Ladder Toss Directions
Ladder toss is an outdoor game that is played with four people. Playing ladder toss requires some finesse and strategy, but for the most part the game is simple and requires little skill. As with other alternating lawn games that involve players tossing objects to score and cancel out scores such as horseshoes and washers, ladder toss involves splitting up into teams, alternating throws and having fun.
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Instructions
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1
Set up each ladder approximately 15 feet or roughly five paces away from each other, whichever is closer. The space in between the two ladders represents the field of play.
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2
Flip a coin to determine which of the two teams of two players will shoot first.
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3
Split up the teams so that one member from each team stands behind one ladder and throws to the second ladder. For example, if John and Carly are playing against Steve and Sally, then John and Steve may throw from one side while Carly and Sally will throw from the other side.
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4
Distribute three bolas to each of the players on one side of the field of play. The first round starts when the first player throws the first bolas.
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5
Alternate throwing bolas between one member of each team on one side of the field of the play. For example, in the fictional match of John and Carly versus Steve and Sally, if John and Carly's team shoots first, John will throw a bola, then Steve will throw a bola, then John, then Steve, then John, and finally Steve.
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6
Score the bolas that remain hanging from the ladders. Scoring can vary based on where you play and who you play with, but traditionally the top rung is worth one point, the bottom rung two points and the middle rung three points.
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7
Subtract the lowest team's score from the highest team's score to determine the half round's final score. For example, if John hooked two single-point rungs and a double-point rung, and Steve hooked a triple-point rung and two double-point rungs, subtract John's four points from Steve's seven points, giving the team of Steve and Sally a half-round score of three points.
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8
Distribute the bolas to the players on the other side of the field of play. Once these players have thrown, scored and added their scores to those of their teammates, one round of play has ended.
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9
Throw and score until one team reaches 21 points exactly.
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Tips & Warnings
Ladder-toss ladders are three-rung ladders approximately 3 ½ to 4 feet tall and about 2 ½ to 3 feet wide. They are often made of plastic and come standard in any ladder-toss game kit.
Ladder-toss bolas are nylon strings with small rubber balls attached to both ends of the rope. They are also standard in most ladder toss game kits.
Ladder toss can also be played individually, with four players shooting and keeping score for themselves, rather than as teams.
If a team scores more than 21 points, all the scoring for that half round is nullified. For example, if Carly enters a round where her team's score is 18 and she hits a single and two doubles, her team receives no points for that round and John will start the next half round with a team score of 18.
References
- Photo Credit horseshoe game image by HannaSigel from Fotolia.com
