Ladder Toss Rules
Toss bolas onto the ladder, count those still hanging and check the exact-finish rule.
- Toss line to target
- 15 ft(4.57 m)
- Players
- Two to four players or teams
- Scoring
- Count every bola still hanging after the round
- Winning
- Reach exactly 21 after a complete round
Court and dimensions
Ladder Golf brand toss line, 15 ft from target
All measurements and other layouts
| Dimension | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | 15 ft | 4.57 m |
| Ladder width | 24 in | 61 cm |
| Ladder height | 39 in | 99.1 cm |
| Rung spacing | 13 in | 33 cm |
| Bola cord | 13 in | 33 cm |
The 15-ft figure measures toss line to target. Height and width are approximate secondary geometry; the brand sheet supplies the rung spacing.
| Dimension | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | 25 ft | 7.62 m |
| Ladder width | 24 in | 61 cm |
| Ladder height | 39 in | 99.1 cm |
| Rung spacing | 13 in | 33 cm |
| Bola cord | 13 in | 33 cm |
Franklin puts players 25 ft from the target and permits a shorter distance.
How to play
Equipment
Ladder Golf target
1 ×Size and equipment notes
Key size 39 in
The basic Ladder Golf brand format uses one target; its team section offers a second target as an option.
Franklin target
2 ×Size and equipment notes
Franklin item 53102 includes two targets and ground stakes.
Bola
6 ×Size and equipment notes
Key size 13 in
A two-player or two-team set gives three bolas to each side.
The Ladder Golf sheet defines a bola as two golf balls on nylon rope, spaced 13 in apart.
Setup
- A bola is a pair of balls joined by a short cord. It scores when it wraps around one of the ladder’s rungs and stays there.
- For Ladder Golf play, mark a toss line 15 ft (4.57 m) from one target. Team play may use a second target.
- Measure from the toss line to the target. Leave room at the sides for players and missed bolas.
- Most players pace off 5 paces from the ladder to set the toss line instead of measuring the official 15 ft line; the sheet offers this as a way to let children throw from closer in. (Ladder Golf rules, pp. 1–2)
- Give each side half of the 6 bolas. The Ladder Golf sheet spaces the rungs 13 in (33 cm) apart.
Throw a set of bolas
Under Ladder Golf rules, a player throws all three bolas before the opponent throws. Toss them individually using any style; ground bounces are allowed. The round winner earns the next first throw.
Count the bolas still hanging
Wait until both players have thrown. Each rung has a fixed value, highest at the top; count each player’s hanging bolas separately at the value of their rung, without subtracting the opponent’s total. A bola knocked off before the count scores nothing. The pattern bonus in the last row is optional: it applies only if both players agreed to it before the first toss.
Ladder Golf brand sheet
Count what is still hanging
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Bola on top rung | 3 points |
| Bola on middle rung | 2 points |
| Bola on bottom rung | 1 point |
| Optional same-rung or split-rung patternAdd only under the sheet's optional scoring; the maximum round becomes ten points. | 1 point |
Count every bola still hanging after the round.
How the game is won
- 21 points exactly
Tie: If both players reach 21 in the same round, continue overtime until one leads by 2 after a complete round.
Going over: A player who would pass 21 scores zero for that round.
Variants and house rules
Ladder Golf brand sheet
Choose the optional pattern bonus before the opening toss. Without that agreement, count only the printed rung values. The sheet also permits ground-bounced throws.
Franklin item 53102
Franklin uses 2 targets and a player-to-target distance of 25 ft (7.62 m). Alternate bola deliveries. The high scorer starts next; after a scoreless round, the prior first thrower keeps the lead. It ends the game at 21 points or after its round cap, whichever comes first, and applies the winning margin in its table. A tie at the cap continues through extra rounds.
Target geometry
Check your set’s assembly instructions for its frame dimensions. The drawing uses approximate dimensions from Omni Sizes; Franklin’s manual does not specify the assembled size.
House adaptations
A shorter line, reversed rung values, a line-crossing penalty or a tied-round starting convention can work for a backyard group. Agree these house rules before play. Neither manufacturer supplies a penalty for crossing a toss line, and neither decides who starts after a tied nonzero round.
