Until the late 1960s, the alternative spelling Schaffkopf was not uncommon in Bavaria as an alternative spelling for Schafkopf;[a] the ensuing discussion about the supposedly only correct form and its origin was the subject of extensive debate at that time - among other things in the columns of the Bavarian press - before the common variant Schafkopf became widely accepted from about 1970.

In 1862, the family monthly, Deutsches Magazin, claimed that Schaffkopf "did not bear the unaesthetic name Schafkopf ["sheep's head"], which it is frequently called today as if to imply that playing it only required the level of mental ability which wise nature bestows on a dumb animal in our pastures; on the contrary it is the game that "creates intelligence" by giving all those who have had little education the opportunity to learn about combination theory and probability.

"[12] The issue was largely forgotten when author Wolfgang Peschel argued in the early 1990s for the double 'f' spelling based on the popular traditional view that, in earlier times, the game was supposed to have been played (geklopft) on the lids (Köpfen) of barrels (Upper German: Schaff, c.f.

[15][16] The indirect precursors of the various games of the Schafkopf family (which includes Doppelkopf and Skat), were the Spanish national game of L'Hombre (which had reached the Holy Roman Empire through the courtly circles of France in the late 17th century), its four-hand variant, Quadrille, and its simplified German derivative, German Solo.

The distinction between variable and permanent trump cards as well as the selection of a contract by announcing and bidding, probably originate from these games.

This may be due, on the one hand, to its relatively low social reputation - in the first half of the 19th century Schafkopf was regarded as a comparatively unfashionable and simple "farmer's game"[19] when seen against the backdrop of ever more popular card games (such as German Solo or Skat), especially at the universities - and, on the other hand, to changes in concept: originally the name referred to its forerunner, located more or less in the Saxon-Thuringian area and now called German Schafkopf to distinguish it.

In this older game, which had several variants, the declarer's team was generally determined by a combination of the two highest trump cards, in a not dissimilar manner to the way the Queens of Clubs are used in Doppelkopf today, for example.

In Hartmann's comedy, The Thankful Daughter (Die Dankbare Tochter) published in 1780, Platz tells his brother that "I thought we'd play a Schaafkopf" and they go to look for a pack of cards.

[22] The specifically Bavarian variant of the game originated with the introduction of the Rufer or 'Call Ace' contract in the first half of the 19th century - apparently in Franconia.

[25] The question about the origin of the Bavarian Schafkopf cannot be answered conclusively, but available sources suggest a migration from north to south.

The earliest clear description of the game appears in a poem, Das edle Schafkopf-Spiel[c] in the Regensburger Conversations-Blatt in 1876 which not only lists all 14 trumps, but also the contracts of Rufer and Solo as well as features such as the called Ace and losing Schneider.

[27] This was followed a decade later by the Schafkopf-Büchlein - Detailliche Anleitung zum Lernen und Verbessern des Schafkopfspiel mit deutschen Karten,[e] published in Amberg in 1895, in which the author explicitly explains the differences from Schafkopf variants played in northern Germany, i.e. Skat and Doppelkopf.

In 1880, the Lichtenfelser Tagblatt reported that a Schafkopf player in Staffelstein had played and won a Heart Solo with no trumps.

[30] In Ebermannstadt in 1881 at a private shooting club party, a gentlemen, Johann Weigel, played and won a Schafkopf without any of the 8 "matadors", which the defenders had to pay on scoring only 59, resulting in long faces and complaining.

[31] In Pasing in 1888, a similar feat was reported: in a game of "the noble Schaffkopf" a player had won a Solo without possessing a single matador.

[33] In 1929, it was reported that, in Türkenfeld a player won a Bell Solo by 4 points with the Ace and Nine of Leaves, but not a single Unter.

Schafkopf is not classed by the German authorities as a gambling game in the legal sense by the relevant section of the act, § 284 StGB, and may therefore be played in Germany for money.

German packs have four suits: Acorns (Eichel), Leaves (Gras), Hearts (Herz) and Bells (Schellen).

For historical reasons the Ace is known in Bavaria as a Sau ("Sow") and, despite having "A" as a corner index, displays two suit symbols at each end.

The Nines, Eights and Sevens, which have no point value and are only of use as guard cards, are variously known as "sparrows" (Spatzen), "nothings" or "nixers" (Nichtser(le)) or "blanks" (Leere or Luschen).

Standard or pure (reiner) Schafkopf comprises three basic contracts – Rufer, Wenz and Solo – which are universally known and the only ones permitted at most tournaments.

The declarer and the owner of the called Ace then play together as a team and will combine their points won in tricks at the end.

The highest possible contract in Schafkopf is a Sie, when a player is dealt all 4 Obers and all 4 Unters[r] The probability of this is 1 in 10,518,300 (in short cards 1 in 134,596).

In social games, the cutter may instruct the dealer to deal the cards differently e.g. "all eight" instead of 2 packets of 4, or "anti-clockwise".

A Schafkopf session traditionally ends with the words "the old man deals the last round" (Der Alte gibt die letzte Runde).

Variations of the official procedure for doubling include: Taking all the possible contracts, bonuses and doubling mechanisms, results in the following scheme for calculating the game value if G is the basic tariff (Grundtarif) or payment unit for a Rufer: A popular variant in parts of eastern Bavarian (Upper Palatinate and Upper Franconia) is "short Schafkopf", also called "sharp Schafkopf", which is played with just 24 cards, the 7s and 8s being removed.

The following variants exist for two, three or five players: Bierkopf ("beer head") is a very simplified form of Schafkopf that is a useful entry-level game.

Recently, the declining importance of the Schafkopf game as a leisure activity, especially among young people, has been discussed in Bavarian media.

[47] This has also been viewed at the municipal level as an imminent loss of part of Bavarian identity; countermeasures are therefore receiving increasingly wide support.

The officially recognized record playing time is currently 260 hours, placed in November 2013 by one Munich group.