How to Play Cornhole

The Basic Rules of How to Play Cornhole

Cornhole is played with two or four players attempting to toss cornhole bags into the hole on a cornhole board to score points.

Objective

Be the first team to reach (or exceed) a score of 21 points at the end of an inning of play.

Cornhole Equipment

Cornhole Boards: Standard cornhole boards are 2-ft. x 4-ft. The hole is positioned 9-in. from the top of the board, with a 6-in diameter.

Cornhole Bags: Each team has four cornhole bags of contrasting colors. Cornhole bags should be 6-in x 6-in. and weigh approximately 1 pound.

Cornhole Board Distance

Cornhole board distance: The cornhole boards are placed 27 feet apart from front edge to front edge.

Kids, seniors, or physically impaired adults may want to move the board closer together, at 12-15 feet.

Cornhole Rules

Cornhole is played with two teams, each consisting of one player (singles) or two players (doubles).

Players pitch their bags in an underhand motion from the pitcher’s box next to each side of the board.

Players alternate turns tossing their cornhole bags toward the opposite board.

After each team has pitched four bags, players take score, and resume pitching to the opposite board.

The team who scored points in the previous inning goes first in the next inning. If it was tied, the team who went first in the last inning gets to go first again.

Cornhole Scoring

A cornhole bag that goes through the hole is worth 3 points.

A cornhole bag that lands on the board and stays there is worth 1 point.

A cornhole bag that lands on the ground or bounces onto the board is worth 0 points.

Cancellation Scoring: Only one team can score points per inning. The team with the higher score cancels out the points of the opposing team in that inning.

Points Calculation: The team with the higher score in an inning earns the difference in points. For instance, if Team A scores 5 points and Team B scores 2 points in an inning, Team A earns 3 points for that inning.

Winning the Game

A The first player or team to reach or exceed 21 points at the conclusion of an inning is the winner.