedia Commons crokinole board photograph · CC BY-SA 3.0

If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.

If there’s a tie

The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.

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<blockquote class="whogoesfirst-rule" cite="https://whogoesfirst.fun/games/crokinole-nca-en/">
  <p><strong>Who goes first in Crokinole?</strong> Determine the first player or team by chance, or use the order set by the club or tournament organizers. In doubles, the starting team chooses which partner takes the first shot.</p>
  <p>Source: <a href="https://whogoesfirst.fun/games/crokinole-nca-en/">Official starting rule on Who Goes First?</a> (NCA English competitive rules)</p>
</blockquote>

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