Franklin item 53102Scoring & finish
Franklin item 53102
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Bola on top rung | 3 points |
| Bola on middle rung | 2 points |
| Bola on bottom rung | 1 point |
Both sides keep bolas hanging after the round.
How the game is won
- 21 points or more, leading by 2
- Highest points total after 9 rounds
Tie: A tie after nine rounds continues through extra rounds until one side leads by two.
Common disputes
My opponent knocked my bola off. Does it score?
No. Both sources count bolas that remain hanging at the end of the round. A bola on the ground has no value.
The Ladder Golf sheet encourages knocking other players' bolas off the ladder as a defensive tactic during play. (Ladder Golf rules, p. 1)
Can I try to distract my opponent while they throw?
Yes, and the sheet says so in its etiquette section. The Ladder Golf sheet's etiquette rules tell players to make remarks, sounds or movements to distract an opponent during play; Franklin's manual does not mention distraction. (Ladder Golf rules, p. 1; Franklin manual, p. 3)
Both players reached the exact target together. Who wins?
Neither player wins that round under the Ladder Golf sheet. If both players reach 21 in the same round, continue overtime until one leads by 2 after a complete round.
Both sides tied a nonzero round. Who starts next?
Neither source decides. Ladder Golf names the round winner, and Franklin names the high scorer; Franklin separately resolves a scoreless round. Keep the prior first thrower only if your group adopts that convention before play.
Is the long line a target-to-target measurement?
No. Franklin places the players 25 ft (7.62 m) from the target. The manual does not state a gap between two targets.
The bola is draped over the rung without wrapping. Does it count?
Neither sheet rules on a bola draped over a rung without wrapping around it: Ladder Golf scores by which step a bola wraps around, and Franklin scores a bola that lands on a bar. (Ladder Golf rules, p. 1; Franklin manual, p. 3) Agree how you will score a draped bola before you throw.
Someone crossed the toss line. Is the bola dead?
No rule makes the bola dead: The Ladder Golf sheet requires bolas to be tossed one at a time, forbids touching a player during a toss and bars walking to the ladder before the current round is complete; it prints no penalty schedule. (Ladder Golf rules, p. 1) Franklin recommends a gentle underhand toss and gives safety instructions, but it does not publish a foul schedule or a line-crossing penalty. (Franklin manual, p. 3) Agree any dead-bola or rethrow rule before play.
Related games
Sources
Rules used: Ladder Golf brand sheet. Reviewed . How we check the rules.
- Ladder Golf rules
- Franklin manual
- Omni Sizes guideSupporting dimensions
Publication details and rule references
- Ladder Golf Official Rules
- Undated Ladder Golf brand sheet. Retrieved .
- p. 1, Etiquette of the Game, distraction; p. 1, Playing the Game; p. 1, Playing the Game — over 21; p. 1, Playing the Game — tie at 21; p. 1, Playing the Game and Etiquette; p. 1, Points; p. 1, Points, wraps around; p. 1, Scoring, knocking off bolas; p. 2, Glossary — Bolas; p. 2, Glossary — Ladder; p. 2, Points — optional bonus; p. 2, Team Play; pp. 1–2, opening and Team Play; pp. 1–2, Playing the Game and Glossary — Toss Line; pp. 1–2, Playing the Game and Glossary — Toss Line, five paces; pp. 1–2, Playing the Game and Scoring; pp. 1–2, Playing the Game and Team Play; pp. 1–2, Scoring and Points; pp. 1–2, Toss Line and Ladder
- Ladderball Instruction Manual, item 53102
- Undated manual, item 53102. Retrieved .
- p. 2, Parts List; p. 3, Game; p. 3, Getting Started; p. 3, Notes and Key Points; p. 3, Scoring; p. 3, Scoring and Game; p. 3, Scoring, lands on; p. 3, Two Player Play and Team Play; pp. 2–3, Parts List and Assembly
- Ladder Golf Dimensions
- Undated dimensions page. Retrieved .
- Dimensions section