I wanted to write a blog about Kan Jam for a while but never got around to it. There are just so many different Summer / Beach games out there such as Ladder Golf, Washers, Bocce Ball, and Horse Shoes to name a few. All have these game have their purpose and their place but in my opinion I have not found a game that come close to competing with Kan Jam. I was turned on to Kan Jam a few years ago by some of my friends in Rochester, NY. I remember being intimated by it because I was awful that throwing a frisbee and my friends were really good. But I started to play and with everything you do often, i got better.
The basic Kan Jam rules are played with 2 teams of 2 and the game is played to 21 points. The cans are placed 50 feet from one another but this can be modified to be shorter or longer based on the skill level of the competitors. (I recommend learning at the 50 feet mark then when you play with others who complain it’s too far, you can rock them) The game is started with the “Frsibee” toss (Coin toss). Heads is the Kan Jam side of the Frisbee, and tails is the other side. The winner of the toss should elect to go second. Similar to baseball the home team has last ups. This principle is the same in Kan Jam. You want to go second because if the “visiting” team scores 21 first you have a chance to tie it up and go into overtime or a chance for a instant win. If the Home Team gets to 21 first, there is no rebuttal or second chances given to the visitors.
What I really like about Kan Jam is that everyone who is playing is included unlike washers, bocce, or ladder golf. The partner on the opposite can is involved in the scoring of the game. Teamwork, strategy, and skill mixed with some friendly trash talk is what you need.
How you score in Kan Jam is relatively straight forward. One partner standing at one Kan will toss the Frisbee to his partner standing over the opposite Kan. One point is scored if the partner assists the Frisbee to hit the Kan. This is called a “Dinger”. If you hit the Kan directly without an assist from you partner you get 2 points and that is called “Deuce”. 3 points are awarded when your partner jams the Frisbee through the top of the can called a “Bucket” or Slam Dunk. (Seriously, call it whatever you want.) The game is over when one team reaches the score of 21 (remember “Home” team can rebuttal) or if an INSTANT WIN is achieved. An instant win happens when you throw the Frisbee through the front slot or it drop unassisted through the top whole. Strategically your best bet is to float the Frisbee where your partner can jam the Frisbee through the top of the Kan.
Once you throw the frisbee and points are scored (0 to 3), your partner throws the frisbee back. The maximum points you can score in one round is 6 or get an instant win. After both partners throw, the next team throws. So for example: we get a dinger and a Bucket in our first round. It is 4 to nothing. Then the other team throws and gets to dingers. It is now 4 to 2 and we are back up.
How you win is either get an instant win or hit 21 points. If a team goes over 21, they go back to 15. So if you are at 20 and your partner slams the Frisbee into the can you would go over 21 and back down to 15 giving your opponents an opportunity to come back. If there is a tie and both teams end in 21, (Visitors get to 21 first and home team ties it up), both teams go back to 11 points each and play continues until there is a winner.
Where can I buy Kan Jam? You can order Kan Jam by going to www.KanJam.com or a Dicks Sporting Goods in Western ,NY or www.DicksSportingGoods.com. A Kan Jam set is about $40 and comes with two Kans, a Frisbee and a set of rules. You can totally build Kan Jam at home but I like the official set better than using garbage cans.
Check out my video below of myself and my friends in Canton, OH rocking some Kan Jam. They never heard of the game until I came to visit. I always carry my Kan Jam with me in my trunk cause you never know when you are going to be able to rock a game or two with new friends.