A yard game tournament is coming to Long Island park

Summer is here and it’s time to get on the grass and start gaming. This is the focus of the Long Island Battleground Games, coming to Heckscher Park in East Islip on July 2 at Field 3, where people of any age can compete in a tournament of backyard lawn games.

“We have been waiting to return since our debut in 2019 and are planning to deliver the same level of enthusiasm from our first go-around,” says event coordinator Robert DiGiacomo. “Get your kid off the computer screen and out on the field for a bit of blood pumping exercise!”

HOW IT WORKS

Eighty-four teams, made up of two people, will play a seven-round tournament consisting of seven different backyard games at 20-minutes apiece. The top 32 teams advance to a single elimination tournament where they will compete for cash prizes and trophies. One team gets named the Long Island Battleground Games champion at the end of the day.

“Each station will have a games coordinator that will give a three-minute breakdown of their game and how it’s played before the teams start,” says DiGiacomo. “Every game also has a station manager to keep track of disputes, administer game rules and resolve any conflicts.”

Here are seven of the games that comprise the event: 

CORNHOLE 

With cornhole, participants toss bean bags at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. A bag in the hole scores 3 points, while landing on the platform scores one point. The first team to 21 points wins.

“When two people who are known cornhole enthusiasts go head-to-head, it makes for an intense, exciting game,” says DiGiacomo. “Each one almost always gets it in the hole.”

KANJAM 

The object of KanJam is to score points by throwing and deflecting a flying disc and hitting or entering the goal. The game ends when a team scores exactly 21 points or “chogs” the disc for an instant win.

“The disc is heavier than a standard Frisbee and wind does interfere,” says DiGiacomo. “Some people don’t like the blunt force of hitting the disc. But outside of that, there are very few limitations.”

QB54 

Playing QB54 is about throwing a football in a basket that is sewn into the seat of a chair for a touchdown then kicking the extra point through the uprights. On defense, if you catch your opponent’s rebound off the chair, that’s an interception.

“Biggest challenge is kicking the extra point into the basket for the automatic win,” says CEO Michael Silva. “Throwing touchdowns is the most thrilling part of the game, it gets the biggest reaction of raw emotion.”

RALLYHOOPS

RallyHoops starts when the server delivers the ball to the setter who stands on the opposite side of the court ready to hit the ball into one of two hoops to score points or set the ball up to the server, so they can score more points. Teams rotate serving and play to 21 points.

“We combine the portability of the yard game with volleyball skills and full-court, basketball-like equipment,” says co-founder Greg Greiner. “Then we added two different sized, offset hoops on each side of the full-court and a smaller volleyball to make it unique.”

PADDLEZLAM

In PaddleZlam two teams compete by hitting a pickle ball into or against a plastic gaming cone. The object of the game is to be the first team to score 21 points without going over.

“The biggest challenge is the wind. If you hit the ball too high, the wind could send that ball in a different direction,” says DiGiacomo. “It requires skill to follow it down and carry it into the cone.”

Additionally, there will be an Ultimate PaddleZlam tournament where four semifinal teams square off to win a separate prize.

BOTTLE BASH 

The goal of Bottle Bash is to knock the opposing team’s bottle off their pole using a disc while defending your bottle from being knocked off.

“Bottle Bash keeps you on the edge of your seat whether you’re throwing or defending,” says marketing director Nolan Swanson.

SPIKEBALL (aka ROUNDNET)

Opposing teams line up across from each other with the Spikeball net in the center. The object of the game is to hit the ball into the net so that the opposing team cannot return it. A team is allowed up to three touches to return the ball. The rally continues until the ball is not returned properly.

“The game requires a level of hand-eye coordination and agility,” says Ryan Fitzgerald, Long Island Roundnet director.

AMENITIES & SALES

A pavilion with grills, a bathroom and a playground will be provided along with DJ music from Unlimited Entertainment of Lindenhurst and lunch from Grilli’s Gourmet Deli of Islip. Plus, all games will be for sale at various game owner tents.

“After playing it, they can purchase a game set for the summer when they go to the beach or camping. Ten percent of the proceeds go back to Make a Wish Foundation of Suffolk County,” says DiGiacomo. “It’s a win-win for both the vendors and the non-profit.”

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.