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Games to Play While Tailgating

Tailgating is an American tradition. Whether it is for a baseball game in the heat of July or a football game in the dead of winter, sports fans love the excuse to grill food and drink beer, all from the comfort of the back of their car. It is an opportunity to bring fans together and get them excited before the big game. Many diehard tailgaters will come hours before the game to get a good spot, which means you need plenty of fun games to provide hours of entertainment.

Cornhole
- Cornhole is a popular tailgating diversion that involves two wooden boards and a set of bean bags. Sets can be purchased, but many people prefer designing their own cornhole boards. The regulation size of a cornhole board is 24 inches by 48 inches. One end of the board is raised a foot off the ground, while the other end is about 2.5 inches off the ground. They are raised with supports. A 6 inch circle is cut out toward the top end, just big enough that a bean bag can fit through it. The boards are placed about 30 feet apart, and two people stand at the far end of each board. Each team has two members, one member standing at each of the boards. Teams then take turns tossing bean bags and attempt to get them into the hole. Different points are awarded for landing on the board and for making it into the hole.
Beer Pong
- Beer pong is another traditional tailgating game that is also popular among college students. The game is played on a table, usually about the size of a regulation ping pong table. Six cups are set up at either end of the table in a triangular formation, with the triangle pointing in toward the center of the table. Cups are then filled about halfway with beer. Two-person teams stand at either end of the table. Each player gets a chance to try to toss a ping pong ball into one of the cups on the other side of the table. When a player makes a shot into a cup, one of the players on the opposite team is required to drink the beer in that cup and then place it aside. When one team loses all of their cups, they lose the game and typically have to drink any remaining cups on the opponents' side. The rules of the game vary from person to person and is usually played by the rules of the person hosting the party.
Ladder Golf
- Another fun tailgating game goes by several different names. Some call it Ladder Golf, Turkey Balls or Golf Shoes, and a variety of dozens of other names. The game consists of two ladderlike contraptions. They are basically frames made out of metal or PVC pipe that have three rungs at different heights. The goal is to throw bolos, which are two golf balls attached with a length of rope, at the ladder and attempt to get the bolo to hook around one of the rungs. Usually, the top rung is worth three points, the middle is worth two and the bottom is worth one. The game is played until 21 points are scored, and that number has to be met exactly.

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