Ladder Toss Rules: How to Play Ladder Ball

These ladder toss rules will get you playing in minutes. Ladder toss, also known as ladder ball or bolo toss, is a backyard favorite where you throw bolas (two balls joined by a short rope) at a ladder shaped target with three rungs. Wrap a bola around a rung and you score. It is easy for kids to learn, quick to set up at a picnic, beach or tailgate, and surprisingly competitive once a game gets close to 21.

Quick rules

• Set two ladders about 15 feet apart, or use a throw line 15 feet from one ladder.
• Each player throws 3 bolas per round, one player throwing all three before the next player throws.
• Top rung 3 points, middle rung 2 points, bottom rung 1 point.
• Score only bolas still hanging when all players have thrown.
• You can knock opponents' bolas off the ladder.
• First to exactly 21 at the end of a round wins. Go over and that round's points do not count.

What you need

• Two ladder targets, each with three horizontal rungs spaced evenly (typically about 13 inches apart).
• Six bolas: three in one color and three in another. Each bola is two golf ball sized balls joined by a rope about 13 inches long.
• A flat lawn, beach or park area about 25 feet long.
• Something to keep score with, such as the scorekeeper below.

Setup

1. Assemble the ladders on level ground.
2. Place them facing each other 15 feet apart. For young children, move them closer, about 10 feet.
3. If you have only one ladder, mark a throw line 15 feet in front of it.
4. Give each side a set of three bolas in its own color.
5. Decide who throws first with a coin toss.

How to play

1. Throwing

1. Stand beside your ladder (or behind the throw line) and toss toward the opposite ladder.
2. Throw underhand. Hold one ball of the bola and swing it so the bola spins through the air.
3. A player throws all three bolas, one at a time, before the next player throws.
4. Throws can go in any order on the ladder, and bolas may wrap, hang or drape on a rung.

2. After everyone has thrown

1. When all players have thrown their bolas, the round ends.
2. Count the points for bolas still hanging on the ladder. Bolas knocked off by other throws do not score.
3. Collect the bolas. In two ladder play, throw back toward the first ladder in the next round.

3. Who throws first next

The player or team that scored the most points in the round throws first in the next round. If there is a tie, the order stays the same.

4. Team play

For doubles, partners stand at opposite ladders, just like horseshoes. Players at the same ladder throw against each other, and each team's points from both ends are added together.

Scoring

Rule sets differ on the bonus. Some award 1 extra point, some award a straight 10 points for three on the top rung, and some use no bonuses at all. Agree before the first throw.

How to win

The first player or team to score exactly 21 points at the end of a round wins. If your round's points would take you over 21, those points do not count, and your score stays where it was before that round.

If two sides reach 21 in the same round, play overtime rounds until one side finishes a round ahead.

Variations

• Cancellation scoring: like cornhole, only the difference between the two sides' round scores counts. This makes games longer and more tactical.
• Points to 15 or 31: shorter or longer games for different groups.
• Kids distance: let children throw from closer, about 8 to 10 feet, so families can play together.
• Bust back: instead of ignoring the round, some groups drop a player who goes over 21 back to 11.

Ladder toss for kids and mixed groups

Ladder toss is one of the best lawn games for mixed ages because skill matters but strength does not. Let younger players throw from a closer line, give them a head start of a few points, or play straight scoring where every hanging bola counts. Keep bolas away from faces and make sure nobody stands near the target ladder while others are throwing, since the balls are hard and can sting.

Tips and strategy

• Spin the bola horizontally, like a propeller lying flat, so it wraps around the rung instead of bouncing off.
• Throw with a gentle arc. Hard, flat throws tend to ricochet.
• Near 21, plan exactly which rungs you need. Sometimes the smart throw is a deliberate miss.
• Knock off a well placed opponent bola when you cannot score high yourself.

House rules to agree first

• Throwing distance and whether there is a foot line.
• Bonus points, and how many.
• Exact 21, bust back, or simply first past 21.

Round out your backyard games with cornhole, horseshoes and croquet, or browse our list of outdoor games and party games for kids.