Learning the Ropes

The Court

Find a Beach

Stake the Rack into the sand using a back and forth motion while pressing down until the base is firmly embedded in the sand. Make sure the shorter post is facing the thrower.

Form the Scoring Pit by dragging a rope in a circle around the Rack a few times.

Take 7-8 steps (15 feet) from the Rack and stake the second Rack into the sand with the shorter post facing the opposing Rack.

GAMES

Old School Beach Ropes

 2 players or teams.

In one-on one players throw ropes from the same end of the court. In team play, one player from each team throws from opposite ends of the court. All other rules are generally the same for one-on-one and team play.

Each player chooses two weighted Throwing Ropes with matching leather bands. Players then pitch, throw, or toss their ropes in an attempt to reach 21 points first by landing them in the Scoring Pit and encircling the Racks multiple scoring opportunities.

Priority (who goes first) at the start of the game is determined by each player throwing one rope. The highest scoring rope, or closest to the Rack receives Priority. During play, the winner of each Set has Priority in the next Set.

A players feet cannot step past the Rackline (the Rack) when throwing a rope. Doing so cancels out the score for that rope.

Players alternate throwing ropes one at a time until each player has thrown both ropes. Ropes should not be removed from the Scoring Pit until scores are tabulated.

Old School Beach Ropes is played using cancellation scoring(one-on-one and team play) The scores of each player cancel out the scores of their opponent at the end of each Set. The remaining score goes to the winner. Note: only one player can score in each Set. Example, player one scores 4 points, player two scores 3 points, cancel/subtract the 3 points from player two, leaving player one with 1 point for the Set win.

Kook or Duke (40 Ropes)

 1 – many players or teams

 A total points game

Players(teams) stand at opposite ends of the court. Each player throws 4 ropes (any color) in a row then tabulates their total score. Then the next player throws.

Play continues back and forth until all players(teams)  have thrown a total of 40 ropes each (10 Sets of 4). Highest score wins.

Team Play- teams may designate the throwing order and number of ropes thrown by each team member.

There are 160 possible points.

0 – 24 points – Kook

25 – 49 points – Average Joe

50 – 69 points – Pro

70 – 89 points – Master

90 – 109 points – Legend

110 – 160 points – Duke

SCORING

THROWAYAYS, IN THE PIT, & CHEATERS

Any rope that lands outside of the Scoring Pit, or to be exact, beyond one outstretched ropes distance from the Rack, is worth 0 points and is referred to as a Throwaway.

THROWAWAY – 0 Points

Any rope landing within the Scoring Pit, or within one outstretched ropes distance of the Rack is worth 1 In The Pit Point.

IN THE PIT – 1 Point

Any rope that comes to rest touching, but not encircling the Rack is called a Cheater and is worth 2 points.

CHEATER – 2 Points

BANGERS

Any rope that fully encircles the Rack is worth 4 points and is called a Banger.

BANGER – 4 Points

TERMS

Beach Ropes – The best beach game of all time, invented 2017, patent pending

Blown out – Conditions are too extreme to play in – high winds, rain, etc…

Bump – A thrown rope that knocks another rope into, or out of, a scoring opportunity

Burn – A thrown rope that lands on top of an opponents rope, cancelling out the scores

Cancellation Scoring – The scores of each player cancel out the scores of their opponent at the end of each set. The remaining score goes to the winner  – Note: only one player can score in each set. Example: Player one scores 4 points, player two scores 3 points, cancel/subtract the 3 points from player two, leaving player one with 1 point for the set win

Cheater – A thrown rope that comes to rest touching the Rack, but not encircling it

Claim – A celebratory action after a scoring rope is thrown

Clean Up Set – When one player scores 6 points or more in one set, and their opponent scores no points

Hanger – A rope that lands between the posts on the Rack, worth 3 points / AKA – Hooked, In the Curl, Frontside Hanger, Backside Hanger

Lip – The outermost edge of the Scoring Pit

Pit – The scoring area created by dragging a rope in a circle around the Rack

Priority – Who goes first

Banger – A thrown rope that fully encircles the Scoring Rack worth 4 points

Rackline – The imagined foul line created by the Rack

Set – The act of players throwing two ropes each and tabulating the score for those ropes

In the Pit – A rope that lands inside of the Scoring Pit not touching the Rack, worth 1 point

Throwaway – A rope that lands outside of the Scoring Pit / a dead rope worth 0 points

Wash – A tie Set