Cornhole Rules: Setup, Scoring and House Rules

Equipment and court setup

Two boards face each other. A common full-size board is 24 by 48 inches with a 6-inch hole near the far end, raised at the back and sloping down to the front. Each side has 4 bags, in two colours so you can tell them apart.

A common distance is 27 feet, measured from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other. Many backyard and bar games use less, around 21 feet or closer, and kids or beginners often move up. Pick one distance and keep it all night.

How a frame goes

1. Each side throws 4 bags a frame from the same end. In singles, that is one player. In doubles, one player from each team stands at each board, and partners swap ends every frame, so each partner throws every other frame.
2. Players take turns throwing one bag at a time. The team that scored last frame usually throws first. In the first frame, use a coin toss.
3. Throw from behind the front edge of your board. Many groups mark a foot fault line and ask players to keep their feet behind it.
4. After all 8 bags are thrown, count them. A frame is also called an inning.
5. Then walk to the other board and throw back the other way.

Scoring

Cancellation scoring: add up each team's points for the frame, then subtract the smaller from the larger. Only the team with more points scores, and it gets the difference. If both teams are equal, nobody scores that frame.

Winning the game

A game is played to 21. A common rule is that the first team to reach 21 or more at the end of a frame wins, and going over is fine.

Plan for about 15 to 20 minutes a game. This is an estimate.

Common house rules

• Bust: a team that goes over 21 drops back to a lower score, often 11, 13 or 15.
• Exact 21: some groups require landing on 21 exactly.
• Skunk: a team that is ahead 11 to 0 wins early.
• Foot fault line: a bag thrown from past the front of the board does not count.
• A bag that bounces off the ground onto the board is dead and removed.
• The winner of the last game throws first in the next game, or the loser does. Agree on one.

Doubles and singles

• Doubles: two teams of two, with partners at opposite boards. This is the common bar and league format.
• Singles: one player on each side, 4 bags each per frame. The distance stays the same.
• Blind draw: players come alone and draw a partner. See the blind draw page for how to run one.

Etiquette

• Stand still and stay quiet and out of the way while the other team throws.
• Do not walk up to the board until every bag in the frame has been thrown.
• Count the bags together and agree on the score before anything is moved.
• Say the totals out loud after each frame so both teams stay in step.

Tools and printables

• Printable cornhole score sheet
• Cornhole round robin schedule
• Blind draw cornhole night
• League schedule maker