Yard Pong Rules
- Players
- 2 to 4 players, 1 or 2 per side
- Ages
- All ages for the toss game itself
- Setup time
- Under 5 min
- Space
- About 10 to 24 ft between the two bucket rows
What you need
- Two matching sets of buckets, often 6 or 10 per side
- Two or more balls sized for the buckets (the larger the ball, the bigger the buckets)
- A flat stretch of lawn with room to set both bucket rows apart
- Optional: a little water in each bucket to keep them from tipping in the wind
Set it up
Giant yard pong is commonly played with the two bucket rows set about 10 to 24 feet apart. Pick a distance that matches your space and skill level, then keep it the same for both teams.
Scoring
- Remove a target bucket when a ball lands in it. Clearing every opposing bucket wins after any agreed redemption opportunity has been resolved.
- Re-rack the remaining buckets into a tighter shape at agreed milestones, often when a side is down to a set number of buckets.
- Choose whether to use redemption before play, including the number of reply shots and overtime setup. Do not declare the winner until that agreed reply is complete.
- If both players on a team land balls in the same bucket on the same turn, many house rules award a bonus pull of an extra bucket.
How to play
- Arrange the buckets. Set up a triangle or rows of buckets at each end, with matching counts on both sides (6 or 10 buckets is common). Space the two formations apart by your chosen distance.
- Pick teams and decide who throws first. Split into two sides, one or two players each. A quick coin flip or eye-to-eye shoot-out decides which team tosses first.
- Take turns tossing. Each team throws their balls toward the opposite buckets, trying to land one inside. In a two-person team, both players usually get a throw each turn.
- Pull every bucket you make. When a ball lands in a bucket, that bucket is removed from the other team's setup. Fewer buckets means a tougher target as the game goes on.
- Re-rack when buckets get low. At agreed points, such as when a side is down to a few buckets, the buckets get re-arranged into a tighter formation so play stays fun and competitive.
- Clear all buckets to win. Clear the opposing buckets, then resolve any redemption rule agreed before play. If redemption is enabled, give the other team its agreed chance to clear its remaining targets; a successful reply sends the game to the agreed overtime format.