WELCOME
Welcome to the official home of Yak-o Ball!
WELCOME
Welcome to the official home of Yak-o Ball!
What is Yak-o Ball?
Yak-o Ball, or “YB” for short, is a beach game that is typically played on a sand beach but could also be played in the snow or even in short grass.
The objective of the game is to roll balls, referred to as Yak-o Balls, into holes or troughs in the sand that are part of a “course” to score points. YB is all about “mastering the course” as you will learn.
Points are scored when a player rolls one of their Yak-o Balls into one of the holes on the course. The game continues until one of the teams scores the points required to win the game.
GAME
GAME
Where to Play?
Yak-o Ball can be played on most sand beaches but the best type of playing surface is a smooth and compact sand, typically after high tide and the tide has started to go out.
As the tide goes out, you want to find a spot where there are minimal shells or debris.
You should check your local tide predictions to determine the best time to play YB. In the United States, you can refer to the NOAA Tide Predictions website for information on tide predictions.
How to Play
A Yak-o Ball Kit is required to play the game which includes:
· Yak-o Balls
· YB Course Markers
· YB Shovel
· 2 – 4 Players
The Course
Yak-o Ball is played on a Yak-o Ball “Course” which consists of a series of holes and troughs that are made in the sand on a beach.
The YB Course can be one that you created yourself or can be one of the many courses designed by the Yak-o Ball Team. The possibilities are endless!
CONSTRUCTING THE COURSE
All YB courses start with the following steps and guidelines including:
Mark off a 10-foot (3 meters) by 30-foot (9 meters) rectangle, placing a course marker on each corner and the center point of each side,
Once the course area is marked, you and your fellow players can select a course from the included course designs or you can get creative and design your own course,
Using the course designs in this manual, dig the appropriate holes in the sand, and troughs if part of the selected course, on one side of the course based on the following guidelines:
A standard hole should be 6 inches (15cm) wide and deep which is the same length as the YB shovel blade.
Note: The exact dimensions of the holes may vary by course design. In most cases, the edge of each hole should about one YB shovel length, or about 13 inches (33cm) apart from each other.
When the holes, and if required troughs, are completed on one side, then duplicate the layout on the other side of the course,
Note: The setup on either side should mirror each other as best as possible.
Once you complete creating the course, proceed with marking each hole with the assigned value based on the course design and you are ready to go.
Game Play and Rules
A typical Yak-o Ball game involves 2 teams with 2 players on each team but it is possible to play 1 vs. 1 player as well.
Team members stand on opposite sides of the course from each other.
One side starts with all 8 balls (4 of each color) as players will alternate rolling his / her team’s Yak-o Balls towards the holes or troughs on the other end of the course.
The game starts with the youngest player between both teams rolling first.
Note: All balls must be rolled, if a ball is thrown it results in a forfeit of any points for that roll. When rolling a ball, it must stay within the course boundary or lines to score any points.
The team who scored the most points in the previous turn rolls first for the next round.
The teams continue to plays until a team scores the winning number of points for a particular course.
"PRO" LEVEL RULES
Exact Points
If on any roll a team goes over the winning point total, that ball is removed from the hole and those points do not count and the game continues until the exact winning points are scored.
Cover Up
When both teams roll a ball(s) in the same hole, the team with “the last ball in” is the only team who receives points.
o For example, the Yellow Team rolls a 20 on their first roll. The Blue Team then rolls a ball in the same hole. The Blue Team receives 20 points while the Yellow Team receives 0. If the Blue Team happened to roll another ball in the same 20, then the Blue Team would receive 20 points and the Yellow Team would receive 0. If a team rolls 2 balls in the same hole after an opponent, they would get credit for both.
Trough Rule
For courses that have a trough that leads to a hole, the ball must be in the hole to score the point values for that hole. If the ball stops in a trough before reaching the hole, negative points are awarded based on the course design.
Professional Course 1
“I was YB’d Rule”
This rule allows a player to specify three different holes before a roll and if the player can get three of their four balls into those specified holes, that team instantly wins the game. If the player does not roll a ball into the three holes specified, that team goes to zero points. A team can only use this tactic once in a game.
Courses
The fun of YB is that it allows you to either use an “officially registered” YB course or to create one yourself or with you and your family.
#YAKOBALL
Spread the word, use the hashtag #yakoball on social media to tell us about where and when you are playing YB. Have fun!
GOALS
GOALS
Education and Creativity
One of the benefits of YB is that it allows players to add and subtract numbers which helps them to understand the concept of math through the play of the game. In addition, there is no limit to the creativity that can be used in designing a course and engaging everyone in the process.
Another goal is the opportunity to gain an understanding of tides, the impact the Sun and Moon have on the Earth, and the beach ecosystem that tides create. Here is a link to some information from NOAA about tides.
Fragile X Donations and Proceeds
The goal of Yako Games is to “give back” and through proceeds of the sale of Yak-o Ball and branded merchandise to be able to make donations to the National Fragile X Foundation. Our hope is that these donations can make a difference in the identification of why Fragile X occurs and for treatment of those individuals that are born with Fragile X Syndrome.
Beach Cleanliness and Ecosystem
Before each course is setup, all players are asked to do their part and clean up any trash around the area where they are playing and ensure there is no trash left behind when finished playing for the day.
Every time YB is played, there is an opportunity to leave the beach, or the area where you played, a "better place". Let's do our part to maintain the beauty and cleanliness of our surroundings.
One of the best YB players in our family was born with Fragile X Syndrome. His doctors said he might not ever be able to walk, talk, run, or let alone play Yak-o Ball. He is one of the most enthusiastic and passionate YB players you will ever see and meet. His passion and love for the game is contagious!
Yak-o Ball was created with the idea that a person of any gender, race, or physical or mental capability could play and enjoy the game. It is our goal to leverage YB to spread the word of inclusion in our society and we hope that you would help to spread that belief.
Every Continent
We would like everyone around the world to have the opportunity to experience YB. Our goal is to have YB played on a beach on every continent and as many countries and beaches on that continent!