Setup
Players
- 2 players or two teams
- Recommended for ages 12 and up
Materials
- Two ladder structures: These are usually PVC or wooden pipes with three horizontal ladder steps at different heights
- Bolas: You’ll need six bolas for the game, three of each color, these are two golf balls connected by a nylon rope
- Optional: notepad and pen for keeping score
Scoring
- Players score points with each bola that hangs on the ladder
- The top step is worth three points
- The middle step is worth two points
- The bottom step is worth one point
- Missing the ladder is worth zero points
Additional Setup Notes
- Find a flat surface to place the ladder structures
- Place the two ladder structures parallel to each other, facing each other
- Walk about 5 paces between the two ladders
- You can also adjust them closer, depending on the skill level of the team
Objective
In ladder toss, players or teams throw the bolas behind the opposing ladder to try to land them on the different levels of the ladder structure to score points, ultimately aiming to get to exactly 21 points to win.
Gameplay
Ladder toss, also called ladder golf or ladder ball, is an entertaining lawn game perfect for those warm summer afternoons. It is played with two ladders that each have three levels and six bolas which are two golf balls connected by a rope.
Here’s how you play a game of ladder toss:
- Determine who goes first by flipping a coin
- In consequent rounds, the highest-scoring person or team from the previous round goes first
- Each person or team will throw three bolas in a row, and mark their total score for that round by adding up the points together
- You need exactly 21 points to win; if you go over, your points for that round don’t count, and you’ll try again the next round
- If both teams or players score exactly 21 points that round, you’ll enter bonus rounds where the first team to lead by 2 points or more wins the game
Bonus point scoring
A game of ladder toss rewards players for getting the bolas in certain positions. If you get all your bolas on the same step, and your opponent does not get theirs on it that round, you score a bonus point. Similarly, if you land each of your bolas on all three steps, you will get a bonus point. This move is also called a birdie.
Endgame
A round of ladder toss ends once a player or team scores exactly 21 points.
Ladder Toss Variations and Alternate Rules
If you want to make a game of ladder toss even more challenging, you can add a penalty to going over 21 points where your score automatically drops to either 11 or 13 points.
Ladder Toss Tips & Strategy
Ladder toss is all about your aim, so practice your throw by trying to land all your bolas on the steps you need to reach exactly 21 points. As you rack up points, you’ll need to be strategic about aiming at only the steps you need to get to the point threshold and not go over it.
FAQs
What names does ladder toss go by?
Ladder toss is also commonly called ladder golf or ladder ball.
What’s a hat trick in a game of ladder toss?
A hat trick occurs when you land your bolas on the same step in the same round and is awarded with an additional bonus point.
