TallynightWhat each bola scores
Score once every player has thrown all three bolas. Only bolas still hanging count, so a bola knocked off by a later throw scores nothing, whoever threw it. These are the points in the Ladder Golf rules, and the YardGames and GoSports rules give the rungs the same values.
- A bola wrapped around the top rung
- 3
- A bola wrapped around the middle rung
- 2
- A bola wrapped around the bottom rung
- 1
- All three of yours on the same rung
- 1 bonus point
- One of yours on each rung
- 1 bonus point
- A bola knocked off, or on the ground
- 0
The most one player can score in a round is 10: three bolas on the top rung for 9, plus the bonus. The bonus is optional in the Ladder Golf rules, so agree on it before you start.
Exactly 21, and going over
You win by being the only player on exactly 21 at the end of a round. Go over, and that round's points don't count: you stay where you were. On 18 you need exactly 3, so a round worth 5 leaves you on 18.
If two players finish the same round on 21, play overtime rounds until one of them ends a round 2 points ahead. The 2-point rule only applies in overtime.
In doubles, partners stand at opposite ladders, and you throw against the opponent beside you. The winner of a round throws first in the next one.
Rules that change from set to set
The rules printed with each set differ. These are the ones that change the score, so agree on them before the first throw.
- Cancellation
- The YardGames and GoSports rules cancel points, as in cornhole: only the side with more points scores the round, and it scores the difference. The Ladder Golf rules count every player's bolas, so both sides can score.
- Going over 21
- Ladder Golf and YardGames don't count the round. Some house rules drop you back to 11 or 13 instead. The GoSports rules have no exact 21: the first team to 21 with a lead of 2 wins.
- The bonus
- Ladder Golf gives 1 point for three bolas on one rung, or one on each rung. Some tables give 3 for three on one rung and 5 for one on each.
- Distance
- Ladder Golf puts the toss line 15 feet (4.6 metres) from the ladder, or 5 paces in the backyard. YardGames sets two ladders 15 feet apart, and GoSports 25 feet (7.6 metres).
- Throwing order
- In Ladder Golf, each player throws all three bolas before the next. In the YardGames and GoSports rules, the two sides take turns, one bola at a time.
- Bounces
- Ladder Golf and YardGames let you bounce a bola off the ground onto the ladder. Some house rules don't count a bola that touched the ground first.
A bola hanging from another bola
Every set's rules score a bola by the rung it wraps around. A bola caught on another bola, without wrapping around a rung itself, isn't on a rung, so by the letter of the rules it scores nothing. If it slips down onto a rung before the round is scored, it counts for that rung.
If your table would rather count it for the rung the other bola is on, agree on that before you start.
A scoring example
A game between Ana and Ben under the Ladder Golf rules, with the bonus. Each bola is written as the rung it hung on: 3 for the top, 2 for the middle, 1 for the bottom.
| Round | Ana's bolas | Ben's bolas | Score, Ana to Ben |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3, 1: 4 | 2: 2 | 4 to 2 |
| 2 | 2, 2, 2 and the bonus: 7 | 3, 1: 4 | 11 to 6 |
| 3 | 3, 3: 6 | 1, 1, 1 and the bonus: 4 | 17 to 10 |
| 4 | 3, 2: 5, over 21 | 3, 3, 3 and the bonus: 10 | 17 to 20 |
| 5 | 3, 1: 4 | 2: 2, over 21 | 21 to 20 |
| Final | Ana wins | 21 to 20 |
In round 4, Ana needed exactly 4 and hung 5, so the round didn't count and she stayed on 17. In round 5 she hung exactly 4. Ben needed 1, and his 2 would have taken him to 22, so it didn't count either. Ana was the only player on 21, and she wins.
With cancellation scoring, as in the YardGames and GoSports rules, only the difference counts: round 1 would give Ana 2 and Ben nothing.
Keep score for ladder ball in Tallynight
Ladder ball isn't one of Tallynight's built-in games yet, but it takes a minute to set up. Choose Something else, then Running score, "Add points as they happen", with Highest winning, and pick 1 · 2 · 5 points per tap. Leave Play to a target off, because targets go up in tens and 21 can't be set.
Tap the star to add it to your favourites, then Start game. After each round, add each player's points, bonus included, or with cancellation scoring add the difference to the side that won the round. Tallynight doesn't know the exact 21 rule: when a round would take someone past 21, add nothing for them, and tap End game when someone lands on 21. Playing back to 11 or 13? Tap their total and type the minus that puts them there.
- A big tile for each player or team
- Points per tap of 1, 2 or 5
- Undo, and a scoring log to fix any round
- A winner card for the family chat at the end
A Ladder ball score sheet to print
Playing on paper tonight? Print a free Ladder ball score sheet, or save it as a PDF.
Ladder ball score sheetQuestions
How do you score ladder ball?
Once everyone has thrown their three bolas, each bola still hanging scores: 3 on the top rung, 2 on the middle and 1 on the bottom. Many sets add a bonus point for three on one rung, or one on each. The first to exactly 21 wins.
What happens if you go over 21 in ladder ball?
Under the Ladder Golf and YardGames rules, that round's points don't count and you stay where you were. Some house rules drop you back to 11 or 13 instead, and the GoSports rules play to 21 won by 2, with no exact finish.
Do points cancel in ladder ball?
It depends on the set. The YardGames and GoSports rules cancel them, so only the difference scores, as in cornhole. The Ladder Golf rules count every player's bolas.
Does a bola hanging from another bola count?
Not by the letter of the rules. Every set scores a bola by the rung it wraps around, and a bola caught only on another bola isn't on a rung. If your table counts it for the other bola's rung, agree on that before you start.
How far away do you throw from in ladder ball?
The Ladder Golf rules put the toss line 15 feet (4.6 metres) from the ladder, or 5 paces in the backyard. With two ladders, YardGames sets them 15 feet apart and GoSports 25 feet.
What is the most you can score in one round of ladder ball?
10 under the Ladder Golf rules: three bolas on the top rung for 9, plus the bonus point.
Is ladder ball the same as ladder golf and ladder toss?
Yes. Ladder Golf is the brand of the original patented set, and ladder ball, ladder toss, hillbilly golf and Norwegian golf are other names for the same game.
