Ladder Golf 101 — The American Backyard Game of Tossing Bolas onto a Ladder

What is this game?

Ladder Golf is an outdoor tossing game that grew popular across the United States. It also goes by Ladder Toss and Ladder Ball, and is sold under trademarked names such as Ladder Golf®.

Players toss a bola — two golf-ball-sized balls joined by a roughly 30 cm nylon rope — underhand at a ladder with three horizontal rungs standing a few metres away. If the rope wraps around a rung and the bola stays hanging, it scores. The rung it catches on determines the points, with the top rung worth the most.

With almost no setup, it plays anywhere — a lawn, backyard, beach, or campsite — and its relaxed, play-alongside-a-BBQ feel has made it a North American backyard staple.

Equipment & setup

Ladder Golf needs very little gear, and setup takes almost no time. All you really need is one ladder, a few bolas, and a few metres of flat ground.

• The ladder — two uprights holding three horizontal rungs. Retail sets are plastic tubing with rungs spaced about 30 cm apart, built to stand freely without tipping
• Bolas — two golf-ball-sized balls joined by a ~30 cm nylon rope. Three per player is standard, colour-coded by team (e.g. red vs. blue)
• A throwing line — marks where you stand; about 5 m (15 ft) is the casual default. A rope, tape, or a stick works fine
• Ground — grass, dirt, sand, or a deck all work. Any flat spot where the ladder stands steady is fine, from a park to a campsite

A retail plastic set (ladder plus six bolas) costs around $25 and gives you everything in one box. Once you're hooked, set up two ladders facing each other and throw back and forth for a faster-paced game. Pick a spot where bolas can be thrown safely away from other people.

Players & ages

Format	Players	Bolas each
Singles	1 vs 1	3
Teams	2 vs 2	3
Round-robin	3–4 players	3

Anyone can play. Kids throw from closer (2–3 m), adults from around 5 m. Control matters more than strength, so mismatched sizes still make for a fair game.

Rules

Ladder Golf is all about wrapping bolas onto the rungs to outscore your opponent. Learn the minimal rules below and you can play the same afternoon.

How a round works (minimal rules)

1. Stand the ladder up and mark a throwing line about 5 m away
2. Decide who goes first (a coin toss works). The first player tosses their three bolas underhand, one at a time
3. If a bola's rope wraps a rung and stays hanging, it scores: top rung = 3, middle = 2, bottom = 1
4. After the first player throws all three, the other player throws their three
5. That is one round. Count the points of the bolas left hanging
6. Play more rounds until a player (or team) reaches exactly 21 points and wins

At first, just focus on catching a rung. Once that feels natural, add the scoring rules below.

Standard rules (adding skill)

• The throw — underhand and gently arced. Give the balls a little spin so the rope wraps the rung instead of bouncing off
• Cancellation — if your bola and your opponent's land on the same rung, those points cancel out and neither scores. This turns rung selection into a mind game
• Exactly 21 (bust) — you must land on exactly 21. Going over busts: that round's points don't count. Late game, you calculate how many points you still need and aim accordingly
• Knock-offs — hitting a hanging bola and knocking it off means it no longer counts. Only bolas still hanging after all throws are scored

Official competition rules

Published rules from brands such as Ladder Golf® set the throwing distance (~5 m / 15 ft), the per-rung values (3-2-1), cancellation and the exact-21 rule, plus bonus points. A common bonus: land all three bolas on the same rung, or one on each of the three rungs (1-2-3) in a single round, for +1 point. Local house rules vary, so agree on distance, bonuses, and cancellation before you start.

Tips for enjoying the game

Common beginner mistakes

• Don't throw hard. Hard throws bounce off the rung; a soft, high arc wraps more easily
• Mind the spin. A little forward roll on the balls helps the rope tangle and hang
• Pick a rung first. Decide "middle rung this time" before you throw — aimless tosses scatter

How to make it more fun

• Turn on cancellation and a rung-selection mind game emerges as you dodge your opponent's rung
• The end-game race to exactly 21 is the highlight; sometimes you aim low on purpose to avoid busting
• Enable bonuses (three on one rung, or a 1-2-3 sweep) for come-from-behind swings

Age variations

• Kids: shorten the distance to 2–3 m; count any catch as a success rather than chasing the 3-point rung
• Seniors: throwing from a seated position works fine; a shorter distance keeps it comfortable
• Competitive play: measure a precise 5 m and apply cancellation, bust, and bonuses in full

Playing ladder golf in Japan

• A retail plastic set (ladder plus six bolas) runs a few thousand yen and covers everything
• It's easy to DIY: build a ladder from PVC pipe and tie two golf balls together with rope for each bola
• Because it goes by several names — Ladder Golf, Ladder Toss, Ladder Ball — shop by the shape (three-rung ladder plus bolas) to be sure
• On windy days a light plastic ladder tips over easily, so weigh down the base to keep it steady

Learn more

• Ladder Golf® official rules (a US retail brand)
• Assorted local house rules for Ladder Toss / Ladder Ball
• Related: see also Petanque, Mölkky, and Cornhole