Cornhole or corn toss is a fairly simple game. However, there are some strict, inflexible rules regarding how to set it up.
There must be two cornhole boards, and each team must have four bags. The boards have one hole each on the farther end. Throwing your bag into the hole gets you 3 points, while throwing it anywhere else on the board gets you 1 point.
Keep reading for more details regarding the boards, bags, and placement of each. We’ll also go over the scoring rules.
Cornhole game setup
There are rules regarding the sizes of the cornhole boards and cornhole bags as well as their placement.
Cornhole board size
The boards must be 4 ft x 2 ft rectangles made with plywood. You can use another material, but the size must stay uniform.
The front end of the board is lifted 2 inches, while the back end is lifted 12 inches. So you end up having an inclined surface. The hole is on the 12-inch end. It is 6 inches in diameter.
Cornhole bag size
The bags are 6 inches by 6 inches and filled with corn or resin. You can easily use either. Both teams must have easily distinguishable bags, so the fabric used to make them is often either colored in bright colors like red or yellow or have a design.
Anything that makes them identifiable from afar is okay. Take a good look around your cornhole shop.
Placement
The two boards are placed 27 feet apart, facing each other. The center of each of the curricular holes in the boards must be 33 inches apart. If both these measurements aren’t lining up, the holes probably aren’t in the right place.
After placing the boards, two pitchers’ boxes must be drawn on each side of the court. These are 4 ft by 3 ft boxes along the sides of both boards. Players stand in these spaces to toss their bags.
Each team stands in a different pitcher’s box. Then they move to the pitcher’s box in front of them in the next round.
For instance, if Team A stands in the designated pitcher’s box to the left of the first board, they have to stand in the pitcher’s box to the right of the second board. This ensures each team has to throw from both sides and ensures fairness.
Gameplay
The game starts with a coin flip to determine who will throw their bag first. Then both teams stand in their pitcher’s box and throw one bag at a time. The team who wins the toss goes first. Then the other team has their turn.
You keep going until all the bags have been thrown. Afterward, points are added, and you must figure out which team won and with what score—more on scoring later on.
Once your game’s referee or judge determines everything is in order, both teams move to the pitcher’s boxes on the other side of the playing court, collect their bags, and get ready to toss them again.
A typical doubles game has several innings. An inning refers to 2 rounds of tossing bags.
Scoring
Tossing your bag in the hole gets you 3 points, while tossing it on top of a board gets you 1 point.
Cornhole uses cancellation scoring. So if Team A gets two bags in the hole and one bag on the board while Team B gets one bag in the hole and three bags on the board, Team A will have 7 points while Team B will have 6 points—Team A will win with a score of 1.
To determine the winning team’s score, you must subtract both sides’ points. This score is added on after every round.
Fouls
There are a couple of cornhole fouls cornhole players should know about.
First, if a player steps outside the pitcher’s box when throwing their bag, it won’t count towards their total score. It will be a null throw and have no impact on the game. So keep an eye on the foul line!
Second, if a bag touches the ground before the board, it won’t add to a team’s points.
Third, if a bag lands on the board but slides onto the ground, it will not add to a team’s points.
Busting after 21 points
If a team passes 21 points, they get busted and moved back down to 15 points. Then they have to make their way up again.
As an example, consider that Team B is at 19 points. They need 2 points to win. So the ideal situation is to have a 2-point lead over their opponent. If their opponent has one bag in the hole, they need one bag in the hole and two on the board.
This way, they will have 5 points while their opponent has 3. However, if they get two bags in the hole, they will have 6 points while their opponent has 3 bringing their total score to 3.
In this situation, they will cross 21 and reach 22. That isn’t good.
Playing Strategies used in cornhole games
Given the way cornhole scoring works, players have to play quite strategically. They can’t just aim for the hole and hope for the best.
You have to use defensive and offensive moves as well as show restraint.
Here are three situations where aiming to get your bag on the board and not in the hole is important:
- You’re close to 21 and need a specific number of points to get the score you want
- Your opponent will win if they get their bag in the hole, so you must block them
- Your opponent is winning, and you want to push their bag off the board with your bag
Conclusion
Cornhole rules are one of the simpler parts of the game. Strategy is more complex and difficult to get a proper grasp over. But you need to know the rules to play cornhole, so read the article carefully.
