51 | The Best Chill Game to Play at the Beach – An easy to set up beach game that combines the best of bocce and skee-ball.

An easy to set up beach game that combines the best of bocce and skee-ball.

51 is easy to learn and play

Going to the beach? Bring three balls and the rules below for hours of fun.

51 Layout Diagram

The Court

Find an empty and fairly flat area of the beach (roughly 10 feet wide by 75 feet long). Draw a line in the sand for your toss line.

The First Circle

From the toss line, take 11 paces (approximately 30 feet) and drop one of your knees in the sand. Reach out with one hand and carve a shallow circular gutter in the sand while rotating on one knee (about 5 1/2 feet in diameter). Dig a hole in the center of the circle about 9 inches across.

The Second Circle

Leaving two feet of space from the first circle, create a shallow circular gutter to form the second circle that is about 75% the size of the first circle. There is no center hole in the second circle.

The Third Circle

Leaving two feet of space behind the second circle, create another shallow circular gutter to form the third circle that is about 75% the size of the second circle. There is no hole in the third circle.

The Balls

To play 51, you will need three balls. Official 51 Balls work best, however, any three medium-weight balls, such as softballs or baseballs can work just fine. The use of tennis balls, beach balls, golf balls, bocce balls, or bowling balls is not recommended.

The Points

Landing a ball in the First Circle is worth 1 point. If it falls in the central hole, it is worth 2 points. No points for the gutter.

A ball in the Second Circle is worth 5 points, and if it rests in the gutter it is worth 3 points.

A ball inside the Third Circle is worth 10 points, and 5 points for a gutter shot.

Playing the Game

From behind the toss line, players take turns throwing all three balls at any of the targets. At the end of the turn, add the points earned to your total and announce to the group.

The Goal

The first person to reach exactly 51 points is the winner! If you go over 51, your score drops back to 35 points and the game continues.

FAQs

How many players can play 51?

It’s not really limited to any set number. We’ve found that if there are any more than 8, people tend to forget their scores between turns!

Does the sand need to be smoothed out?

We recommend smoothing the insides of the circles before the first turn, but all the divots can stay during the match. Bad hops are inevitable and just a part of the game.

How deep should the gutters be?

Generally, they are about 3 inches deep, or about as much sand as you can remove with your hand in one pass.

Should the sand be wet or dry?

Either surface will present its own challenges which makes each game of 51 unique!

The circles are tough to see sometimes. What should I do?

You can stand up a reed or a stick at the center of each circle which provides more of a target.

Do you toss underhand or overhand?

Most people toss underhand, but there’s no set rule.

“I can’t imagine going to the beach and NOT playing 51.”