Any number of people may play Kubb, but typically matches are one-on-one or teams of two.
There are two phases for each team's turn:

1. Team A throws the six sticks, from their baseline, at their opponent's lined-up Kubbs (called Baseline Kubbs). Throws must be under-handed, and the sticks must spin end over end. Throwing sticks sideways or spinning them side-to-side is not allowed.
2. Kubbs that are successfully knocked down are then thrown by Team B onto Team A's half of the pitch, and stood on end. These newly thrown Kubbs are called Field Kubbs. When throwing the Kubbs back, only 1 misthrow is allowed - in other words the piece lands outside the opponent's half. The team may then try again but any furthe misthrows that turn result in the receiving team being allowed to place the Kubb anywhere in their half, but no nearer to the King than 1 stick's length.

Play then changes hands, and Team B throws the sticks at Team A's Kubbs, but must first knock down any standing Field Kubbs. Field Kubbs that right themselves due to the momentum of the impact are considered knocked down. Again, Kubbs that are knocked down are thrown back over onto the opposite half of the field and then stood up. [Variant - in New Zealand, knocking down a Baseline Kubb before all field kubbs would result in the throwing team forfeiting the rest of their turn.]

If either team leaves Field Kubbs standing, the Kubb closest to the King now represents that side's baseline, and throwers may step up to that line to throw at their opponent's Kubbs. This rule applies to Field and Baseline Kubbs only; fallen Kubbs are thrown from the original baseline, as are attempts to knock over the King.

Play continues in this fashion until a team is able to knock down all Kubbs on one side, from both the Field and the Baseline. If that team still has sticks left to throw, they may attempt to knock over the King. If a thrower successfully topples the King, they have won the game.

However, if at any time during the game the King is knocked down by accident -- even by a newly thrown Kubb -- the offending team immediately loses the game.

Victors are typically determined by playing best two out of three. For friendly games between Kubb clubs, and for private games between opponents of widely different standards, the Tjaereborg Handicapping System can be used. If the difference in the current standing between two opponents is between 10% and 20% -- for instance, if Gafvin is on 79% and Erika on 63% -- then Gavfin gets one fewer stick to throw. And for each additional 10% band difference, a further stick is conceded, down to a minimum of two sticks. [Note, 12 Feb 2008 - the legitimacy of this rule is now under severe scrutiny]

For informal play between players of widely differing abilities, such as an adult and a child it is permissable to shorten the width of the arena on the child's opponent's side, making it easier for the child to hit the kubbs, and it is also permissable to move the King closer to the child's line.