īackyard games are similar they are usually played in dirt, sand or asphalt pits with enough space to get a good toss in, and with at least two players. The top 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of soil or sand in your pit should be loose and level. General rules are that adult men pitch shoes from 37 feet (11.3 meters), and women, kids and senior citizens pitch from the 27-foot (8.2-meter) line kids younger than 9 can pitch from a 20-foot (6.1-meter) distance. Foul lines are drawn at 27 feet (8.2 meters) and at 37 feet (11.3 meters) from each stake - these lines determine the distance from which players pitch their horseshoes. They're driven into the ground at about a 12-degree angle, with about half of each rod above ground and the two rods leaning toward each other. Those stakes are what you hope to catch your horseshoes on. Two iron rods, each 36 inches (91.4 centimeters) long and 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide, are staked in the center of the pit, and centered between the two pitching platforms as well.
The playable area of a regulation horseshoe court, called the pitcher's box, is 46 feet (14 meters) long by 6 feet (1.8 meters) wide, plus two pitching platforms, each 6 feet (1.8 meters) square, and protective backboards.
