The Backyard Series
The Backyard Series offers 3 fun, classic, known and loved backyard style type sports and games. Each offering has simple rules and you do not need a team to join! This fall's Backyard Series includes Bocce Ball, Horseshoes and Badminton.
The Backyard Series will be run in an open-gym style every Wednesday evening from 5:00pm to 7:30pm outside, on one of our many campus fields. Drop in to get active, involved and social with fellow Thunderwolves!
Scroll to read about each of the games in the series.
Bocce Ball
Bocce is played with eight large balls and one smaller target or object ball called a pallina. There are four balls per team and they are made of a different color or pattern to distinguish the balls of one team from those of the other team.
Teams: The game is played with two teams, with each team having one, two, or four players. For four player teams, each player throws one ball. For two player teams, each player throws two balls. For one player teams, each player throws four balls. When there are multiple players on a team, a playing rotation is determined at the start of a game and is maintained throughout the entire game.
Rules of Play:
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A game begins with the toss of a coin. The team that wins the coin toss can choose to either have first toss of the pallina or the color of the balls they will use.
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To start a game, the pallina is rolled or tossed by a member of the team having won the coin toss. A player can toss the pallina any distance as long as it passes the center line of the court and stays within the boundaries of the court. If the player fails to toss the ball properly into play, a member of the opposing team will toss the ball into play.
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The player tossing the pallina must deliver the first ball. If the ball lands outside of the boundaries of the court, that team must roll again until the first ball is put into play. Otherwise, that player steps aside and the opposing team will then deliver their balls until one of its Bocce balls is closer to the pallina or has thrown all its balls.
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The "nearest ball" rule governs the sequence of thrown balls. The side whose ball is closest to the pallina is called the "in" ball and the opposing side the "out" ball. Whenever a team gets "in", it steps aside and allows the "out" team to deliver. The other team throws until it gets its ball closer (not ties) to the pallina. This continues until both teams have thrown all their Bocce balls.
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After both teams have thrown all their balls, a frame is over and points are awarded.
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The game resumes by teams throwing from the opposite end of the court. The team that was awarded points in the previous frame begins the next frame by tossing the pallina into play.
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All balls must be thrown underhanded. A team has the option of rolling, tossing, bouncing, etc. its ball down the court provided it does not go outside the boundaries of the court or the player does not violate the foul line. The foul line is used to deliver all balls down the court with the intent of getting a ball closer to the pallina, knocking the opponent's ball away from the pallina, or hitting the pallina so that it ends up closer to your team's ball.
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If the pallina is knocked outside the boundaries of the court during play, the frame ends with no points awarded and a new frame is started.
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At the end of each frame, points will be awarded. Only one team scores in a frame. One point is awarded for each ball that is closer to the pallina than the closest ball of the opposing team. In the event that the closest ball of each team is the same distance from the pallina, no points will be awarded and the pallina returns to the team that delivered it.
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Games are played to 16 points with the first team reaching 16 points being the winner of a game.
Horseshoes 
The game is played by pitching horseshoes toward a metal stake. Points are scored for shoes landing closest to the stake.
Teams: Horseshoes can be played by two opposing individual players (singles) or teams of two (doubles).
Rules of Play:
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In singles play, each player pitches two horseshoes. In doubles play, each player pitches one horseshoe.
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A pitcher's opponent must stand behind the person in action and may not interfere with the pitch in any way.
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The shoe nearest to the stake scores one point. If both shoes from one team are closer to the stake than either of the opponents shoes, the team closest to the stake scores two points.
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A ringer (shoe which encircles stake) earns 3 points.
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All shoes equally distant from the stake count as ties and no points are scored.
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A leaning shoe (leaning on the stake) has the same value as that of a shoe lying on the ground.
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Shoes thrown when a foul has been committed are considered shoes pitched: however, they may not receive any point value. Fouls may be assessed for the following:
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Illegal delivery of shoe.
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Failure of the opponent to stay behind the pitcher, or his/ her interfering in any way with the opponent while he is in the act of pitching.
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Touching thrown shoes before a measurement has been made.
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Stepping on or over the foul line.
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The winner is the player or team who first scores 21 points.
Badminton
Badminton is a game similar to tennis, however it is played with a shuttlecock (or birdie). The aim is to hit the shuttlecock with your racquet, over the net, to the opposing team and continue to rally until the shuttlecock hits the ground, signifying a point being earned.
Teams: A badminton match can be played by two opposing individual players (singles) or teams of two (doubles).
Rules of Play:
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A traditional match consists of the best of 3 games of 21 points.
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To begin the game, the serving team or individual must serve the shuttlecock diagonally over the net and across the court. A badminton serve must be hit underarm and below the server's waist height with the racquet shaft pointing downwards, the shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce.
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Teams must hit the shuttlecock back and forth across the court to the opposing team, hitting the shuttlecock only once before passing it over the net to the opposing team.
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A player is not able to touch the net with any part of their body or racket.
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A player is not able to hit the shuttlecock twice.
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A point is scored when the shuttlecock lands inside the opponent's court or if a returned shuttlecock hits the net or lands outside of the court the player will lose the point.
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After a point is won, the players will move to the opposite serving stations for the next point.
NOTE: The Backyard Series is completely recreational in nature, therefore, it is not necessary to keep score or report scores to staff.
