Set up thegame everyonestays for.
Buying guides for cornhole, bocce, horseshoes, ladder toss, kubb, croquet, roundnet, giant games and backyard play equipment, with official dimensions, distances and the build quality that survives a summer outside.
Pick the game
Tossing games, ball games, net games and backyard play. Every guide includes the official layout so you can set it up right.
Cornhole
Boards, bags and regulation setup
Horseshoes & toss games
Horseshoes, ladder toss, washers and more
Bocce & ball games
Bocce, pétanque, croquet and kubb
Net & yard sports
Roundnet, badminton sets and yard sports
Giant & party games
Giant blocks, yard pong and tailgate games
Trampolines & play
Trampolines, swing sets and playsets
Setup, lighting & storage
Court layouts, lights, scoring and storage
Rules, distances and setup
Plan lawn-game zones around official cornhole, bocce and Kan Jam distances, clear throw lanes and room for players to move.
Compare putting mats, outdoor greens and chipping nets by practice space, maintenance and the kind of golf shots each supports.
Understand how nine-wicket backyard croquet is laid out, when a full-size court fits, which set pieces matter and how casual rules differ from organized play.
- 04
Bocce Ball Sizes and Court Dimensions for Backyard Play
Bocce
- 05
Cornhole Board Dimensions, Distance and Scoring Rules
Cornhole rules
- 06
Cornhole Lights and Scoreboards for Night Play
Lighting and scoring
- 07
Giant Tumbling Tower vs Yard Dice
Giant games
- 08
Horseshoe Pit Dimensions, Pitching Distance and Scoring
Horseshoes
- 09
How to Choose a Croquet Mallet: Length, Weight and Head
Croquet equipment
Backyard Games questions, answered
How much space does a backyard cornhole court need?
The ACO describes a regulation court as 8 feet wide by 40 feet long and places the boards 27 feet apart from front edge to front edge.
Read: Backyard Game Court Layouts and Distances →Is a putting mat or chipping net better for a backyard?
Choose a putting mat for rolling practice in a small area and a chipping net when you have clear room for short airborne shots.
Read: Backyard Putting vs Chipping Games →Is backyard croquet the same as nine-wicket croquet?
The USCA describes nine-wicket croquet as its backyard form. Informal play may use local variations, so agree on the rules before starting.
Read: Backyard vs Nine-Wicket Croquet →What size are regulation bocce balls?
The USBF Open tournament standard is 106 to 107 millimeters in diameter and 900 to 920 grams per ball.
Read: Bocce Ball Sizes and Court Dimensions for Backyard Play →How far apart are cornhole boards?
27 feet from front edge to front edge in regulation play. Many families use 21 feet or less for kids and casual games.
Read: Cornhole Board Dimensions, Distance and Scoring Rules →Do cornhole boards need LED rings for night play?
No. Rings are one way to outline the hole; choose them only if they fit your boards and the rest of the court remains visible.
Read: Cornhole Lights and Scoreboards for Night Play →Built to last outdoors
We check sets against official dimensions and weights, and say plainly when a set is sized for casual play.
Each guide says who the set suits, who should look elsewhere, and what to check before you buy.
Brands cannot buy a review or a spot on a list. Partner codes save you money; they never decide what we recommend.
Prices are dated, codes are updated across the site at once, and pages are revised when a product, standard or rule changes.
The backyard games index
- 01CornholeRegulation and tailgate cornhole boards, bags by fill and speed, custom boards, lighting and court layout.4 pages
- 02Horseshoes & toss gamesHorseshoes, ladder toss, washers, Kan Jam-style disc games, ring toss and safe lawn darts.6 pages
- 03Bocce & ball gamesBocce and pétanque sets, croquet, kubb, lawn bowls-style games and court building.6 pages
- 04Net & yard sportsRoundnet, combination badminton and volleyball sets, tetherball, soccer and football yard games.4 pages
- 05Giant & party gamesGiant tumbling blocks, yard dice, giant connect-four style games, yard pong and tailgate party games.2 pages
- 06Trampolines & playTrampolines and enclosures, swing sets, wooden and metal playsets, slides, ninja lines and climbing.5 pages
- 07Setup, lighting & storageCourt and pit layouts, night-play lighting, scoreboards, tournament brackets, weatherproof storage and care.3 pages