Corn Hole Game Rules: Learn how to play cornhole with the official rules and regulations of the game set forth by the American Cornhole Association, the original and official governing body of cornhole.
Table of Contents
Corn Hole Game Rules ( Basic )
Cornhole is played with two or four players trying to throw a bag of cornhole into a hole on a cornhole board to score points.
1 Objective
Be the first team to reach the score of 21 points (or more) at the end of an inning of play.
2 Cornhole Equipment
- Corn hole boards: Standard cornhole boards are 2 feet. x 4 feet holes are located at 9 inches. From the top of the board, with a diameter of 6 inches.
- Cornhole bags: Each team has four cornhole bags of contrasting colors. The cornhole bag should be 6 x 6 inches. And weighs about 1 pound.
3 Cornhole board spacing
Cornhole Board Spacing: Cornhole boards are spaced 27 feet from front edge to front edge.
Children, seniors, or physically challenged adults may want to carry the boards closer together at 12-15 feet.
How to Set Up Cornhole Game
- Place the boards 27 feet apart in front of each other.
- Divide the players into two teams. Each team should have two players.
- Teams can choose to line up on the same board or against each other.
Each team uses 4 bean bags of the same colors. Players take turns tossing their bean bags from one board to another.
Cornhole Game Scoring Rules
Scoring a cornhole is easy:
- On the board: If a player throws a bag and it lands on the board, it gives the team 1 point. The bag must be placed on the board for point counting.
- In the hole: If the bag passes through the hole, the team gets 3 points.
- Cancellation Scoring: Only the difference in points between the two teams is counted. For example, if Team A scores 7 points and Team B scores 5 points, Team A gets 2 points for that round (7 – 5 = 2).
The 1st team to reach 21 points wins the game.
Cornhole Rules
- Cornhole is played with two groups, each consisting of players (single) or two players (double).
- Players pitch their bags in an underhand motion from the pitcher’s box on each side of the board.
- Players take turns tossing their cornhole bags toward the opposing board.
- After each team has bagged four, the players take the score and begin pitching again on the opposing board.
- The team scoring points in the previous innings comes first in the next innings. If it is a tie, the team that went first during the last innings has to go first again.
How to Play Cornhole game: Step by Step
1. Deciding who goes first.
Teams may flip a coin or use another method to decide who tosses first. Once decided, the game begins.
2. Tossing the Bags
Players take turns tossing their bean bags from the tossing area along the board. It would help if you stayed behind the front edge of the board when throwing. Tossing continues until all eight bags have been thrown (four per team).
3. Bag Interference
If a bag touches the ground before it lands on the board or in a hole, it is removed and does not count for any points. Similarly, if a bag lands on the board but then falls or hits another bag, it does not count as a point. Similarly, if a bag lands on the board but then falls or hits another bag, it does not count as a point.
4. Alternating Throws
A player from team A throws the bag, then a player from team B throws the bag. They alternate until all bags have been thrown for that round. After each round, teams switch sides on the board, and the next round begins.
Game Rules for Cornhole
Stay behind the line
When throwing the bag, the player must stand behind the front edge of the board (also called the “foul line”). If a player crosses the foul line, his throw does not count.
Play to 21 points
The cornhole game is played to a total of 21 points. However, a team must win by exactly 21 points. If a team scores more than 21 points in a round, its score is reduced by 15 points, and play continues. The goal is to land exactly 21 points to win.
Role of partners
When playing doubles, one player from each team will stand next to one board, while their partner will stand on the opposite board. Partners from the same team alternate throws with the opposing team.
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Common Variations of Cornhole
- Short distance
For casual or family play, you can place the boards closer than the official 27 feet. This allows younger or less experienced players to enjoy the game easily. - Simple scoring
In casual games, some players ignore cancellation scoring and simply add up the points scored by each team after each round. This makes scoring easier and the game faster. - No deficiency rule.
Another common variation is to remove the rule where a team goes back to 15 points if they go over 21. Instead, the first team to reach or exceed 21 points wins.
CornHole Game Rules
Winning the Game
To win the game, a team needs to score 21 points using the cancellation scoring system. Once a team reaches 21 points at the end of the round, it is declared the winner.
In doubles, the members of both teams celebrate the victory together. If playing a tournament or series, teams may switch sides to start the next round.
