Two boards face each other 8.23 metres apart. Two sides, four bags each, thrown underarm in alternating turns. Through the hole is 3 points, resting on the board is 1 point, on the ground is nothing.
Only one side scores per round. Subtract the lower round total from the higher and the difference goes to the leader. First to 21 wins.
That is the whole game in five lines, and it is genuinely all you need to start. Everything below is the detail that settles arguments: what counts as a foul, what happens to a bag that lands on top of another, how to score a round when both sides put bags on the board, and the variations worth knowing once the basic game gets easy.
Setting up a cornhole game before you start scoring
Put the boards on flat ground facing each other, front edge to front edge, 8.23 metres apart. That is 27 feet, and it is measured between the near edges, not the far ones or the centres.
You need throwing room behind each board as well, so allow 12 to 13 metres of clear length in total. Width matters far less, and 3 metres is plenty. Most backyards will take a court if you run it along the longest line of the lawn rather than across it.
For juniors, or for a casual game where people are holding a drink, bring the boards in to somewhere between 3.6 and 4.5 metres. Nothing else about the game changes.
Singles or doubles
In singles, both players stand at the same board and throw to the far one, then walk down and throw back. In doubles, partners split up: one at each end, throwing to the board their partner is standing beside. Doubles is the better game and the one leagues play.
Each side has four bags in its own colour. Eight bags total, four red and four blue, is what a proper set gives you.
Who throws first
Flip a coin or throw one bag each closest to the hole. After that, the side that scored in the previous round throws first in the next one. If nobody scored, the side that threw first last round throws first again.
How a round works
- The first side throws one bagUnderarm, one bag at a time. Overarm is not a foul in casual play but it is bad form and it wrecks boards.
- The other side throws one bagYou alternate, one for one, rather than one side throwing all four.
- Keep alternating until all eight bags are thrownThe side that threw first in the round keeps that order throughout the round.
- Score the roundCount both sides, cancel them off against each other, and award the difference.
- Collect the bags and throw back the other wayThe next round is thrown from the far end towards the board you were just aiming at.
Cornhole scoring, and the bit people get wrong
The point values are the easy part, and they are set out in the American Cornhole Association official rules.
| Where the bag ends up | Points | Called |
|---|---|---|
| Through the hole | 3 | A cornhole, or "in the hole" |
| Resting anywhere on the board | 1 | A woody, or "on the board" |
| On the ground | 0 | A dirt bag |
| Touching the board and the ground | 0 | Still a dirt bag |
The part that trips people up is cancellation scoring. Only one side scores in a round. You total each side, subtract the smaller from the larger, and only the difference is awarded, to the side that had more.
A worked example
Say red puts one bag through the hole and two on the board. That is 3 plus 1 plus 1, so 5. Blue puts three bags on the board, so 3.
Red scored 5, blue scored 3. Subtract 3 from 5 and red is awarded 2 points for the round. Blue gets nothing, despite having landed three bags. That is the whole of cancellation scoring, and it is why cornhole games stay tight.
Why cancellation matters. It means a good round only counts if it is better than your opponent's good round, so leads are hard to build. A single three-pointer in the last round can turn a game, which is exactly why people stay interested to the end.
Winning the game
First to reach or pass 21 at the end of a round wins. You finish the round you are in, so a side can go from 19 to 22 and win on a single bag.
There is no need to land exactly on 21 in the standard rules, though plenty of families play that way. See the variations below if that is how you grew up playing.
Fouls
The main one is the foul line, which is the front edge of the board you are standing beside. Step past it as you throw and the bag does not count, and it is removed if it landed on the board.
Two more worth agreeing before you start. A bag that hits the ground first and bounces onto the board is removed rather than scored. And a bag that lands on the board and is then knocked off by a later throw scores nothing, while a bag knocked into the hole by a later throw scores the full three, whoever knocked it in.
