THE COMPLETE SET OF RULES
A complete Make-A-Break ® playing field has eight clay target throwers in boxes on the playing field, each assigned a point value according to the skill level required to hit that target: i.e. the higher the point value the greater the degree of difficulty to hit the target. There are two red boxes, with targets each worth 1 point, a yellow box, with a target worth 2 points, a green box, with a target worth 3 points, an orange box, with a target worth 4 points, a blue box, with a target worth 5 points, a pink box, with a target worth 6 points, and a white box, with a target worth 7 points.
Regardless of how the field is designed, the two number one (1) targets are always symmetrical on the field; i.e. imagine a centre-line running perpendicular from the podium to the centre of the back boundary line, the two number one (1) targets, whether going away from the players, incoming or crossing, will be “mirrored” on either side of that imaginary centre line. Their target trajectories will also be identical on either side of this imaginary centre-line.
A game comprises of ten report pairs for each player. These pairs are made up of ten number (1) targets (five from each of the two red boxes), and ten numbered targets. The players will not know which box the number one (1) target will come from before they call for the target. This is to create a little uncertainty of the number one (1) in the minds of the players since they MUST break the number one (1) before they can attempt the other numbered target. In addition, since breaking the number one (1) is vitally important, this element adds excitement to the game by causing the lead to fluctuate when a number one (1) is missed. This tends to create quite a bit of pressure for the players too and allows tactics and strategy to play an important role in the game…
You can write your own sequence of left and right number one (1) point targets for each player. There must be three left 1 point and three right 1 point targets in the number sequence part of each game for each player, and two left 1 point and two right 1 point targets in the Make-A-Break part.
Targets can only be scored if they are broken inside the boundary lines. Any target that crosses these lines is judged “out of play” and scored 0 (zero).
If at ANY time during a game the number one (1) target is missed, the shooter MUST shoot at it again. The resulting score will be 1 point if the number one (1) is hit with the second shot, regardless of the point value of the target she/he was attempting. And of course, if on the second shot the same number one (1) target is completely missed, then the score is 0 (zero).
The first part of the game is called the number sequence and comprises six report pairs (six number (1) targets with a target from each of the six numbers in sequence, 2 through 7); and the second part is called the Make-A-Break portion of the game, which comprises the remaining four number one (1) targets with a target from four numbers of the players’ choice. Player A shoots first throughout the number sequence portion of a game, but during the Make-A-Break portion the player with the highest score nominates their numbered target and shoots first.
A complete number sequence would be player A shoots first at one of the number ones (1), then the number (2) on report. Player B then shoots the same report double combination; however, the number one (1) target may or may not be from the same box. Player A then shoots another number one (1), then the number three (3) on report. Player B follows. This format continues through the remainder of the number sequence, which is: number one (1) then number four (4), number one (1) then number five (5), number one (1) then number six (6), and finally number one (1) then number seven (7).
When the number sequence portion of the game has been completed, each player will have shot at six report doubles, and will have used six of the ten number one (1) targets. Now the Make-A-Break portion begins. With the remaining four number ones each player, in turn, can now choose any number they want in combination with those four number ones (1) in a report double (shooting the number one (1) targets first) as before.
The goal of the player in the lead now is to choose numbered targets with as high a point value as possible that will maintain their lead, but that they will still have a good chance of hitting. The player with the lower score must now select targets with higher point values, knowing these targets have greater degrees of difficulty. However, the number four (4) and five (5) targets can only be chosen once in this portion of the game.
Depending on the score each player achieved during the number sequence portion of the game, tactics and strategy will now be introduced by the players.
Player A shoots from the front left corner of the platform, while player B shoots from the front right corner. After the number sequence portion of a game has been completed the players change sides on the platform for the Make-A-Break portion.
A perfect score of 65 points would require a player to break all the targets in the initial number sequence of six number one (1) and six numbers: (two (2), three (3), four (4), five (5), six (6), and seven (7)), then to break the number seven (7) four times with the remaining four number one (1) targets in the Make-A-Break portion of the game.
Typically, a game lasts about three to four minutes. The format of “best of three” games is popular, but each range owner can organise how their Make-A-Break ® playing field is to be run to suit their customers.
If a game ends in a tied score, the game is decided on the number seven (7) target. Each player in turn shoots a number one (1) target, then the number seven (7) on report as usual. Each player gets a chance to shoot and the first one to break a one/seven combination 7 points clear of her/his opponent is the winner.