The short answer
Quick picks
Ranked on published specs, not on play we have not done. Tap any row to jump to the full write-up further down this page.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Yard Games Ladder Toss (Double Wooden Ladder Ball) A finished wood frame with real golf-ball bolas and a nylon case — the version that does not rattle apart the way tube-and-plastic ladder sets do. | Best overall | 7.8/10 | $65.99 · View on Amazon Price as of October 19, 2026. #ad How we make money |
| 2 | No photo GoSports Classic Ladder Toss Game Set Two PVC-framed targets with built-in score trackers, six rubber bolos and a backpack-style case, with setup published at under two minutes. | Best PVC set | 6.8/10 |
The short answer: set the toss line 15 feet from the target ladder, allow about 20 by 8 feet of ground in total, and expect the ladder itself to be roughly three feet tall with three rungs — because that is convention, not regulation. Ladder toss has no governing body, and the makers who sell it mostly do not publish a frame measurement.
If you want the scoring instead, that is on ladder toss rules. This page is the measurements: what is agreed, what varies, and what you need if you are building one.
Convention, not regulation
The figures that are agreed
| Measurement | Published figure | How firm it is |
|---|---|---|
| Toss line to target ladder | 15 ft | Universal across published rule sets |
| Practical shortcut | Five paces from the ladder | Published alongside the 15 ft figure |
| Rungs per ladder | 3 | Universal; every set sold has three |
| Rung values | 3 top, 2 middle, 1 bottom | Universal |
| Bolas per player | 3 | Universal |
| Target score | Exactly 21 | Universal |
| Ladder height | Not published by the sets we rank | Varies |
| Ladder width | Not published by the sets we rank | Varies |
| Rung spacing | Not published by the sets we rank | Varies |
| Bola cord length | Not published by the sets we rank | Varies |
The split in that table is the whole point. The game is standardised — 15 feet, three rungs, 3-2-1, exactly 21 — and the equipment is not. Two sets at the same price can have visibly different ladders and nobody is breaking a rule.
Set by set
What the two sets we rank actually publish
| Yard Games wooden set | GoSports classic set | |
|---|---|---|
| Frame material | Finished wood | PVC tubing |
| Frame thickness claim | Not published | Stated 50% thicker than the leading economy set |
| Target dimensions | Not published | Not published |
| Bolas | 6, real golf balls | 6 rubber bolos |
| Bola weight | Not published | Not published |
| Score tracking | Not published | Built-in score trackers on the targets |
| Assembly time | Not published | Stated under 2 minutes |
| Carry | Durable nylon carrying case | Backpack style carrying case |
| Set weight | Not published | Not published |
Two blanks matter more than the rest. Set weight is the number that tells you whether a ladder stays upright in a breeze, and neither maker publishes it — which is why the wood-versus-PVC question gets its own page in wood vs PVC ladder toss. Bola weight is what decides whether a bola wraps a rung or bounces off it, and the only signal you get is the material: real golf balls have mass, rubber bolos do not.
PVC and timber
If you are building one
The most common follow-up to this query is the PVC build, so: the dimensions you need are not published anywhere official, and you should copy a set rather than invent a frame. Three things decide whether a home-built ladder plays properly.
- Rung spacing has to clear a wrapped bola. Two balls on a cord need room to swing round a rung and settle without fouling the rung below. If the rungs are too close, bolas that should score bounce out.
- The base has to be wider than the ladder is tall. This is the failure every PVC build shares: a light frame with a narrow foot goes over backwards the first time a bola hits the top rung hard.
- Weight it, or stake it. Filling the base tubes with sand is the standard fix and the reason commercial PVC sets feel flimsy by comparison — they ship empty so they pack down.
Whatever you build, keep the toss line at 15 feet. Change the ladder and you have a different-looking game; change the distance and the 3-2-1 scoring stops working, because the whole balance of the game assumes the top rung is hard to reach.
Space in context
How the footprint compares
At about 20 by 8 feet — roughly 160 square feet — ladder toss is one of the two or three smallest games on this site. It fits in a side yard, on a driveway and in most garages. Every other footprint on the site is in one table on how much space do yard games need, and the narrow-strip case is covered in side yards and narrow strips.
