Backyard Games Notes PDF

**[Pickleball]** **How to play pickleball** Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court (20\' x 44\') with a net height of 36\" at the sidelines and 34\" at the center. Each end of the court has a 7' area called the non-volley zone (or "kitchen") where players aren't allowed to hit volleys (a...

**[Pickleball]** **How to play pickleball** Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court (20\' x 44\') with a net height of 36\" at the sidelines and 34\" at the center. Each end of the court has a 7' area called the non-volley zone (or "kitchen") where players aren't allowed to hit volleys (a shot hit out of the air). The sport can be played as singles, but most often played in \"doubles\" (two players on each team).  **Rule \#1: Each rally begins with a serve.** The pickleball game (and each rally) starts with a serve. The player on the right side of their court always starts the serve. You serve diagonally to your opponent:  The person serving can either hit the ball after it bounces or out of the air (a \"volley serve\") and their serve must clear the kitchen (including the line). When hitting a volley serve, it must be hit with an underhand forehand or backhand stroke with contact below the waist. Your paddle must also move in an upward arc when you strike the ball. **Rule \#2: The ball must bounce once on each side before either team can volley.** Before any player can hit a shot out of the air (called a volley), the ball must bounce once on each side (known as the \"two-bounce rule\"). **Rule \#3: Each point continues until a fault.** After the serve, play continues until a rally is won either by someone hitting a winning shot or a \"fault\" is committed. A fault ends the rally. In pickleball, there are four basic fault types: - The serve lands outside of the required service area (including the kitchen). - The ball lands out of bounds (behind the baseline or outside the sideline). - The ball hits the net and falls on your side. - The ball bounces twice on one side before the player can return it. **Rule \#4: You can\'t volley in the kitchen.** The 7-foot zone on each side of the net marks the non-volley zone, or "kitchen". As the name suggests, you can never hit a volley while any part of your body is in the kitchen (or even on the kitchen line). You can't let your momentum carry you into the kitchen after a volley either. That said, you *can* hit the ball if it bounces in the kitchen---just not out of the air. If your opponent hits a short shot landing in the kitchen, you can enter and play it from the kitchen.  **Rule \#5: You only win points on your serve.** In traditional pickleball scoring, you only win points on your serve, and you continue serving until you lose a rally. After winning each point on your serve, you switch sides (left and right) with your partner and serve to the other opponent. When your team loses a point, your teammate begins serving. If your partner loses their serve, a \"side out\" occurs. This means that they\'ve lost their two serves and it\'s now their opponent\'s turn to serve. There is one exception to this rule: This is because the starting team only gets one serve since, they have an advantage of being able to score points first to start the match. **Rule \#7: First team to 11 points wins---but you must win by 2.** Following all the rules above, the game continues until one team gets 11 points. However, they must win by 2. So, if a game is tied 10-10, the next score doesn't end the game. Play continues past 11-10 until one team can win by 2 points. As a result, some games can continue for a very long time. You might see final scores of 12-10, 15-13, or even 21-19. These are often the most fun games. **[Cornhole]** **How to Play Cornhole** Cornhole is played with two or four players attempting to toss cornhole bags into the hole on a cornhole board to score points. **Objective** Be the first team to reach (or exceed) a score of 21 points at the end of an inning of play. **Cornhole Equipment** - **Cornhole Boards:** Standard cornhole boards are 2-ft. x 4-ft. The hole is positioned 9-in. from the top of the board, with a 6-in diameter. - **Cornhole Bags: **Each team has four cornhole bags of contrasting colors. Cornhole bags should be 6-in x 6-in. and weigh approximately 1 pound. **Cornhole board distance** The cornhole boards are placed 27 feet apart from front edge to front edge. **Cornhole Rules** - Cornhole is played with two teams, each consisting of one player (singles) or two players (doubles). - Players pitch their bags in an underhand motion from the pitcher\'s box next to each side of the board. - Players alternate turns tossing their cornhole bags toward the opposite board. - After each team has pitched four bags, players take score, and resume pitching to the opposite board. - The team who scored points in the previous inning goes first in the next inning. If it was tied, the team who went first in the last inning gets to go first again. **Cornhole Scoring** - A cornhole bag that goes through the hole is worth 3 points. - A cornhole bag that lands on the board and stays there is worth 1 point. - A cornhole bag that lands on the ground or bounces onto the board is worth 0 points. **Cancellation Scoring** Only one team can score points per inning. The team with the higher score cancels out the points of the opposing team in that inning. - Points Calculation:** **The team with the higher score in an inning earns the difference in points. For instance, if Team A scores 5 points and Team B scores 2 points in an inning, Team A earns 3 points for that inning. **Winning the Game** The first player or team to reach or exceed 21 points at the conclusion of an inning is the winner. **[Spyder Pong]** **How to play Spyder Pong** Spyder Pong: This game is played with (2) teams, consisting of (2) players per team. Players line up next to their teammate but are free to move anywhere around the net once the ball is put into play. **Spyder Pong Terms** Serve -- A ball struck into the net from Team (A) to Team (B) to commence play. Set -- Volley between teammates to keep play alive or position to spike. Spike -- Aggressive striking maneuver when attempting to score. **Serve it!