Section 7: Violations & Penalties
An ordinary fault ends the current attempt. The player removes the marker, leaves the court safely, and waits for their next turn to retry the same target. There are no point deductions, and completed targets remain completed.
- Throwing fault: The marker finishes outside the target, rests on a boundary line, or lands in the wrong square. Touching or crossing the starting line while releasing the marker also ends the attempt.
- Boundary fault: A foot touches a numbered-square boundary line or the ground outside the permitted route during the hopping portion.
- Footing fault: The player puts both feet down where one is required, places both feet in the same square, or switches feet during consecutive one-foot hops.
- Route fault: The player enters the target square, misses a required landing row, or steps through the course out of sequence. Jumping over a single target square is required and is not a fault.
- Pickup fault: The player uses a hand or free foot on the ground for support, fails to retrieve the marker, or drops it after retrieval before completing the attempt.
- Marker interference: The player kicks or pushes the marker out of the way instead of retrieving it by hand.
A toss may bounce or slide before settling; judge its final resting position. A marker touching a line fails even if most of it is inside the target. Loose clothing touching the ground does not by itself count as a support fault.
If another person, an animal, or a moving object interrupts the attempt, stop and replay the same target once the court is clear. Do not charge the active player with a fault caused by that interruption. Handle uncertain calls with a replay rather than an argument.
If someone deliberately obstructs another player or repeatedly plays unsafely, pause the game and resolve the behavior before restarting. Safety takes priority over finishing an attempt.