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Alabama Horseshoe Rules & Regulations

The game of horseshoes dates as far back as the Roman Empire, when Roman soldiers played horseshoes during their idle hours. Speculation is that horseshoes evolved even earlier from quoits, a similar game played with metal rings instead of horseshoes. Quoits is thought to have originated as a modified version of discus throwing in pre-Christian Greece. The game of horseshoes made its way to England by the 14th century and from there to America.

Alabama Rules
- Alabama rules for backyard horseshoes vary from town to town and even from backyard to backyard. Still, serious pitchers play by a strict, codified set of rules. The Alabama Horseshoe Pitchers Association (AHPA), the University of Alabama Rules for Intramural Horseshoes and the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America (NHPA) have their own versions of these rules. But the differences between the rules are minimal.
  
  Article X of the AHPA's constitution and bylaws states that except for rules set by the AHPA, the rules of the game will be governed by the NHPA. Rules mentioned by the AHPA specify the length of games and a few association-specific rules.
Player Conduct
- The NHPA and the University of Alabama rules specifically address the issue of a player distracting other players by talking or making other noises. The university rules say that a foul will be called if this rule is violated. The NHPA doesn't mention a foul in that situation but states that all participants should maintain a friendly and civil attitude toward each other and that tactical disruptions of the game are frowned upon.
The Court
- One ringer scores 3 points under Alabama rules.
  
  Neither the university nor the AHPA rules deal with the dimensions of the court. The NHPA states that the distance between the stakes should be 40 ft. The stakes should be 36 inches long, with 22 inches driven into the ground. The 14-inch portion of the stake above ground should be at a 12°-angle from vertical, slanted toward the opposite stake. The ground should be level.
Scoring
- A ringer is scored when a horseshoe lands with the stake in the middle so that a straight edge can touch the shoe's heel calks without touching the stake. Each ringer scores 3 points, but a ringer by the opponent can cancel it. For instance, if one player scores two ringers and his opponent scores one, the first player receives only 3 points. The horseshoe closest to the stake scores 1 point, and if both shoes are closer, they are worth 2 points. A shoe that is leaning against the stake is treated the same as a shoe flat on the ground for scoring purposes. An opponent's shoe may knock a shoe out of scoring position.
  
  AHPA rules state that except for special circumstances, all games will be 50 shoes, meaning 50 shoes will be pitched during the game.

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