free printable
Horseshoes Rules Card
A one-page horseshoes rules card: how to play, how to score, and how to set it up. Hit print, fold it, and keep it with your set. Want the full walkthrough? See the Horseshoes rules.
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rules card Horseshoes
Players2 (singles) or 4 (doubles)
AgesDepends on the set
Setup5–15 min on a prepared court
SpaceOfficial court: 6 × 46 ft, plus clear space
What you need
- Four pitching horseshoes, two per side with distinct colors or markings
- Two securely mounted stakes; NHPA court stakes are 1 inch in diameter
- Two maintained landing pits of clay, sand or another suitable loose material
- A tape measure for stake spacing, foul lines and close-shoe scoring
- A level, clear outdoor area with everyone out of the throwing lane
Set it up
Keep stake spacing separate from the foul line. NHPA stakes stay 40 ft apart; full-distance pitchers observe a 37-ft foul line, many eligible divisions use 27 ft, and Cadets use 20 ft. A backyard group may agree on a shorter court, but that is a house variation.
Scoring
- A ringer completely encircles the stake: a straightedge across the open tips clears the stake. Each uncancelled ringer earns 3 points.
- Cancellation: match opposing ringers one for one and remove their point value. Only one side can score in an inning.
- No live ringers: the closest shoe within 6 inches scores 1. If the same side also has the second-closest shoe in count, it scores 2.
- One live ringer: score 3, plus 1 if that side’s other shoe is the closest non-ringer within 6 inches. That is 4, not 3 minus the opponent’s close shoe.
- Two live ringers by one side earn 6. Two ringers against one earn 3 after one pair cancels.
- One ringer each: those ringers cancel, but compare the two remaining shoes. A closer shoe within 6 inches can still earn 1.
- A leaner is a close shoe, with no extra point value. Opposing close shoes at equal distance cancel; compare any remaining close shoe. Shoes beyond 6 inches and foul shoes score 0.
How to play
- Set up the court. For an NHPA court, space the stakes 40 ft apart, measured from the front of each stake at pitching-platform level. Expose 14–15 inches of stake above that level, with a 3-inch lean toward the other end. Prepare the landing pits before play.
- Agree on the format. Choose cancellation or count-all scoring and a finishing rule. For a casual game, first to reach or pass 21 after a complete inning works well. Toss a coin to choose who pitches first.
- Pitch both shoes. Each opponent pitches two shoes at the same target. Use the platform beside the pit and keep behind your foul line when releasing. Full-distance play uses the 37-ft foul line; eligible shorter-distance divisions use other lines, not closer stakes.
- Score the inning. After all four shoes land, approach together. Agree on ringers and measure close shoes before moving anything. Record the points earned this inning and each side’s running total.
- Pitch back the other way. In singles, both players walk to the other end and pitch back. With cancellation scoring, the side that scored pitches first next inning; after a scoreless inning, keep the same order. In regular doubles, teammates occupy opposite ends and take turns pitching.
- Finish on the agreed rule. Complete the inning before declaring a winner. NHPA events may use a point limit, an even shoe limit, or both; the rulebook suggests 40 points for point-limit games. Follow the event’s tie-breaking rules, or agree your backyard tie-break before starting.