The picks in full
Every pick, with its published specs
Best overall
Yard Games Ladder Toss (Double Wooden Ladder Ball)
Yard Games
Our spec score
7.8/10
- Spec completeness
- 6/10
- Footprint clarity
- 8/10
- Durability
- 8/10
- Pack-down
- 8/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
A finished wood frame with real golf-ball bolas and a nylon case — the version that does not rattle apart the way tube-and-plastic ladder sets do.
Skip this if
Skip this if you need the set to stand up in wind. A wooden ladder frame has a big sail area and no ground stakes.
What works
- Golf-ball bolas have real mass, so they wrap a rung instead of bouncing off
- Wood frame stays rigid where PVC flexes and drops the top rung
- About 160 sq ft of lawn — one of the smallest footprints on the site
What does not
- No published weight or packed dimensions
- Wooden ladders blow over in a breeze
Published specifications
- Footprint
- About 20 ft x 8 ft (about 160 sq ft)
- Toss distance
- 15 ft
- Scoring
- 3 top rung, 2 middle, 1 bottom; first to exactly 21
- Bolas
- 6, real golf balls
- Frame
- Finished wood
- Case
- Durable nylon carrying case
- Players
- 2 or 4
- Set weight
- —
Source: Derived from the commonly published 15 ft toss line plus a ladder and standing room at each end
Source: Commonly published ladder toss rules
Source: Commonly published ladder toss rules
Source: Yard Games product listing
Source: Yard Games product listing
Source: Yard Games product listing
Source: Commonly published ladder toss rules
Not published by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer listing: Yard Games product listing
Price as of October 19, 2026. #ad How we make money
Best PVC set
GoSports Classic Ladder Toss Game Set
GoSports
Our spec score
6.8/10
- Spec completeness
- 4/10
- Footprint clarity
- 3/10
- Durability
- 5/10
- Pack-down
- 10/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
Two PVC-framed targets with built-in score trackers, six rubber bolos and a backpack-style case, with setup published at under two minutes.
Skip this if
Skip this if wind is your problem. A PVC ladder is the lightest frame in the category and GoSports publishes no weight for it, which is exactly the combination that ends up flat on the lawn on a gusty afternoon.
What works
- Built-in score trackers on the targets, which removes the single most common ladder toss argument
- Backpack-style case rather than a holdall — this is the most carryable game on the site after disc golf
- Rubber bolos are the right call for hard surfaces and for children
- Under two minutes to set up, published, and it folds down as fast
What does not
- '50% thicker than the leading economy set' is a relative claim with no absolute wall thickness behind it
- No published weight, and weight is what decides whether a ladder stays upright in wind
- Rubber bolos do not wrap a rung the way golf-ball bolos do, so the game is easier and less satisfying
Published specifications
- Targets
- 2, with built-in score trackers
- Frame
- PVC tubing, stated 50% thicker than the leading economy set
- Bolos
- 6 rubber
- Carry
- Backpack style carrying case
- Assembly
- Stated under 2 minutes
- PVC wall thickness
- —
- Target dimensions
- —
- Set weight
- —
- Toss distance
- —
- Bolo weight
- —
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer listing: GoSports product listing
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
How far apart should ladder toss ladders be?
What are the dimensions of a ladder toss ladder?
How much space does ladder toss need?
What size are the bolas?
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
Ladder toss
Roughly 20 by 8 feet, a 15-foot toss line and exactly 21 to win — the game for yards cornhole cannot fit.
Guide
Ladder toss rules
Rung values, the 15-foot line and the exactly-21 finish — with the common house variants.
Comparison
Wood vs PVC ladder toss
Rigidity vs pack-down — the frame decides whether the three-point rung stays where you aimed.
Guide
How much space do yard games need?
Every game's published footprint, longest run and player count in one sourced table.
Comparison
Horseshoes vs ladder toss
A built clay pit and 48 feet against a 20-foot game that lives in a nylon bag.
Picks
Yard game guides
Rules, regulation dimensions, materials and storage — sourced from governing bodies and makers.
Sources
- CSU Channel Islands recreation — ladder golf rules
- Yard Games ladder toss — published specification
- GoSports classic ladder toss — published specification
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.