Scoring
After all teams have tossed all their bolas, scoring is determined by the bolas that are still hanging from the steps. Players can knock-off bolas during the course of the game, in fact knocking-off other players bolas is encouraged and a good way to play defensively. bolas that are knocked off during play do not count as points. Only bolas that are left hanging after all bolas are tossed are counted as points.

Points
Points are determined by which step your bola wraps around. The top step is worth 3 points the middle step is worth 2 points and the bottom step is only worth 1 point. Players can score an optional bonus of 1 point by hanging all 3 bolas from the same step or by hanging a bola on all 3 (1-2-3) steps in one round. The highest amount of points available per player is 10. This is accomplished by hanging all 3 bolas on the top (3 point) step.

Team Play
Four players can play Ladder Ball by alternating play each round. Players simply alternate turns with teammates. Extra bolas can also be purchased so up to 4 players can play individually on the same ladder or a second ladder can be purchased for team play. With multiple ladders 2 players on opposite teams would be on one side and the other 2 opposing players would be at the other game ladder. One side would toss all bolas and the other team would toss them back. Same rules apply.

History
There are several proposed histories to the game, all of which are difficult to verify.

WILLY BALL Polynesians were tall athletic people, always in search of new games or ideas with which to challenge one another. One Polynesian, a young fisherman named Willieakahlua, was lying in his hammock one afternoon drinking out of a coconut shell, when he came up with the idea to hollow out a coconut. He then took some dried kelp, braided it into a rope and threaded it through the coconuts. Immediately he began to throw the tethered coconuts up and down the beach.

One day, while throwing the tethered coconuts along the beach, he came upon three palm trees that had been blown onto their side forming a kind of huge ladder. Willieakahlua tried throwing the tethered balls over the palms but time after time they would wrap around the leaning trunks. Several friends took turns throwing the balls. Soon they were having a great time just trying to get the balls to wrap around the tree trunks. Soon, a point system was developed and the tethered coconuts and game were named after Willieakahlua, thus Willieakahluaball was shortened to Willyball and the name for the tethered coconuts became Willy’s.

The game became a tremendous hit with the Polynesians. Every island had its own Willyball league. Yearly, the champions from each island would travel to Easter Island to hold a large Willyball tournament. They named the tournament The Willyball Bowl. Each year, after all the tournaments were over and the champions were decided the islanders would all get together to create a statue to honor the victorious player. These statues can still be observed today facing off toward the island that was the home of each champion, a testimony for all time of their great feats of Willyballdom

Rattle rail toss As the story goes - cowboys used to spend a large amount of time out on the range, either driving cattle or building fences. To pass the time at the end of their workdays, they would play a game called Rattle Snake Toss. They would throw rattlesnakes at fence posts or stumps scoring points when the snake would get hung-up on the post or limb. It resembled the game of horseshoes, but being out on the range, you used what was around.

 
Glossary of Terms
Bolas: A Bola consists of 2 golf balls attached together with a piece of nylon rope. Golf balls are spaced 13. apart.

Ladder: The ladder is the structure that consists of 3 steps each spaced 13 inches apart.

Steps: Each ladder has 3 steps. The top step is worth 3 points, the middle 2 and the bottom 1 point.

Toss Line: The line that the players tosses from. Officially is set to 15 feet. For backyard games 5 paces works fine.

Safety
DO NOT swing the bolas unless tossing them at the ladder during normal game play. Injury to yourself or others may occur if bolas are used improperly. The bolas provided with your new Ladder Ball game are connected using special anchors that, under normal game play, will provide a lifetime of use. DO NOT pull excessively on the bolas (tug-of-war) as abuse of the bolas may cause the anchors to pull away from the ball. Do not attempt to wrap bolas around body parts. Parents, please supervise younger children during game play. Kids can do crazy things with the most innocent of toys. DO NOT stand on the steps of the ladder. They are designed for normal game play only. Any misuse of the ladder may result in injury or damage to the ladder.

More info on how to build the ladders and balls: