NPL Sports Club
Web Site has moved to
nplsportsclub.org.uk

Sports Pavilion, NPL, Queens Road, Teddington TW11 0LW UK
Tel 020 8943 6314

Please note the new site is a .CO.uk rather than .org.uk.

Any number of players may take part according to the number of tables provided, four players going to each table.

The two players opposite each other at each table become partners for the first round.

Each player is given a card and each table is provided with a dice and four pencils.

The cards are marked off into squares and show the picture of the Beetle and the 14 different parts of the whole body.

Each of the fourteen parts are designated to a number on the dice as follows:

• Head equals a throw of “1”
• Body equals a throw of “2”
• Feeler (2) equals a throw of “3”
• Eye (2) equals a throw of “4”
• Wing (2) equals a throw of “5”
• Leg (6) equals a throw of “6”

The dice should first be thrown once by each player to determine who should have the first throw in the game, the highest throw at each table gaining the honour of commencing. This must be done at each table at the commencement of each round. The player on the first thrower’s left has second throw, and so on, in rotation.

Each player throws the dice in turn and the first player to throw a “1” may draw on his sheet (in the first square) the Head of the Beetle.

His partner may also draw the head and both may now continue to fill in any part of the body for which either of them throw the correct number, according to their turns, of course.

No player may fill in any part of the beetle until he or his partner have thrown a “1” and thus gained the right to draw the head.

At each successive throw of the dice (players throwing in rotation always), the portion of the Beetle designated to that number may be drawn by the two partners, irrespective of which of them threw the number.

Each part of the Beetle must be thrown for separately, thus for those parts of the body of which there are two or more in number, two or more correct throws must be made. For instance, in the case of the Legs (of which there are six), the two partners would have to throw a “6” six times before they could draw all the Legs in, or a “5” twice before they could draw both wings.

Should a number be thrown for a part or parts which are already drawn, that throw becomes wasted.

The object is to complete the Beetle as soon as possible, and thereby score the highest possible number of points, which as each part of the Beetle drawn counts 1 point, and there are 14 parts, the highest possible score is 14.

The first pair to complete the Beetle call out “BEETLE”, and play at every table ceases for that round.

Once “BEETLE” has been called no player at any table may throw the dice again.

Each players score at every table is then counted up, one point being scored for each part drawn, entered on his card and initialled by an opponent.

For instance, one pair complete the Beetle and call out. They thus score 14 points each, whilst the other pair at that table have drawn only the Head, the Body, two Wings and one Leg, and would score for these five parts, five points each.

The pair at each table with the highest score leave that table and move up the room to the next.

They do not, however, play as partners again, but the two players already at the table “split up”, and partner one of the visitors.

Play continues in this way for as many rounds as may be desired.

The Grand Total score of each player is then taken and the one with the highest score is the winner of the drive.