Cornhole Pro, ACA regulation set
Two regulation 122cm x 61cm boards, eight ACA-compliant bags, a rules card and a padded carry bag. Solid pine folding legs, splinter-free surface, 5-year warranty and free delivery Australia-wide.
See the Cornhole Pro setPrint a score sheet
Cancellation scoring is easy to follow and surprisingly easy to lose track of after the third round, particularly with people wandering in and out of a game. A sheet with a column for each side's round total and a running score solves it.
Ours has space for twelve rounds, a reminder of the point values along the top, and room for names so you can run doubles. Print it on A4, keep a couple in the carry bag with the boards.
Print the free cornhole score sheet
Variations worth knowing
Once the standard game is comfortable, these are the versions that come up most.
| Variation | How it changes things |
|---|---|
| Exact 21 | You must land on 21 exactly. Go over and you drop back to 15, or to 13 in some house rules. Games run much longer. |
| Play to 11 | Same scoring, lower target. Good when you have six people waiting for a turn. |
| Timed rounds | Play as many rounds as you can in fifteen minutes and take the highest score. Suits a party. |
| No cancellation | Every side keeps everything it scores. Simpler for young children, but games are far less close. |
| Call your shot | Name the shot before you throw, and if you make it everyone must match it or take a letter, spelling H-O-R-S-E. |
| Airmail only | Bags must go straight into the hole without touching the board first. Brutal, and excellent practice. |
Cornhole slang, decoded
- Cornhole or drainer. A bag straight through the hole, worth 3.
- Woody. A bag resting on the board, worth 1.
- Dirt bag. A bag on the ground, worth nothing.
- Airmail. A bag that goes in the hole without touching the board first.
- Blocker. A bag deliberately left short of the hole to shield it from your opponent.
- Slider. A bag thrown flat and low so it slides up the board into the hole.
- Backstop. A bag sitting just past the hole, useful for stopping a slider running off the back.
- Skunk. Winning 11 to nothing, where some house rules end the game early.
Three things that make you better quickly
Throw the same way every time. Same grip, same step, same release height. Cornhole rewards repetition more than power, and the players who improve fastest are the ones who stop experimenting mid-game.
Aim for the front edge of the hole, not the hole. A bag landing flat just short of the hole slides in. A bag aimed at the hole itself often lands past it.
Use blockers when you are ahead. A bag parked in front of the hole is worth more than a point, because it takes your opponent's best shot away. Most casual players ignore this entirely, which is exactly why it works.
Frequently asked questions
How do you score cornhole?
A bag through the hole is 3 points and a bag resting on the board is 1 point. Scoring is by cancellation, so you subtract the lower round total from the higher and only the difference is awarded, to the side with more. The first side to reach or pass 21 at the end of a round wins.
What is cancellation scoring in cornhole?
Only one side scores each round. If red scores 5 in a round and blue scores 3, the 3 cancels out part of the 5 and red is awarded 2 points. Blue gets nothing. It keeps games close, because a big round only helps if it beats your opponent's round.
How far apart are cornhole boards?
8.23 metres, or 27 feet, measured front edge to front edge. Junior and casual play is usually 3.6 to 4.5 metres. Allow 12 to 13 metres of total length once you add throwing room behind each board.
Do you have to score exactly 21 in cornhole?
Not under standard rules. You win by reaching or passing 21 at the end of a round, so going from 19 to 22 wins the game. Exact 21 is a common house variation where going over sends you back to 15.
Does a bag count if it bounces off the ground onto the board?
No. A bag that touches the ground before landing on the board is removed and scores nothing. A bag knocked into the hole by a later throw does score 3, regardless of which side knocked it in.
What happens if you step over the line?
The throw is a foul and does not count. The foul line is the front edge of the board you are standing beside, and the bag is removed from play if it landed on the board.
Can you play cornhole with two people?
Yes. In singles both players stand at the same board, throw their four bags each towards the far board, then walk down, score the round and throw back the other way.
Sources: Official rules, scoring and court dimensions from the American Cornhole Association.