Ring toss is an outdoor game that has a number of variations. You can play it in the water, on sand or on grass. Ring toss has a skill level from easy to difficult. It is not only fun to play, but it also teaches goal setting and motivation, according to the University of Southern California. Everyone from kids to grandparents can play the game, including people of all fitness levels. It is similar to bocce ball, except with rings.
Players and Teams
You can play ring toss with two to four players. If there are only two players, they compete against each other, with each player using rings of a different color. Each player takes a turn and tosses all of his rings one at a time.
If there are four players, they form two competing teams. Each player takes a turn throwing her rings. When all four players have taken a turn, the points are tallied.
Rings
The rings can be made of anything from metal to plastic. Because the rings are different colors, the individual players can tell which rings are theirs. In some ring toss games, each player gets five rings. In other games, there are only four rings total. In that case, each player gets two rings.
Ring Toss Set Up
One style of ring toss board features a board with pegs placed vertically. Other variations include placing stakes in the dirt or using a wooden box with pegs or a single stake placed vertically in the ground. You can add or remove pegs to increase the difficulty. A simpler version is a board with one peg. You should place the pegboard or stakes 10 to 15 feet from the players. The players should toss the ring from behind a clear line, so everyone has to toss the ring the same distance.
Ring Toss Scoring
Ring toss is played up to 21 points. A ringer is when a ring is thrown onto a peg or stake. Ringers count for three points. If a player gets two rings on the same peg, that is a double ringer and counts for six points. When players do not make any ringers, the ring closest to a peg gets one point. If two players both make ringers on the same peg, they cancel each other and no points are scored.
In the case of a tie, the game continues till the tie is broken.
Variations of Ring Toss
There are many variations of ring toss. You can play it in water with floating pegs and rings. Carnivals have various ring toss games for prizes. These are more difficult and use anything from fishbowls to cutouts as replacements for pegs. Ring toss is portable and can be taken anywhere. You can make it out of just about anything, including ropes and wooden stakes placed in the ground.