Lucky you, the rules to backyard horseshoes are far looser than competitive horseshoes – just mix a pitcher of margaritas and follow these simple guidelines for a great Indian Summer evening.

-  Stakes should be 40 feet apart.

- Pitching line is within 3 feet of the player’s stake.

- Play to 21 points; the first person to 21 wins!

-  Play heads or tails to decide who goes first by flipping a horseshoe in the air.  If the horseshoe lands cleats side up it’s heads.

- Scoring goes like this:
Ringer = 5 points
Leaner = 3 points
Closest shoe within a horseshoe width from the stake = 1 point

Different Scoring Scenarios:
Player 1 and Player 2 both get a ringer = 0 Points
Player 1 gets 2 ringers and Player 2 only gets 1 ringer = 5 Points for Player 1
Player 1 has a ringer and Player 2 has a ringer that is closest to the stake = 5 Points for Player 1; 0 Points for Player 2

- The player that doesn’t score goes first. If no one scores, whoever went first during the last pitch goes first again.

- Watch out for wild horseshoe pitches!

Many consider horseshoes to be the Bocce Ball of the Americas, and while it’s not an actual drinking game, it does pair beautifully with your favorite drink.  We sure hope you get the chance to play while Summer’s still here!