The published specs
Side by side
| Kan Jam | Ladder toss | |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | About 60 x 20 ft (about 1,200 sq ft) | About 20 x 8 ft (about 160 sq ft) |
| Core distance | Goals 50 ft apart | Toss distance 15 ft |
| Players | Exactly 4 (2 v 2) | 2 or 4 |
| Projectile | Flying disc | Bola — two real golf balls on a cord |
| Scoring | 1 deflection, 2 direct hit, 3 into the goal; instant win through the slot | 3 top rung, 2 middle, 1 bottom |
| Winning score | Exactly 21 | Exactly 21 |
| Partial credit | Yes — a deflection scores | Yes — any rung scores |
| Wind | Poor — a disc over 50 ft | Largely unaffected |
| Ground requirement | None | None |
| Packs down | Goals nest into one object | Nylon carrying case |
| Governing body | Manufacturer published rules | None — conventions vary |
Space
The seven-times gap
About 1,200 square feet against about 160 is the widest footprint gap between any two games in the same family on this site. It is the entire decision for most yards.
What is worth understanding is that both are corridors rather than areas. Kan Jam is a 60-foot lane with about 20 feet of width because the disc drifts; ladder toss is a 20-foot lane about 8 feet wide. Neither needs the open square that Spikeball does.
So the question is simply how long your longest clear run is. An adult pace is about two and a half feet: eight paces gets ladder toss in, twenty-four gets Kan Jam. If your yard is a strip down the side of a house, both fit the shape and only one fits the length — see games for side yards and narrow strips.
The games themselves
Two scoring systems worth stealing
Both finish on exactly 21, which is what turns the last two points of a game from a formality into the hardest part of it. Beyond that they solve different problems.
Ladder toss gives partial credit. Aim for the top rung, catch the bottom one, still score. That single property is the best predictor of whether a beginner keeps playing anything, and it is why ladder toss is our standing recommendation as a first purchase — see best yard games for beginners.
Kan Jam has an instant win. A disc sent through the slot ends the game regardless of score, which means a pair losing 20 to 4 is still in it. Nothing else on this site does that, and it is the reason a Kan Jam game rarely feels decided. The full comparison of scoring families is in yard game scoring systems.
Decision
Pick Kan Jam if…
- You have 60 feet of clear run and reliably four players.
- Your yard is sheltered rather than exposed.
- You want the faster, more athletic game.
- You are carrying it somewhere — the goals nest into one object.
Full page: Kan Jam. Rules: Kan Jam rules.
Pick ladder toss if…
- Your clear run is under about 30 feet.
- Numbers vary between two and four.
- The yard is windy.
- Guests should be scoring within a minute of picking it up.
Full page: ladder toss. Against the other first-purchase candidate, cornhole vs ladder toss.
The other side
Where to buy the other one
The card at the top of this page covers one side of the comparison. This is our current pick for the other, ranked on published specifications rather than on play we have not done.
Best overall
Kan Jam Original Disc Game Set
Kan Jam
Two goals and a disc, played at a published 50 ft, with a scoring system that only works because one player deflects for the other — the most genuinely cooperative game on this site.
Skip this if
Skip this if you have an odd number of players who all want to throw. Kan Jam is built around pairs and does not adapt to three.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
Which needs more space, Kan Jam or ladder toss?
Which takes more players?
Which is better in wind?
Which scores better?
Why you can check our work
We have not played these. Every figure above is copied from a manufacturer's published listing or a governing body's published rules, and named so you can verify it. Where a maker publishes nothing, the field is blank rather than filled in. How we pick explains the whole method, including what would change a recommendation.
Read next
Related pages
Picks
Compare yard games
Twenty-one head-to-heads with the verdict first and the published specs behind it.
Picks
Kan Jam
Goals 50 feet apart, exactly four players, exactly 21 to win — and the deflection rule that makes it work.
Picks
Ladder toss
Roughly 20 by 8 feet, a 15-foot toss line and exactly 21 to win — the game for yards cornhole cannot fit.
Comparison
Cornhole vs Kan Jam
The 33-foot court everyone can join against the 60-foot corridor for exactly four.
Picks
Yard games for side yards and narrow strips
Long and thin is a shape, not a size — the games that fit a corridor of lawn.
Guide
Yard game scoring systems compared
Cancellation, exact-21, exact-50 and rally scoring, and which keeps a game close.
Sources
Every figure on this page is copied from one of these sources. If you find one that is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.