Setup
Set the ladders about 15 ft (4.6 m) apart. The ladders have 3 rungs and are usually made from wood or PVC pipes. Set one of the ladders down and walk forward about 5 paces. Place the second ladder down so its rungs are parallel to the rungs on the other. You can move the ladders closer together to make it easier or further apart if you want to make it more of a challenge.
Give each player or team 3 bolas of their color. Each bola is made with 2 golf balls attached together with a rope. If you’re playing with 2 players, then each player will take the bolas of their color. If you’re playing in teams, give one player on your team all of the bolas of your color.
Flip a coin to determine who goes first. Assign heads to one player or team and tails to the other. Whoever chose the side that lands face-up gets to throw first. Variation: Instead of doing a coin toss, you could have a “shoot-off” to determine the first player. Take turns throwing all of your bolas at the ladder across from you. Whoever has the highest score gets to go first for the game.
Gameplay
Stand on one side of the ladder behind the uprights. The uprights are the vertical posts of the ladder. If you’re playing with 2 people, stand on opposite sides of the same ladder. If you have teams of 2, you’ll stand at one ladder with one of your opponents and your teammate will be with your other opponent at the second ladder. Keep your feet behind the vertical parts of the ladder during the whole game to avoid getting a penalty. If you ever cross the uprights when you throw a bola, it won’t count for any points.
Throw 1 bola at a time at the ladder across from you. You can use any type of underhand toss when you throw your bola. Aim for one of the rungs on the ladder and try to land your bolas on it. Throw all 3 of your bolas and then let the other player throw their bolas at the same ladder. You can bounce bolas off of the ground to land them on the rungs. If you’re playing in teams, only 1 team member will toss bolas each round. If it’s not your turn to throw, stand back from the ladder so you aren’t hit with a bola on accident. Variation: Alternate between you and the other player after each toss to add a little more tension to the game.
Score points for each bola hanging from a ladder rung. After both players toss all their bolas, count the number of your bolas on each rung. Each bola is worth 3 points on the top rung, 2 points on the middle rung, and 1 point on the bottom rung. Any bolas that missed or fell off the ladder are worth 0 points. Add the total points for each player to their score. Example: You have bolas on the top and bottom rung. Your opponent landed 2 on the middle rung and 1 on the top rung. They would earn 7 points (3+2+2) and you would earn 4 points (3+1). Variation: Play so the points cancel each other out and only 1 player scores each round. For example, if you had a bola on the top rung and your opponent had 2 on the bottom rung, then you would only earn 1 point (3 points from your bola minus the 2 points from their bolas). Some ladder ball sets have score trackers on the uprights so you can easily see how many points you have.
Take the first turn next round if you earned the most points. If you’re playing with 2 people, walk over to the ladder you just threw to and collect your bolas. Then, start the next round throwing at the other ladder. If you’re playing in teams, your teammate will throw bolas for the next round.
Play rounds until a team reaches exactly 21 points. Your score will start to add up quickly, so pay attention to how many points you have left. If you go over 21, your points for the round won’t count and you’ll have to try again next round. If you’re able to land your bolas on the rungs to end on 21 points, then you automatically win! If both players or teams earn 21 points on the same round, then continue playing overtime rounds until 1 player or team is ahead by 2 or more points. Variation: If you want an even worse penalty, drop your score back down to 11 or 13 if you accidentally go over 21 points. That way, it’ll be more of a challenge to catch back up, but you still there’s still a chance to win.
Strategy
Make sounds or movements to distract your opponent during their toss. It’s perfectly fine to try and psych your opponent out so they miss their shot. As long as you don’t get in the way of their throw or touch them and the bola, you can do anything you want to make them lose focus on the game.
Get your bolas on the same rung or all on separate rungs for bonus points. If you’re able to land all of your bolas on a rung and your opponent doesn’t land any on the same one, you get 1 bonus point for earning a “hat trick.” If you have each of your bolas on a different rung, you also get 1 bonus point for getting a “birdie.” You can earn 10 points at most each round if you get all 3 of your bolas on the top rung.
Aim for your opponent’s bolas to knock them off the rungs. Remember that bolas only count for points if they’re still hanging at the end of the round. During your throw, try to hit the other player’s bola so it slides off the rung. If you’re lucky, your bola might wrap around the rung instead and earn you points.
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