Lawn Game Court Dimensions Reference
The regulation footprint, total space needed once you add real-world run-off, minimum playable size, and how scoring and team sizes work — for every game this site covers, in one table. Every number below comes from the same functions behind the Court & Pitch Dimensions Calculator, Cornhole Score Calculator, and Throw Distance Calculator — not a separately typed-in table.
Game-by-game reference
| Game | Regulation area | Total incl. run-off | Minimum playable | Scoring | Players per side |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornhole | 27 × 6 ft | 33 × 10 ft | 13.5 × 3 ft (50%) | cancellation scoring, race to 21 | 1v1 or 2v2 |
| Bocce | 60 × 12 ft | 66 × 16 ft | 24 × 4.8 ft (40%) | closest-ball proximity, 1 point per ball closer than the opponent's best | 1v1 up to 4-a-side |
| Horseshoes | 40 × 10 ft | 52 × 20 ft | 20 × 5 ft (50%) | ringer = 3, in-count shoe (≤ 6 in.) = 1, two scoring methods in use | 1v1 or 2v2 |
| Croquet (6-wicket) | 100 × 50 ft | 104 × 54 ft | 30 × 15 ft (30%) | clear every wicket in order, then hit the finishing stake | 2, 3, 4, or 6 (1 or 2 balls each) |
"Total incl. run-off" adds this site's own recommended standing, retrieval, and safety clearance around the regulation footprint — it's practical planning guidance, not an official rule. "Minimum playable" is the smallest size this site's calculator still treats as a real game rather than marking "too small."
Will it fit in your garden?
That's the question this table exists to answer at a glance. Cornhole is the most forgiving of the four by a wide margin — its regulation footprint is smaller than the other three games' minimum-playable sizes. Croquet is the opposite case: even scaled down to its minimum, a playable nine-wicket layout still needs more room than a full-size cornhole lane. If your available space falls between a game's "minimum playable" and "total incl. run-off" figures, it'll fit at a scaled-down size — run your exact yard dimensions through the Court & Pitch Dimensions Calculator to see precisely how much scaling that means, in both possible orientations.
Cornhole's scoring numbers in the table above — 3 points for a bag in the hole, 1 point for a bag on the board — are read directly from this site's own scoring function, not typed in separately, so they'll never drift out of sync with what the Cornhole Score Calculator actually computes.
From regulation distance to an actual throw
Cornhole and horseshoes are both pitched through the air across nearly their full regulation distance, so it's worth knowing roughly what that takes. Using this site's idealized (no air resistance) throw-distance physics at a 45-degree release from ground level: covering cornhole's 27-foot board-to-board distance takes a release speed of about 20 mph. Covering horseshoes' full 40-foot stake-to-stake distance takes about 24.5 mph, or about 23.5 mph accounting for the foul line sitting 3 feet in front of the stake (so the shoe is realistically covering closer to 37 feet in the air).
These are idealized physics numbers, not a substitute for practice — a real bag or shoe has drag, spin, and shape this model doesn't capture, so treat them as a way to understand how speed and distance relate, not a literal target to hit. See the Throw Distance Calculator to run your own speed, angle, and release height, or the full write-ups linked below for more on how each game's distance and scoring actually work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do the "total footprint" numbers come from?
The regulation length and width for each game come directly from this site's own court-planning calculator. The extra run-off room added around that footprint is this site's own practical recommendation for standing, retrieval, and safety clearance — not an official rule from any governing body — and the exact amount differs by game (horseshoes gets the most, since a pitched shoe needs more backstop and side clearance than a cornhole bag does).
Is the "regulation playing area" the same everywhere?
Not always. Cornhole and horseshoes have widely-agreed regulation distances. Bocce genuinely varies by governing body — sanctioned courts commonly run longer than the backyard-friendly baseline shown here — and some association croquet rules use a different large-court shape than the one shown. Where a game's dimensions vary by organization, the linked guide for that game explains the range.
What does "minimum playable" mean?
It's the smallest size this site's court calculator will still call genuinely playable for that game, expressed as a fraction of the regulation footprint (shown as the scale in the table). Below that size, a court is marked "too small" rather than just quietly shrunk further, because a court that cramped stops rewarding the game's actual skill of distance and aim.
Why does the throw-speed figure only appear for cornhole and horseshoes?
Cornhole and horseshoes are pitched through the air across (close to) their full regulation distance, so this site's projectile-motion model has something real to say about them. Bocce is rolled or lobbed rather than pitched the length of the court, and croquet is struck with a mallet rather than thrown — applying an airborne-throw model to either would misrepresent how the game is actually played, so this page doesn't force one.
General planning guidance only — leagues, clubs, and equipment manufacturers vary their exact dimensions and scoring conventions, so confirm the rules that apply to your specific set or tournament before you lay out lines permanently.
Use it with
- Court & Pitch Dimensions Calculator — check your own yard's exact length and width against every game's footprint, in both orientations.
- Cornhole Score Calculator — keep a real running score using the same cancellation logic behind this page's point values.
- Throw Distance Calculator — run your own release speed, angle, and height for cornhole or horseshoes.
- Planning Yard Space for Cornhole, Bocce, Horseshoes, and Croquet — the guide version of this page's numbers, with worked examples for real yard sizes.
- Bocce Court Dimensions: What "Regulation" Actually Means — the full honest range behind bocce's row in the table above.