RULES
The Basic Rules to Cornhole
Cornhole Boards
1. Place on a flat surface 24/27 feet apart (front to front).
2. The cornhole board surface should be 2′ x 4′.
3. A 6″ hole, centered 9″ from the back and 12″ from either side
(Alternatives – Boards are positioned 24′ (casual or amateur) or 27′ (professional or sanctioned leagues and tournaments) apart from the front end of the boards. The boards are either 2’x3′ (casual backyard or “tailgate” boards) or 2′ x 4′ (“official” tournament) in size.
Cornhole Bags
1. There should be 8 bags, 4 bags of each color.
2. Each bag should be 6 inches by 6 inches and have
1 pound of corn inserted into each bag.
Game Play
1. Team games consist of two teams of two people. Partners shall stand at
opposite cornhole boxes on the same side facing each other.
2. Each cornhole team shall have 4 bags of one color and all 8 cornhole bags
begin at one end.
3. A coin flip will determine which team shall go first and
from which side they will pitch from.
4. The team who has honors will begin play by one of the partners
throwing a cornhole bag at the opposite cornhole board.
5. A cornhole player may throw from anywhere behind the front of the cornhole box,
this is the games foul line.
6. Alternate throws between the two opponents until all 8 cornhole bags
have been thrown.
7. If a cornhole bag hits the ground first, then bounces up onto the board,
remove that bag for it does not count. A simultaneous hit (board and ground)
counts as a point if it stays on the board when it’s lifted from the ground.
8. After all 8 bags are throw, scoring is determined using Cancellation Format scoring.
Team A has 1 bag in the hole (3 points) and 2 bags on the board (2 points),
Team B has 2 bags on the board (2 points). Team A is awarded 3 points and
has honors to throw first in the next round.
9. The next round starts when the other cornhole player on the team,
which has honors, throws their first cornhole bag.
10. The cornhole game continues until one team reaches or goes over 21.
Cornhole Fouls
1. A cornhole players foot goes past the foot foul line (the front of the cornhole board).
2. Any bag that hits the ground and ends up on the board.
3. A Player goes out of turn.
When a foul occurs the result is removal of the bag from the board.
If the bag hits another bag or knocks one in the hole, the hit bag shall be put back where it was before the hit.
Scoring
The score shall be taken after all cornhole bags have been thrown for a round.
-3 points for a cornhole bag that goes through the hole.
-1 point for a cornhole bag that is on the playing surface.
-1 point for a cornhole bag that is hanging into the hole.
-1 point for a cornhole bag that is hanging off the edge. If cornhole bag is on the
front of the board, board can be lifted. If the bag stays on the board, point counts.
-1 point for a cornhole bag when there is a simultaneous hit (board and ground)
and it stays on the board when the board is lifted from the ground.
-0 points for a cornhole bag that is on the ground.
1. The team with the highest round score, adds the difference of the two scores
to their game score. (Cancellation Format scoring).
2. The team who wins the round is given honors to throw first in the next round.
3. If both cornhole teams have the same round score then the game score stays
the same and honors stays with the team who had it the previous round.
Explaining the Rules for an All-In-One Cornhole Tournament
Explaining the Rules for a Cornhole Tournament (2 Divisions)
Rules
Who knows the real history of Cornhole? Let’s settle it here. Ok maybe not. The problem is that there are many different versions of the history of Cornhole. Most of the story tellers of course, all believe they have the real story. I guess the actual history will probably remain a mystery. I’ve laid out the versions that I have come across in my research, and I’ll let you be the judge. If you have your own version, please share it below. We would love to hear any other stories that are out there.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati is the true origin of the game. At least that is what you will hear if you’re at a party in Porkapolis (a nick name for Cincinnati). It may or may not be where the game really started, but there aren’t many that will argue its popularity around town. It is estimated about 1999 that the game really started catching on. It all started on the west side of town. The story goes; from there it has been working its way across the Midwest.
Foothills of Kentucky
Pioneers could have played a version of the game in the foothills of Kentucky. This would fit with the Midwestern popularity as well. There are some that believe that this is where it all started.
Midwestern Farmer
This story gives credit to a Midwestern farmer named Jebediah Magillicutty. It is said that Mr. Magillicutty started the game back in the 1800’s.
German Farmer
Did a German farmer bring the game to this country? There are a number of stories that confirm this version. This falls in line with the Cincinnati story which may give it some additional credibility. Cincinnati is known for its strong German roots. It is very likely that Germany could have been the actual origin, with Cincinnati still taking credit for starting the spread throughout the U.S.
Ancient Civilization
The tribes of ancient civilizations tossed rocks at holes in the ground. This is yet another version of the ancient beginnings of the game. This very well could have be the first time something similar to Cornhole was played. This one however, seems to be a pretty far stretch from the game as we know it today.
The following is a list of terms commonly used in cornhole:
- Airmail: A bag that does not slide or bounce on the board but goes directly into the hole, usually over an opponent’s blocker bag.
