Tailgating Guide

Tailgating is a way of life for sports fans across the country. It’s an opportunity to honor (and establish!) those quirky team traditions, indulge in delicious game-day foods, and celebrate the camaraderie spurred by a beloved team.
Get ready—it’s game time.

Tailgating Games

Get some friendly competition going!

Sometimes, food just isn’t enough for a tailgate party!
Check out some common (and not-so-common) tailgating games fans play to pass the time between parking and getting into their seats.

Beanbag Toss

Call it cornhole, corn toss, beanbag toss or tailgate toss—no matter the moniker, this tailgating game is tons of fun! Set your boards 27 feet apart and set your aim for the hole or platform to score points in this ultra-popular party pastime.

Ladder Toss

Like cornhole, this aim-driven game is sure to produce loads of laughter. Lob two balls connected by a string (called bolas) through the air and land them on a rung to earn points or knock an opponent’s balls off in a defensive play.

Beer Pong

A team game where players attempt to throw a table tennis ball into one of six (sometimes 10) cups arranged in a triangle at the opposite end of a table. Made one? The other team has to drink the contents of the cup, the cup is removed and the first team to eliminate them all wins.

Washers

This backyard classic transitions perfectly from your lawn to the tailgate. In its most common and portable variation, players throw washers into boxes that have cylinders at their center, with scoring the same as in cornhole. Some people like to live dangerously, though, so there are variations, including not using a box, burying the cylinder in the ground and using different-sized washers in lieu of the standard 2 ½-inch variety. However you like it, construct your own boxes for an easy-to-take-anywhere game that everyone is sure to love.

Ring Toss

As simple as it sounds: Toss a ring around a peg, like carnivals of yore.

Table Tennis

Take away your beer pong cups, throw up a net and have some good ol’ fashioned fun!

Tire Toss

Truth be told, you don’t have to use an old, beat-up radial to play this game. Hang up a hoop of any kind and throw something (usually a football) through it. Bonus points if you pretend you’re Joe Montana or Johnny Unitas while you play, even more bonus points if you imitate their throwing motions.

Flip Cup

Focus and fast hands are all it takes to conquer this hilariously challenging game. With at least three people needed for each team, this game is perfect for a pre-game party! Bonus: You can use the same gear for flip cup, beer pong and table tennis!

Tailgating 500

Grab a baseball or football, tell all your friends to congregate in a group and dole out however many points you want for each individual throw. Call out “dead” (ball must touch the ground first), “alive” (ball cannot touch the ground first) or either and watch ’em fight. First person to 500 points wins, and, provided everyone still has energy to play, becomes the thrower.

Sholf

Sholf is a fun combination of golf and shuffleboard! Players take turns putting golf balls into scoring areas.

Sports Trivia

For a more laidback tailgate, tackle a little sports trivia with your savvy, knowledgeable friends.