The rules of cornhole. The simplified overview.
Toss the 16oz corn-filled cornhole bag into the hole of cornhole board for 3 points. Land the cornhole bag on the cornhole board and score 1 point. The first player or team to 21 wins. The distance for cornhole is 33 feet from hole to hole or 27 feet from the front of each board. It's a simple and addictive yard game. Keep reading for more in-depth rules of cornhole.
Brief History of Cornhole
Cornhole the game or bag toss as some people like to call it is an American classic outdoor game. The history of Cornhole is unclear and comes with many stories with just enough truth to be believable. These stories get spread on the Internet as more and more people become interested in the game. This makes it increasingly difficult to pinpoint the origin of the game. Who invented it and where it was first played is a heated debate around the Country. I'll leave the history for the historians and just play the game. Cornhole has provided entertainment for countless tailgaters, beachgoers, and backyard parties. Here are the official rules of the game of Cornhole.
Cornhole Equipment
2 Cornhole Boards- A Cornhole board is basically a raised platform with a 6-inch hole in it. The surfaces of the Cornhole Boards should be 2' X 4’ and it should be angled so the back of the board is about 7” higher than the front of the board. The 6” hole is placed in the center 9” from the top of the board. 8 Cornhole Bags - 6"X6" bags; four of each color for opposite teams. Cornhole bags should weigh one pound each.
How far do you space Cornhole Boards
Cornhole boards should be spaced 27” from the front edge of each board. This makes the holes exactly 33’ apart.
2 or 4 Players
Cornhole can be played with 2 or 4 players. If you play with 2 players it is considered individual play and when you play with 4 players it is considered team play.
Cornhole Team Play
In team play one player from Team A and one player from Team B lineup next to each board. Bags are tosses alternating from one team to the next. One player from team A tosses a bag and then one player from team B tosses a bag until all 4 bags have been tossed. When all the bags have been thrown for that round, points are totaled and the next round begins from the opposite cornhole board with the opposing partners taking turns tossing their bags. Determine the team who throws first by a coin toss and every round after that, the first throw goes to the team that won the previous round. Rounds continue until one of the teams reaches 21 points or more.
Cornhole Individual Play
Individual play is the same as team play except you have to walk to the alternating board to pick up and score your own points and then toss the bags back yourself. You should alternate sides when playing individually. So on the first round player A would be on the right side of the board and on the next round player A would be on the left side of the board.
How to score points in Cornhole.
Points are determined based on where the Cornhole bags land in relation to the boards. Three points are awarded when a bag goes through the hole, one point is earned if the bag lands on the box. Bags that are hanging into the hole or hanging off the box but not touching the ground count as 1 point. There are no points earned if a bag is hanging off the box but touching the ground or if a bag is hanging off the front of the box and is supported by another bag unless you are able to remove the Cornhole bag on the ground without the other moving. If at anytime the bag hits the ground no points are awarded for that bag.
How to throw a Cornhole bag
To be honest you can throw the bag any way you want too as long as it makes to the other board 27 feet away. Some methods of tossing the bags are more successful than others. The most popular method amongst the professional players is a toss with a nice arc and a smooth flat spin on it. To get a smooth flat spin on the bags you must first flatten the bag out and grip it almost like a frisbee. Use a fluid arm motion and put a slight spin on the bag as you release it and aim for the middle of the board.
Scoring Points in Cornhole
Points are totaled after each round and points cancel. The team with the highest score of a particular round adds the difference between their score and the opposite teams to their running total. If both teams have the same score in any given round then no points are awarded to either team. The score stays the same and the first throw goes to the team who had the honors in the previous round.
Another example of scoring. If team A gets 7 points and team B gets 4 points on the board then team A would be awarded 3 points. The first 4 points are canceled out. Now that you know the rules you can master the game of Cornhole!
The great thing about this outdoor game is that it is simple and doesn’t require much effort to set up. All you need are some Cornhole boards, some friends and some cold ones and you are sure to have a great time!
Download the PDF: How To Play Cornhole