Game of SKATE rules, explained

SKATE is the oldest flatground game there is. All you need is a board, flat ground and someone to play with. It works like HORSE in basketball: you set tricks, the other skater has to match them, and every miss costs a letter.

The core rules

1. Decide who goes first. Rock-paper-scissors, a coin, whoever showed up last.
2. The first skater sets a trick. They call it and try it.
3. If they land it, the other skater has to match it: same trick, same stance.
4. Miss the match and you take a letter: S, then K, then A, then T, then E.
5. If the setter misses, nobody gets a letter, and the other skater sets next.
6. If the matcher lands it, the setter sets again.
7. Spell S-K-A-T-E and you're out. Last skater without the full word wins.

Common house rules

Every crew has its own, so agree before you start:

• Last letter gets two tries. Many games give you a second shot when you're on E.
• No repeats. Once a trick has been set, it can't be set again that game.
• Call it first. You say the trick before you try it, so nobody argues about what it was.
• Stance counts. A kickflip and a fakie kickflip are different tricks.
• Clean or it doesn't count. Agree whether a sketchy landing (one foot off, toe drag) counts as a make.
• Flat ground only, or obstacles allowed. Most games are flat.
• Number of tries for the setter. Some crews give the setter one try; some give a few.

A worked example: one game

Mia and Jay play at a parking lot.

1. Mia sets an ollie to warm up. She lands it. Jay matches. No letters.
2. Mia sets a kickflip. She lands it. Jay misses: S for Jay.
3. Mia sets a fakie shove-it. She misses it. No letter; Jay sets.
4. Jay sets a nollie heelflip, his best trick. He lands it. Mia misses: S for Mia.
5. The game goes on until Jay is on S-K-A-T. On his last letter, he gets the house-rule second try on Mia's switch frontside 180, misses both, and takes the E. Mia wins.

How Global SKATE plays it

Global SKATE is this same game, played by video, so your friend can be anywhere.

• One official take, filmed in the app. Nothing from your gallery, no retakes.
• Your opponent calls the clip. If you disagree, a person reviews it. Software never hands out letters.
• A clock instead of standing around: your opponent gets 24 hours, 72 hours (the default) or 7 days to answer.
• 25 flat-ground tricks in Regular, Switch, Fakie or Nollie.
• One redo on your final letter, like the house rule.
• Skate again for a rematch.

How to play SKATE with a friend anywhere (Global SKATE 101) walks through a whole game in the app.

Settling arguments fairly

Most SKATE arguments are about whether a trick was landed. A few habits keep games friendly:

• Agree on "clean" before you start. Does a toe drag count? Does landing with one foot off and putting it back count? Decide first.
• The person who watched calls it. In person, the opponent or a third skater. In Global SKATE, your opponent calls the clip.
• Disputes go to someone neutral. In person, a friend who's not playing. In Global SKATE, a person reviews it, never an algorithm.
• Don't argue tricks you didn't watch. If you looked away, ask, don't guess.

Why flat ground

Flat ground keeps SKATE fair. Everybody has some flat ground somewhere, so nobody wins just because they live next to a great park. It also keeps the game about board control: pop, flick, catch and land, with nothing to hide a sketchy trick behind. That's why Global SKATE uses flat-ground tricks too.

Common mistakes

• Not agreeing on rules first. Most arguments come from house rules nobody said out loud.
• Setting your hardest trick right away. If you miss, you just handed over the set.
• Forgetting stance counts. Matching a regular trick when it was set fakie isn't a match.
• Calling it after you try it. Call first.

FAQ

How many players can play?

Two is classic, but more can play. Tricks go around in order, and everyone has to match.

What if both skaters miss?

If the setter misses, there's no letter and the set passes. The matcher only gets a letter if the setter landed it first.

Is there a shorter version?

Some people play PIG for a quick game: same rules, three letters.

Can we use ramps?

You can agree on anything in person. Global SKATE games use flat-ground tricks.

Next: Calling tricks in a game of SKATE

Join the testers at skatelabs.app/testers and play a Game of SKATE with your friends. Global SKATE is free and in testing on iPhone and Android.