** Teams should volley for serve to determine who goes first. The serve results from a player on Team A striking the ball overhand into the net for the player on Team B across from them. A "gentlemen's serve" is suggested for normal play, where the ball must be easily returnable. Each point should begin with a serve. **Set it!** A served ball MUST be set to one's partner, as it is illegal to spike a serve. A set is any strike of the ball that allows a volley to ensue. This is to set-up a teammates spike. For any consecutive rallies, the number of sets are optional, up the max of (3) hits total per team per turn. **Spike it!** Once your partner sets the ball to you, you are free to Spike the ball into the net. A good Spike will not be returned by the opponents and will earn you a point. Striking the Rim or a Clip is considered OUT, and results in loss of possession. NOTE -- Teams have 3 hits amongst themselves to get the ball back to the net (the same number of hits allowed as normal volleyball). If they cannot do so, the opposing team is granted a point. No player can hit the ball twice in a row. (sets and spikes are both included when counting hits) **Scoring** Only the team serving the ball can score a point during gameplay. A point is earned if the opposite team is unable to return the ball to the net at any time during gameplay. **Serving** If the team that's serving the ball is the team that's unable to return the ball to the net, the opposing team is granted the following serve. **Winning Spyder Pong** The first team to reach 21 points wins the game. Keep in mind you can only score a point when your team is serving the ball. - Teams must win by 2 points. - Shutout Rule - If a team reaches (9-0) during gameplay, the team with zero points automatically loses. **[Ladder Golf]**  Ladder Golf is played with 1 or 2 players per team. Each player has 3 golf ball bolas. A bola is 2 golf balls attached by a nylon rope. The object of the game is to wrap your bolas around the steps of the ladder. The ladder consists of 3 steps, a top, middle and a bottom step. The ladders are 25' apart from each other. **Scoring** After players have tossed all their bolas, scoring is determined by the bolas that are still hanging from the steps. Players can knock-off bolas during the game, in fact knocking-off other players bolas is encouraged and a good way to play defensively. bolas that are knocked off during play do not count as points. Only bolas that are left hanging after all bolas are tossed are counted as points. **Points** Points are determined by which step your bola wraps around. The top (yellow) step is worth 3 points the middle (green) step is worth 2 points and the bottom (blue) step is only worth 1 point. Players can score an optional bonus of 1 point by hanging all 3 bolas from the same step or by hanging a bola on all 3 (1-2-3) steps in one round. The highest number of points available per player is 10. This is accomplished by hanging all 3 bolas on the top (3 point) step. **Team Play** Four players can play Ladder Golf by alternating play each round. Players simply alternate turns with teammates. With multiple ladders, 2 players on opposite teams would be on one side and the other 2 opposing players would be at the other game ladder. **Winning Ladder Golf** The first team to reach exactly 21 points wins the game. **[Beach Volleyball]** **How to play Beach Volleyball** Beach Volleyball is a sport played by two teams on a sand court divided by a net. A team is composed exclusively of two players. The object of the game is to send the ball over the net and ground it on the opponent's court, while preventing the same effort by the opponent. The team has three hits for returning the ball (including the block touch). The ball is put in play with a service: hit by the server over the net to the opponents. The rally continues until the ball is grounded on the playing court, goes "out," or a team fails to return it properly. In Beach Volleyball, the team that wins a rally scores a point (Rally Point System), and the right to serve. **Winning a set** A set (except the deciding 3rd set) is won by the team which first scores 21 points with a minimum lead of two points. In the case of a 20-20 tie, play is continued until a two-point lead is achieved (22-20; 23-21; etc.). **To win the match** The match is won by the team that wins two sets. In the case of a 1-1 tie, the deciding 3rd set is played to 15 points with a minimum lead of 2 points. **Rule differences from indoor** In Beach volleyball, players cannot use their fingers to tip or push the ball over the net. A short shot close to the net must be either hit softly with a roll shot or hit with the knuckles to be legal. A hard-hit ball or any ball sent over the net with the platform is legal. The court dimensions for the indoor court are 30' x 60', the court dimensions for beach are 26' x 53'.