- Back door, jumper Dirty Rollup: A cornhole that goes over the top of a blocker and into the hole.[9][10]
- Backstop: A bag that lands past the cornhole but remains on the board creating a backboard for a slider to knock into without going off the board.[9]
- Blocker: A bag that lands in front of the hole, blocking the hole from an opponent’s slide shot.[9][10]
- Busting: An unofficial rule that sends a player’s score back down to a predetermined number if their score at the end of a round exceeds 21.[11]
- Cornfusion: When players or teams cannot agree on the scoring of a given inning.[9]
- Cornhole or Drano: A bag that falls in the hole, which is worth three points.[9] The alternative name is a reference to a trademark, that of a sink clog clearing product.
- Cornholio: Same as just cornhole, depending on region; named for the alter-ego of the character Beavis in the animated TV series Beavis and Butt-Head.
- Dirty bag: A bag that is on the ground or is hanging off the board touching the ground.[10]
- Frame: A single round or turn during which a player and opponent each throw 4 bags.
- Four bagger: Similar to a Grand Bag Is the sequence of a player making all four bags in the hole during a frame. Although with a Grand Bag all bags have to go into the hole one bag after another by the player in a single turn. The bags cannot be knocked into the whole from atop the board by either player. There is a tradition in some areas where any social player who puts all four bags in the hole on a single turn gets to sign the board, often with some type of ceremony and recognition.
- Flop or floppy bag: Type of toss that didn’t spin the bag horizontally or vertically. Without rotation or spin.[12]
- Hammer: When one or more hangers (see below) are around the hole, a so-called hammer can be used. A hammer is a bag thrown as an airmail bag with a high arch in an attempt to take hanger bags into the hole with it.
- Hanger: A bag on the lip of the hole ready to drop.[9][10]
- Honors: The player or team who tosses first, resulting from the team scoring last or winning the coin toss before the first frame.[10]
- Hooker: A bag hitting the board and hooking or curving around a blocker and going in the hole.[9]
- Jumper: A bag that strikes another bag on the board causing it to jump up into the cornhole.[9]
- Shortbag: When a bag lands on the ground just before the cornhole board.[12]
- Skunk, whitewash or shutout: A game that ends in a 21–0 score or, by some unofficial rules, ends in an 11–0 score.[9][10]
- Slide, or slider: A bag that lands in front of the hole and slides in.[9][10]
- Swish: A bag that goes directly in the hole without touching the board. More often referred to as ‘Airmail’[10]
- Wash: When each team has scored exactly the same number of points in an inning, thereby “washing out” all points scored in the inning.
- Woody: Refers to any cornhole bag that has been pitched and remains on the cornhole board playing surface at the conclusion of the frame.
There are a number things that you must do if you want to throw a Cornhole every time. Read on, if you are interested in what they are. With the right throw and some consistency the odds of throwing a Cornhole are in your favor. Throwing a Cornhole is a lot less of a science than it is an art. There is no question that the perfect arc and the perfect slide will make you a Cornhole every time. The trouble is in actually throwing your bags with that perfect arc and slide every time. Here are some tips that will help you on your quest.
Arc
One of the most important parts of the toss is having the right arc. If you have too much the bag won’t move once it hits the board. Too much arc also adds air time which leaves more room for error. If the bag starts off course by just a little, the longer it has in the air, the further off course it becomes. This sticking power might be helpful for the one pointer’s, but might make a Cornhole a little more difficult as you’ll see below. Too little arc and your Cornhole bags might just slide off the back of the board. The perfect arc lets your bags slide on the board without getting too far out of control.
Slide
If you use the boards slide to your advantage, you will make more Cornholes. Don’t be afraid of the bag sliding if you want to make a Cornhole. It simply gives you a bigger target. If you play on different boards, you will have to adjust to all sorts of playing services. Some boards are really slick, and on some boards the bags just stick no matter how flat your arc. You will have to adjust your arc to accommodate.
Take a look at the pic below to show how to use slide to your advantage. To add a little science, think of this. Do you think your odds are all that great that you will throw your bag right through that 6in hole? Do you think you might up your odds by aiming for somewhere up the middle of the board and sliding your bag till it drops in the hole? Sliding your Cornhole bags is the key to making more Cornholes. You really have about 3ft of error room by sliding. If your bag hits 6in or 2ft before the hole it doesn’t matter. Either way you still have a chance to make the Cornhole if you are using the slide to your advantage. The only thing you have to do is keep it straight.
Form
Keeping the right form keeps your bags straight. It also helps you keep that consistent arc. Once you discover which form achieves the right arc, slide and keep your bags straight, practice makes perfect. Just wash, rinse and repeat. Take a look at these 6 Cornhole Throws You Have To Try to find your perfect throw. No matter which toss you use, consistency is the key. Once you master the form that works best for you, you’re on your road to a Cornhole every time. Well, maybe not every time, but most of the time might be a goal worth shooting for.
Basic Rules to Announce
CRC Tournament Rules
