Polish Horseshoes is the latest game to hit backyards, tailgates, and barbecues. Want to join in the fun? Fortunately, polish horseshoes is easy to play, and even easy to make yourself, with just a few tools and supplies. We’ll dive into how to play the game and how to build your own polish horseshoe set with just a few simple steps.
What is Polish Horseshoes?
Polish Horseshoes is gaining popularity across the country, and is based on a similar game called Fricket. In this game, there are two teams of 1-3 players. Each team has their own pole with a bottle or can resting on top. The object of the game is to throw the frisbee and knock your opponents’ bottle to the ground, without them catching it first.
It’s the perfect game for friends and family, whether in the backyard, at the beach, or at a tailgate. While many play the game with their favorite bottle of craft beer or can of hard seltzer, it’s just as fun with water bottles or soda.
How to Play
The Basics
To play, all you need is a few friends, two polish horseshoe poles, a frisbee, and some bottles or cans. Find a large open space to play, and place the two polish horseshoe poles about 40 feet apart. Then, place an empty bottle on top of each pole, and you’re ready to play!
Teams will take turns throwing the frisbee back and forth, each trying to knock down their opponents’ bottle. The throwing team must only make “catchable” throws, aiming for the immediate area around the pole, though not overhead or below the knees.
The receiving team must attempt to catch the frisbee without stepping or reaching in front of the pole. If the bottle is knocked off, the receiving team must try to catch both the bottle and frisbee before they hit the ground. To make things more challenging, the receiving team can only catch with one hand, so something (like a favorite beverage) should be in the other hand.
If the throwing team’s frisbee doesn’t make it the 40 feet to the pole, the receiving team can then throw the frisbee from wherever it landed. If the receiving team interferes with the throw and catches it before it reaches the pole, the throwing team can take another shot.
Scoring
There are many different ways to play and earn points with polish horseshoes. However, the basic scoring is as follows:
• Hit your opponents’ pole (1 point)
• Knock your opponents’ bottle off, but they catch it before it hits the ground (2 points)
• Knock your opponents’ bottle off, and it hits the ground (3 points)
The first team to reach 21 points, with a 2-point lead, wins.
Build Your Own DIY Polish Horseshoe Set
Materials:
• 10 ft. sticks of 1 in. PVC pipe (qty: 2)
• 1 in. PVC T fittings (qty: 6)
• 2 in.-3 in. PVC Reducing bushings (qty: 2)
• 2 in.-3 in. PVC Drain pipe caps (qty: 2)
• 1 in.-2 in. PVC Reducing bushings (qty: 2)
• 3 in. PVC pipe, about 1 in. in length (qty: 2)
• PVC Glue (optional)
Tools:
• Hack saw or miter saw
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One:
To create the polish horseshoe poles, use your hack saw or miter saw to cut the two 10 in. PVC pieces down to 4 ft. each. The remaining sections of PVC will be used for the next step.
Step Two:
Next, you’ll create the bases for your polish horseshoe poles, which essentially look like a capital letter H, and support the poles during play. Gluing these connections is optional. The PVC fittings are quite tight without glue, and can be separated to allow you to store the poles more easily when not in use.
Using the pipe left over from creating the poles, cut 12 equal pieces, around 1 ft. each. (Some pipe will be lost in the cutting, so they may be slightly shorter than 1’. That’s okay!) Attach a 1 in. PVC T-fitting upside down to the bottom of each of the main poles. Then insert 4 of the 12 equal pieces (2 for each pole) into the other openings in the T-fittings. The ends of those pieces should also be fit with T-fittings, and into those remaining openings, attach the final pieces of 1” PVC. The end result should resemble an H, lying flat on the ground to support the pole.
Step Three:
The final step is adding the pole topper, which will support the bottle or can during play. Begin by inserting a 1 in. long piece of 3 in. PVC into the two larger (2-3 in.) reducers. Then, insert a drain cap into the 3 in. opening of each of those reducers.
Flip the larger reducers over and insert the smaller (1-2 in.) reducer in the other end. (Glue is optional here.) Attach these end pieces to the tops of the polish horseshoe poles. They’ll serve as a flat surface for the bottles to sit on during play.
Do-it-Yourself Polish Horseshoe Set
Polish horseshoes is as easy to make as it is to play. Gather your supplies today to be playing by the weekend, where you’re sure to be the hit of the barbecue or tailgate. Once you get the hang of it, you can even make sets for your friends and family to share the fun of polish horseshoes with everyone!