Court Sizes and Distances

Every court and distance in one table

The table labels each measurement as a playing area, throwing distance or equipment footprint. The drawing above uses a shared scale. “Space to clear” gives the rectangle each game’s own source measures, under that source’s label; it can be larger than the throwing distance or gap beside it.

Swipe the table sideways for width, space to clear and layout.

Read the measurement before marking the ground

A gap leaves out the equipment

Cornhole places the board fronts 27 ft (8.23 m) apart. The boards and pitching positions extend beyond that gap. Measure front edge to front edge, then check the complete setup against paths, fences and places where people will sit.

A throwing distance begins at the player

Ladder toss uses 15 ft (4.57 m) from the toss line to the target under the Ladder Golf brand sheet. Franklin specifies 25 ft (7.62 m) from the thrower to the target and permits a shorter distance. Measure from the throwing position to the target in either format.

Horseshoes keeps the stakes 40 ft (12.19 m) apart. Short-distance divisions move the pitching position forward; they do not move the stakes. Use the diagram’s foul line for your division when laying out the pitching platforms.

Check the whole playing area

Grass courts

For croquet, measure from the inside edge of a marked boundary to the inside edge opposite it. Place the wickets and stakes inward from those boundary lines.

The American six-wicket croquet court measures 105 ft (32 m) by 84 ft (25.6 m). Use the croquet chooser to identify the course your set plays before selecting a size. The nine-wicket layout also shows a casual half-court option, with this layout note:

Half of the MCA full court, scaled in proportion as USCA's court section directs. Its 3 ft gaps fall under the 4 ft floor MCA asks players to keep when 6 ft is not possible, so it is not an official minimum.

A kubb pitch measures 26.25 ft (8 m) by 16.4 ft (5 m). Mark the full rectangle before placing the king and baseline kubbs. Leave room to reach the boundary and collect the pieces.

Long courts and table space

The USBF bocce court measures 86.92 ft (26.5 m) by 13.12 ft (4 m). The dimensions page shows the Special Olympics layout separately, with its own markings.

For outdoor shuffleboard, read the court drawing’s measurement convention:

The NSA drawing shows a 52 × 6 ft court, 39 ft baseline to baseline, a 1.5 ft 10-off area, a 9 ft scoring triangle and 12 ft between lag lines. Dimensions run centre to centre on the painted lines.

For table shuffleboard, check the cradle footprint as well as the playing surface. Leave usable standing and shooting space at the ends, and check access around the furniture. The playing-surface length alone will not tell you whether the table fits the room.

Before installing a permanent court

Mark the boundaries and throwing positions with temporary markers. Walk around the setup and check for slopes, holes and obstructions. The listed dimensions do not include a universal clearance allowance.