Tossing your bag into the hole gets you 3 points. Having a bag land on the board gets you 1 point. If your opponent pushes one of your bags into the hole, you get 3 points. At the end of an inning, the total scores of both sides are subtracted—the remainder is awarded to the winning side. You keep playing till one side reaches 21.
This article will explore scoring-related cornhole rules and the 21-point rule in detail. We’ll also explore tips to maximize your score that will help you win any game of cornhole you participate in. So keep reading!
How to keep score in a game of cornhole
Scoring a game of cornhole is very straightforward because the goal of the game is simple: get your bag in the hole.
You score points by sliding your cornhole bag into it or having it land near it on the playing board. You can also score points if your opponent accidentally pushes one of your cornhole bags into the hole.
The closer you get to the goal, the more points you score.
So if a team gets one bag through the hole and two bags on the board, their total score will equal 3 + 1 + 1 = 5.
Scoring key
Bag goes through the hole: 3 point
Bag lands on the board: 1 point
Cancellation Scoring
After every inning, you calculate the winning team’s score using cancellation scoring.
This means that the winning team’s points are the difference the two teams’ scores in that round.
For instance, if team A has 5 points and team B has 3 points, team A will win and have a total score of 2 (5 – 3 = 2). Team B will have 0 points in that round.
Team A will then add 2 points to their total score till that point. Team B will do nothing.
You keep playing until one side of the match reaches 21 points.
Foul bag
There are a couple of situations in which a team does not score any points even if they get their bag in the hole or on the board. It’s important to know about them before you play cornhole.
First, you will not get any points if the bag lands on the ground before going onto the cornhole board.
Second, if you step outside the pitcher’s box when tossing your bag, your throw will not count. You can’t get any points for that throw even if you get your bag in the hole.
Third, you do not get any points if your bag lands on the board but later slips off. This may happen during your throw or because of your opponent’s toss.
A cornhole court
To understand these fouls, you must be familiar with how a cornhole playing field is set up.
There are two 2 ft x 4 ft boards 27 feet apart. A 3 ft x 4 ft box is marked along the sides of both these boards. These areas are known as the pitcher’s boxes. You have 20 seconds to toss your bag once you step into it.
Depending on where you stand in the box, the hole is between 27 and 30 feet away from you. Pick the best spot for you and aim from there. It doesn’t matter where you stand in the box if you stay in it and do not step outside and cross the foul line.
If you cannot throw your bag, so it lands on the board directly, you won’t get any points. Luckily for you, the bags don’t weigh much (around 15 ounces), so it is easy to toss them. Practice throwing a lightweight 6-inch x 6-inch bag this far before the competition starts to get used to it.
Scoring Tips
The most straightforward way to score in a game of cornhole is to get your bag in the hole. But that isn’t the only way. Here are three tips to keep in mind.
#1: Every bag doesn’t need to go in the hole
It’s tempting to try and get every bag in the hole. However, the hole is a very small target, and unless you have a lot of practice, it is easy to miss. So if you’re in a pinch and need points, you can aim to land your bag on the board.
You still get points, which is much easier to do in a cornhole team.
#2: Block your opponent’s bags
Another great tip is to block your opponent’s bags by tossing your bag near the hole. That way, they can’t get their bag in it, and you’re better off.
In many situations, they’ll try to bypass your bag but push it into the hole while theirs ends up staying on the board. You’ll get more points without even doing anything.
#3: Keep your calm and focus
Our last tip for you is to stay calm and focus on each throw. It’s easy to get upset after missing a throw or two and become unsettled. However, if you let small things like this get to you, you will become flustered and perform poorly throughout the game of Cornhole.
So stay relaxed and have fun. Avoid getting tense because your game will suffer if you do. You have four bags; make the most of them!
Conclusion
Count the total points per team at the end of one round. Look at how many of each team’s bags are on the board and in the hole and calculate accordingly.
Throwing your bag into the hole gets you 3 points, while throwing it onto the board such that it stays on the board gets you 1 point. If the bag slips off, you don’t get any points. You also don’t get points if the bag touches the ground before landing on the board.
You score a cornhole game by subtracting the total points of both teams. Award the difference to the winning team. Add onto this total after every round ends.
