Ball in Bucket

I learned this game from a group of high school students in West Michigan in the late 1990's. They called it, "Ball In Bucket," so that is exactly what I have called it all these years later. As far as I know this game was made up by this group, although it or another version of it may have originated somewhere else. What I do know about this game is that it is not nearly as easy as you would think, and it can be very addicting. The addicting part of it is similar to golf in such a way that you can never play as good as you wish you could, so you have to keep playing more and more in an attempt to get better.

What is needed to play:

Not specifically, you need two buckets, two balls and a surface that the balls will bounce on. These materials could consist of just about anything you can find as long as they fit those simple guidelines. I have always used two five gallon buckets and two old tennis balls. I personally have played both on paved surfaces and dirt surfaces. Paved surfaces are ideal because you can usually get a better bounce with the ball and ensure that is travels in a straighter path. Dirt surfaces can be quite interesting, especially if they are slightly bumpy or on a slope. Nonetheless, the game is a blast and a challenge either way.

Rules of the game:

Set Up: Ball in Bucket can be played by either 2 or 4 people. The two buckets are placed apart from each other at a predetermined distance. I've always places my two five gallon buckets exactly 19 feet apart. Teams stand opposite each other and behind each bucket. If playing in a 4 player game, you and your partner will be standing on the same side. Randomly determine which team will throw first using a coin flip.

Play & Scoring: The object of the game is to bounce the ball or balls into the bucket on the opposite end. In a 2 player game, the same player bounces two balls towards the bucket on the opposite end. In a 4 player (team) game, both players toss one ball each on their teams turn. You cannot step past the bucket on your end as you try to bounce a ball into a bucket on the other end. You score points by getting the ball to bounce into and stay in the bucket on the other end. If the ball bounces into the bucket but then bounces out, no points are scored. Points are based on how many times the ball bounces before it goes into the bucket. One bounce equals one point, two bounces equals two points and so on. You play until one team reaches a predetermined score, usually 21. The score does not have to be exact, meaning you can go over.

Bonus Scoring (optional): If a team scores on consecutive shots with the exact same number of bounces, the score for the second ball would double. For example, if you make consecutive 2-bounce shots, you score 2 for the first ball and 4 for the second, for a total of 6. If you make a third consecutive shot, you double the previous score (4), and get 8 points. A fourth consecutive shot would be worth 16 in this example, and so on.

Bonus Ball (optional): If both balls score on the same turn, the opposing team will throw one ball back and the team who just scored will have a chance to throw it as a bonus ball. If using the bonus scoring option as described above, this bonus can be very advantageous.

Stakes: If you want to make this game really interesting, make a wager. Have each team put a certain amount of money into one of the buckets. The winning team gets to keep the money.

As described, this game can be played just about anywhere. You could play on a sidewalk, in a parking lot, on a dirt road, indoors on a hardwood floor or anywhere else. You can use any ball that will bounce and any container that the ball will fit into. You could use vending machine bouncy balls and coffee cans. You could use basketballs and 55-gallon drums. The distances between each bucket could be whatever you want. I highly suggest using the five gallon buckets at 19 feet apart with two tennis balls though. It is much more challenging than you probably think. Don't believe me? Give it a try. Keep two five gallon buckets and two tennis balls in the trunk of your car and you will never be without a form of entertainment that could keep you occupied for hours.