Cornhole Rules - How to play the game

Cornhole - regionally called bags, bag toss, sack toss, corn toss, and other names - is one of the most popular lawn games in America. And it is quickly gaining national attention as a professional sport with quite a following. Tournaments are even regularly broadcast on ESPN and NBC Sports.

Cornhole is a sport that anyone - of any age & any skill set - can play and can win.

It is played with 2 or 4 players, either 1-on-1 or with 2 teams of 2. Players take turns throwing bags across the field and onto the board or through the center hole.

These are the basic rules used during competitive play. There are many "house rules" when playing bags, so ask your host for clarification on any special rules before gameplay.

Equipment

BOARDS

  • 2 identical 2-foot x 4-foot board surfaces with a 6-inch hole near the top of the board
  • Should be placed 27 feet apart - front edge to front edge (you might want to place boards closer together for beginner players)
  • Boards should be sloped - 12 inches off the ground at the back

BAGS

  • 8 bags in total, 2 sets of 4 bags of the same color. Each team has its own color
  • Bags should be 6-inch by 6-inch and weight 16 oz

Scoring

  • Bag on board = 1 point
  • Bag through the hole = 3 points
  • Games are played to 21 points
  • There is no 'win by 2 points' rule or 'bust' rule for scoring more than 21 points
  • Bags cannot hit the ground before landing on the board or going through the hole
  • Any bag that is hanging into the hole is only worth 1 point
  • Any bag touching the ground at the end of a round does not count

Cancellation scoring is used at the end of each round, after all 8 bags have been thrown. If Team A has 7 points and Team B has 3 points, Team A would get 4 points for the round (7 points - 3 points = 4 points).

Gameplay

  • Toss a coin to determine which player gets to chose the initial side of the board and whether they want to start out throwing or throw second
  • Players will alternate throwing their bags down to the other board until all 8 bags have been played
  • There is a 3-foot-wide pitcher's box that runs the length of the board extending from the front and back edges of the board. You must stay in this space while throwing
  • If the round finishes with a team scoring points, the scoring team will start throwing the next round
  • IN SINGLES, once the round is completed, players walk down to the opposite board, staying on the same side for the next round.
  • IN DOUBLES, partners stand on the opposite side from each other, in the same lane.

Fouls

  • If a player's foot goes past the front edge of the board while throwing a bag
  • A player goes out of turn

In the event of a foul, the player causing the foul loses the throw and the bag shall be immediately removed from the board if it landed on it.

 

 Visit our 'Tips from a Pro' page to learn how you can become a better cornhole player and edge out the competition during your next game.