Section 7: Violations & Penalties
Casual games work best when minor mistakes are corrected immediately and deliberate unfair play carries a stronger consequence. Agree before play whether the group will use friendly corrections or strict tournament-style penalties.
Correctable Violations
- Using both hands on the tower at the same time.
- Removing a block from a prohibited upper layer.
- Starting a new top layer before the layer below is complete.
- Placing a block in the wrong orientation.
- Leaving a tested block substantially out of position.
- Beginning a turn before the previous player's settling period has ended.
If the tower remains standing, stop play and require the active player to correct the mistake using one hand. The turn is not complete until the block is legally placed. Under strict play, the first violation may receive a warning and a repeated violation may count as a loss of the round.
Round-Losing Violations
- Causing the tower to collapse during one's turn or settling period.
- Deliberately supporting the tower while extracting or placing a block.
- Intentionally shaking, striking, or tilting the playing surface.
- Knowingly altering or substituting a block during the round.
- Interfering physically with another player in a way that affects the tower.
If a non-active player causes a collapse through interference, that person loses the round under individual play. In a team game, that person's team loses. If an uninvolved person, pet, wind gust, unstable furniture, or other outside event clearly causes the fall, declare the round void and rebuild the tower.
Ambiguous Falls
A few loose blocks dropping from the tower ordinarily count as a collapse if they were not the block actively being moved. If the tower remains upright after an unclear minor displacement, the group may allow careful restoration. In strict play, any fallen non-active block ends the round. Apply the chosen interpretation consistently.