Though cornhole, beer pong, and other tailgating games are plenty of fun, they lack any possible danger. Stump, on the other hand, provides friendly competition and the opportunity to hit yourself or a fellow tailgater by “accident”. The basic idea is that you take a hammer, flip it in the air once, catch it, and in a continuous motion try to hammer an opponents nail into a stump. Wikipedia tells us that the game is a derivative of the fairly bland German game Hammerschalgen. The Kraut’s version doesn’t appear to include the flip of the hammer, which eliminates tricks shots and some safety concerns. They do however have the game set up in some North German taverns, so gezundheit to them.

I was unaware of the game until recently seeing it in photos from Taylor Takes a Taste’s trips to Virginia Tech and Penn State. I was obviously curious and did a little research. For a complete list of rules and variations you can check out WorldStump.com. For our use, I’ve adapted a set of rules from PartySchooled.com

Stump Rules

Setup:

1. Place an evenly cut log (1 foot in diameter) on the ground or on a stand
2. Using medium sized nails, lightly hammer one nail for each participant into the stump just enough that it stands.
3. Grab a drink

Instructions:

All players stand in a circle around the stump in front of their nail with a drink in hand. The first player takes the hammer by the handle and tosses it, making at least one complete rotation, catches it, and in a somewhat fluid motion attempts to hit someone else’s nail. The hammer is then passed to the next person in the cirlce and they repeat. A person is eliminated when the top of their nail is flush with the stump. The last person standing is the winner.

Rules:

If you drop the hammer you take a drink and pass the hammer without hitting a nail
If you miss the nail you are hitting you take a drink
If your nail is hit you take a drink
Once your nail is flush you have to finish your drink and sit out until the game is over

The majority of cornhole boards I see around campus are the wooden handmade variety. And if you have the skills and time to make one, I highly recommend it. But there are also viable alternatives for the lazier and less crafty sect. I recently received a set of plastic all weather boards from SC Cornhole. These waterproof boards are shipped in either white, red, or orange (white can be painted) with eight bags. The entire cornhole set weighs under 50 pounds and the boards fit together for storage. Another bonus with this set is that the the back leg is also a door to a compartment where you can store the bags.

As far as game play, these boards stand up to the test. There is a bit of coarseness on the playing surface of the boards that makes it less slippery than you’d expect from plastic. After a game, the boards are easy to wipe off and/or clean with water and soap on occasion. All in all, I could only find one fault with this cornhole set. Though the boards fit together, they don’t lock together in any way. So it’s a bit tricky for just one person to actually carry them. A workaround would be to buy some sort of strap from Home Depot or Wal-Mart to keep the boards secured together. You can get this set for $100 and it should last you plenty of tailgating seasons. After our testing, we approve. Of course, our carpentry skills are about as good as Homer Simpson’s so we don’t have a choice.

This is the coolest customized cornhole board I’ve seen. Norm’s Tailgating appears to be the creator and exclusive seller of these iconic tributes to former Hawkeye’s coach Hayden Fry. In addition to selling these boards, Norm’s also sales tailgating spots in the front yard of his house near Kinnick Stadium. I’m assuming that the closing of the Magic Bus will mean plenty of business for Norm. The big shocker here is that Alabama fans haven’t started putting Bear Bryant pictures on cornhole boards yet. It should be an ordering option on all Daniel Moore prints. There’s also no word yet on if anyone will create a cornhole board for the legendary Coach Hayden Fox

If Atlanta is any indication, bocce ball is about to blow up as the leisure sport of choice. Piedmont Park has just added two courts and believes they can net $20 for one hour reservations. Ormsby’s is the hottest new bar in West Atlanta and features two indoor AstroTurf courts that are constantly packed. So why has bocce ball gone relatively neglected as a tailgating game so far?

The main disadvantage compared to other tailgating games, is that it requires a relatively flat grassy area. The advantages are numerous. The simplicity of the game makes it playable for kids, women, and the drunkest among us. The entire set weighs in at 10 pounds and requires zero setup, making it extremely portable.

