The Rulebook
Follow the Palio
A quick guide to following the Goose Game live: the board, the general rules of the course, and the full list of trials the four Quarters must face to conquer square 54.
The Board
— Le 54 caselle del nobilissimo et dilettevole Giuoco —
General Rules
The aim of the game is to be the first to reach square number 54. The Palio is won only and exclusively by landing exactly on square 54 with the roll of the dice.
All four Quarters start from square 0 and, through rolls of the dice made by their own Dice Thrower, must reach square 54 along the course shown on the board, overcoming various skill trials along the way.
Each Quarter has, from the start, a bonus that — if the game is won — doubles only the score obtained with the dice (it cannot be combined with other benefits). The bonus is played by the captain whenever they see fit, independently of the dice thrower: it must be declared after the dice roll, only when the Quarter lands on a square that triggers a game, and before that game's starting whistle — even after the opposing Quarter has been drawn. It can only be declared before square 40, excluding the Death and Spervengolo squares.
The square with the Goose doubles the score obtained with the dice.
The opposing Quarter for each challenge is drawn using coloured flags from a container, excluding the flag of the Quarter that landed on the square. In the Men's Tug-of-War, Women's Tug-of-War, Yoke, Bridge and Ladies' Bridge games, the Quarter may also challenge — once per edition — a "select team" made up of pages from the other three Quarters, provided it has not passed square 40 and is not "under Death": this challenge cannot be combined with other bonuses and, if won, doubles the dice score, while the other three Quarters stay on their current squares.
The penalty squares are: 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 24, 26, 28, 32, 35, 37, 39, 42, 45, 46. From square 1 to 47, each square is a penalty square only once and only when moving forward: moving backwards, squares do not trigger a game.
From square 48 onwards, every game lost — whether by the challenged or the challenging Quarter — sends the Quarter back to square 47. Squares 48 to 53 are only cleared by winning the game: losing sends the Quarter back to 47. If, on a new roll, a Quarter lands again on a square it has already cleared, it does not have to repeat the trial; otherwise, it must. No backward games are played in the Palio zone.
If the challenging Quarter loses, it returns to the square from which it rolled the dice (or to square 47, if at square 48 or beyond). The challenged Quarter, if it loses, does not move back, unless it is at square 48 or beyond. All challenges are determined by draw: it is never possible to choose one's opponent, except for the multiple challenges described above.
All games that end in a tie, unless otherwise stated in these rules, are always won by the challenged Quarter.
All game equipment is provided by the Associazione Giochi Storici or by the Quarters, with the exception of bows, saws, horses and crossbows. If a piece of equipment breaks during a trial, it is replaced by the playing page and, where applicable, the game is repeated (stilts, bridge, barrel).
From square 1 to 53, every square can be a penalty square for the Quarter that lands on it, which must then complete the relevant trial. Before each game begins, practising on the field or testing the equipment is not allowed, except for choosing the barrel and the stilts — which must be done directly in the starting area, and as quickly as possible.
Should a page behave disrespectfully, rudely or use foul language towards the match referees, the referees may apply the Spervengolo penalty to that page's entire Quarter.
Special Penalties
The Quarter that lands here stays still for one turn.
The Quarter that lands on this square has, for the next 3 dice rolls, its score halved and rounded down on odd numbers:
Roll of 5 → score of 2 · Roll of 3 → score of 1 · Roll of 1 → score of 0 (stays in place).
For those same three rolls, the Quarter also cannot play its bonus, challenge the select team, or benefit from Goose squares.
9 August · Arena di Sant'Emidio
Order of Play
The sequence of the 30 challenges that mark the evening
After game no. 30, every square on the board is cleared.
The Skill Trials
All the Games
The sixteen trials the pages of the four Quarters must face along the course
