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Sungka Guidelines

This document provides guidelines for a sungka tournament being held among faculty and staff at Central Mindanao University. It outlines both general and specific game guidelines. Generally, teams will consist of 4 players wearing corresponding colors, in a single elimination format. Specifically, each match will involve 4 simultaneous games being played on separate boards, with points awarded per round and game won to determine the overall match winner. The championship game will follow the traditional "sunogay" rule of burning out all of an opponent's houses to win. Rankings will be based on accumulated points from matches. An annex further explains the traditional rules of how to set up and play a sungka game.

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Raymond S. Pacaldo
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1K views

Sungka Guidelines

This document provides guidelines for a sungka tournament being held among faculty and staff at Central Mindanao University. It outlines both general and specific game guidelines. Generally, teams will consist of 4 players wearing corresponding colors, in a single elimination format. Specifically, each match will involve 4 simultaneous games being played on separate boards, with points awarded per round and game won to determine the overall match winner. The championship game will follow the traditional "sunogay" rule of burning out all of an opponent's houses to win. Rankings will be based on accumulated points from matches. An annex further explains the traditional rules of how to set up and play a sungka game.

Uploaded by

Raymond S. Pacaldo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Republic of the Philippines

Central Mindanao University


University Town, Musuan, Bukidnon

SUNGKA Guidelines
University Faculty and Staff Palaro
General Guidelines
1. Each team must compose of four (4) players of any gender. With the appropriate
know-how on the game.
2. Players must be wearing shirts corresponding to their appropriate colors of their
team.
3. Single elimination will be applied. Order of the match will be looted.
4. Each team must bring their own sungkaan and 98 cowries (shells, marbles or
pebbles)*.
Specific Game Guidelines
1. In all the matches, each member of the team will be playing against their
counterpart of the opposing team at the same time at 4 different pre-numbered
boards (Just like how chess and Brazilian checkers are done in the Palaro).
2. A game in a certain board on a match will be played in 3 rounds. Winner in a round
will be determined based on the most number of cowries brought to the Head (the
largest hollow of the players left side). Winner in the game will contribute 1 point
for the team and the winning team on the match will be determined based on the
number of accumulated points. In case of a tie (2:2), winner will be determined on
those who win on the board 1.
3. In the Championship game, the authentic rule of the game Sunogay will be
applied (for the details refer to Annex 1). The loser of the game is the one with all
its houses burned (all the 7 hollows of its side). If in case, due to the time
constraint, the Sunogay will not be able to continue, the winner will be based on
the most number of cowries in the Head and its own houses. Winner in the game
will contribute 1 point for the team and the winning team on the match will be
determined based on the number of accumulated points. In case of a tie (2:2),
winner will be determined on those who win on the board 1.
4. The ranking for the 3rd and 4th placers will be based on the points accumulated in
the respective matches. In case of tie, the 3 rd placer will be the team whom its
board 1 accumulated the most number of cowries in all its games.
*If the University will not provide for all or some of the sungkaans.

Prepared by:

RAYMOND S. PACALDO
Sungka Facilitator

Annex 1. How to play sungka


Sungka Rules
Sungka is actually one game from a group of games called mancala games. There are actually many
variations of the Sungka rules and it seems to me that different households play with very different
rules, but I have done my best here to describe to you how the game of Sungka should be played.
How to win at Sungka
The aim of the game is to capture as many shells as you can and to place them into your "ulo"
(head). You can learn about the Sungka Board here.
How to set-up a Sungka game
To begin a new game, you must place the Sungka board horizontally between the two players so that
each player has seven houses in front of him and the heads should be at the far ends to the left and
right. Each player's "ulo" is the hole/pit to his extreme left.
Next, take the 98 shells (or beads or seeds) and place seven into each of the "bahays" (houses). You
are now ready to start your game of Sungka!
Sungka Turn Procedure
Sungka is a turn-based game. However, the rules of Sungka are unusual in that the first turn for each
player is taken at the same time and therefore the game has a real-time element to it. Some players
attempt to gain an advantage by delaying their start in order to react to their opponents first move
and this is perfectly acceptable within the rules of the game.
For the first turn, a player may decide which of the seven houses directly in front of him (on his side
of the Sungka board) he wishes to begin with. He picks up all of the shells from his chosen bahay and
he should then move his hand around the board in a clockwise-direction, dropping one shell in each
house or head he passes over, including all of the houses on both sides of the board and the player's
own head but NOT the opponent's head.
Where you release the last shell from your hand is very important, as this dictates whether you may
continue your turn or not.
If you land in your own head, then you may continue your turn from any of your houses.
If you drop your last shell into a house that already had shells in it, then you may pick up every shell
in that house (including the one you dropped) and continue your turn.
However, if you drop your last shell into an empty house, then your turn is over. If this happens in
one of your own houses, on your own side of the Sungka board, then you may claim all the shells in
the house directly opposite (from your opponent's side of the board) and drop them in your head,
although the turn is still over.
Both players play simultaneously and it can be quite hectic. Once a player has ended their first turn,
he must wait for the opponent to also end his turn and from that point on, players simply take it in
turns to play their turns. For each subsequent turn, you may only start with a house on your side of
the board. The game ends when neither of the players can play on.
Subsequent games of Sungka
The game does not end here! For future rounds, the shells must be re-distributed. Start by taking the
shells from your own head and filling up your houses with seven shells in each house, starting at the
left-hand side of the board. Any excess shells should be placed back in the head. If you do not have
enough shells to completely fill the quota of seven for a house, then you should not put any shells in
that house at all, but instead, put the remaining shells back into the head. Any houses that are not

filled with seven shells have been burned and are entirely unavailable for this game and cannot be
used by either player at any point.
The games continue in this way until one player's side has been totally burned out!
(Courtesy of: http://www.sungka-game.com/blogs/35/Sungka%20Rules)

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