The Official Cornhole Rules

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the official rules of cornhole, as adopted by major leagues and tournaments. The goal is to make the game easy to understand for beginners while providing the necessary detail for competitive play.

1. The Basics

Objective:

The first team to score exactly 21 points wins the game.

Players:

The game can be played with two (singles) or four (doubles) players.

Court Setup:

The front edges of the two cornhole boards should be placed 27 feet apart. The boards are typically 2 feet wide and 4 feet long, with a 6-inch hole centered 9 inches from the top and 12 inches from each side.

Bags:

Each team uses four bags of the same color. Regulation bags are typically 6 inches by 6 inches and weigh 16 ounces.

2. Gameplay

Pitching Area:

Players must throw from within the designated pitcher's box, a 3-foot by 4-foot area on either side of the board. The player’s foot cannot cross the foul line (the front edge of the board) during the toss.

The Toss:

In a doubles match, one player from each team stands at one board, and their partners stand at the other. Players at the same board alternate throws until all eight bags have been tossed.

First Turn:

A coin toss or a "lag" (each team throws a bag, and the closest to the hole goes first) determines which team starts the game.

Subsequent Turns:

The team that scored in the previous inning starts the next inning. If no one scores, the team that threw last in the previous inning throws first.

3. Scoring

Cornhole uses a "cancellation" scoring system, meaning only one team can score points per inning.

Bag in the Hole (Cornhole):

A bag that goes completely through the hole is worth

3 points

. This is the highest-value shot.

Bag on the Board (Woody):

A bag that lands on the board and stays there is worth

1 point

. The bag can hang off the edge but cannot touch the ground or another object (like a stray bag on the ground) for it to count.

Foul Bag (Zero Points):

A bag that hits the ground before landing on the board, a bag thrown from in front of the foul line, or a bag that a player’s foot crosses the foul line when thrown is worth

0 points

.

Example of Cancellation Scoring:

Team A gets 2 bags in the hole (2 x 3 = 6 points) and 1 bag on the board (1 point), for a total of 7 points. Team B gets 1 bag in the hole (3 points) and 1 bag on the board (1 point), for a total of 4 points. Team A's 7 points cancel out Team B's 4 points. Team A scores the difference: 7 - 4 =

3 points

.

Note on "Bust" Scoring: The game must be won by scoring exactly 21 points. If a team's score exceeds 21, their score is "busted" and reverts back to their score at the beginning of that inning. For example, if a team has 19 points and scores 3, their score becomes 19 again. The game continues.

4. Winning the Game

The first team to reach exactly 21 points at the end of an inning wins the game. The winning team does not need to be ahead by a certain number of points. The game is officially over when a team reaches 21. No further bags are thrown in that inning.