Apostolic Lighthouse Church Horseshoe Rules

 

1. Innings - The game is divided into innings.  Each inning consists of four (4) pitched shoes; two (2) by each team.

2.  A game consists of 20 innings.  The team with the most points at the end of 20 innings is declared the winner.

3. The team listed on the top of the matrix pitches first. The team who scores pitches first in all additional innings.  If no one scores in an inning, the team who pitched first in that inning continues to pitch first until someone scores.

4. All contestants must pitch from behind the “foul line”. The “foul line” for men is the front of the pit.  The “foul line” for women is 10’ in front of the pit (foul line will be marked prior to the start of a game).

5. The contestant pitching first shall deliver both shoes (underhanded, and one at a time) and then the other contestant shall deliver both shoes.  They may be delivered from either the right or the left of the pit, but both shoes must be delivered from the same side in any one inning.

6. After all shoes for the inning have been pitched, they are either considered to be “live shoes” or “dead shoes” and then may be scored accordingly.

7. A “live shoe” is any shoe that has been pitched in compliance with the rules and that comes to rest within the pit area.  A “dead shoe” is a shoe that was delivered in non-compliance with one of the rules, any shoe that comes to rest outside the pit area, or it may refer to a “ringer” that has been cancelled out by an opponent’s ringer (opponent scores a ringer on top of your ringer).

8. Scoring - Only one (1) team scores per inning.  The team with the closet scoring “live shoe” scores the point value of either the one (1) shoe, or both shoes if they are both within a shoe width (6”) or closer and there is not an opponent’s “live shoe” closer to the stake. A ringer is a “live shoe” that comes to rest while encircling the stake (the tip of the shoe completely passes the stake).  A ringer scores 3 points.  A “live shoe” that is not a ringer, but comes to rest within a shoe width (6”) or closer to the stake, has a value of 1 point.  This includes a “leaner”.

9. Once all four (4) shoes of an inning have been pitched, the contestants shall determine the score for the inning.  No shoe shall be moved until its scoring value has been determined. A judge should be called if contestants do not agree on the scoring.