The Day of Games recently sent me their 90mm Bocce Set. This inexpensive set features a carrying bag, balls, and a combo bottle opener/ measuring tape. As for bocce ball itself, it’s a very simple game that’s easy for anyone to pick up in minutes. You start by throwing the pallino (little white ball) about ten yards away. The person/team that throws the pallino then tries to play the first of their balls close to the pallino. You can then either alternate turns or allow the second team to play their balls until they place a ball closer. Once all balls are thrown, a point is awarded for each ball a team has closer than any of the opposing team’s balls. This is where the tape measure comes in handy. Games go to a predetermined set number of points 9, 11, 15 etc. The Day of Games 90mm set only costs $22. You can also pick up cornhole, ladder toss, horse shoes, and beer pong tables from them.

I recently received an email wanting to know if I would feature Buzz Shot the Beer Pong card game on this site. I have agreed. Your average beer pong game is really fun and allows 2-4 people to socialize and drink. Then some douche walks up with his set of 10 different rules that “we always play by” and proceeds to suck all of the fun out of the game. Well now those douches have an aid in their quest because Buzz Shot:

* Helps eliminate the same people consistently winning by adding additional variables to the game, such as shooting with the opposite hand, making a bounce shot instead of an arc shot, having to choose a guest to take your shot, take a shot while sitting down, losing a turn, etc.

* Helps introduce those who may not be inclined to play the game as is (Guys….especially the female crowd)

* Is an excellent “ice breaker” at a party. Have a hard time starting up a conversation with those you don’t know? Bring BUZZ-SHOT along to a party and you won’t have that problem!

These are the worst pitches I’ve seen since the Boom Cooler. Yeah, if girls are intimidated by Beer Pong, they will be much more likely to play if you add rules that force them to take trick shots. Also, what would be your reaction if a stranger walked up to you and asked if you want to play Beer Pong, but then informed you that we’d be playing with a set of Monopoly Community Chest like cards? Would punching them in the throat be too polite? I have my own set of rules for Beer Pong. Throw ball into cup. Occasionally chug beer. Talk shit. That’s the beauty. That’s the fun. Leave it alone.

Google trends (May 26th) would suggest that Bros Icing Bros was nothing before April and now it’s quite the search term (we’re still in the top 10 results until bigger sites mention it). On a personal level, I pulled off an icing and a block in the span of 15 seconds on Saturday and got to see two bros take a knee and chug. Oh the Sweet Life. Momma told me adulthood would be like this.

It’s the first home game this fall and you’re tailgating with family and friends. You’ve had a few beers, a few appetizers, and you’ve reflected on the promise of a new season. It’s time to start grilling some hamburgers and really get going. You lift up the lid to the grill and instead of charcoal you find a Smirnoff Ice staring you down. Bro, you’ve just been iced. Get down on one knee and chug that silly bottle of malt beverage.

It seems that Bros Icing Bros is the fastest growing drinking game/prank/internet fad out there. As such, you should expect to be assaulted with an Ice while setting up your tent at 8am on gameday. Per the official site:

“Bro’s might ask… what’s the fun in that? Well it’s all about creativity. Planting an ice in a discrete location where your bro might not know where it is. For example… one of my bro’s gave an ice to a bartender and asked him to hold onto it until his other bro showed up. Bro 1 asks Bro 2 if he wants a beer. The bartender then presents Bro 2 with the ice. An instant chant of “you got iced” precedes and Bro 2 chugs the ice on the spot. The best part of the game is that you can ice anyone in on the game at any moment in any place. Bro’s have been iced in restaurants, walking down the street, and at completely inappropriate times, which makes the game all the better.

Now there are some simple rules to the game:

1.)You cannot refuse an ice. If you refuse to drink the ice you are instantly excommunicated and shunned, and thus can never ice another bro or be iced.

2.)If you are iced by a fellow bro you can ice block. When presented w/ an ice, you pull out an ice of your own and reverse the ice on your bro. The ultimate ice insult.”

In reality, tailgating is about the most convenient place to be Iced. Drinking laws are relaxed, you’ve luckily secured a safe driving situation, and you don’t have any major responsibilities. Finding a Smirnoff ice in a cereal box one morning, in your office desk drawer, or just before exercising are much worse fates. Bros Icing Bros is rumored to have started in South Carolina and even taken place in offices at Goldman Sachs. When practiced with a dash of creativity, I fully support the movement. Consider yourself on notice.

If you don’t have the artistic skills to paint a design on your cornhole board by hand, there’s another option for you. You can head over to Kinko’s or another print shop and get a poster printed and laminated. Then nail or glue the laminated poster to your cornhole board and cut out the hole. You end up with a sharp looking board that can have mud, water, or spilled beer wiped off of it much easier than wood.