How to Play Cornhole

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Cornhole is an outdoor throwing game for two to four players in which teams pitch small fabric bags filled with dried corn or synthetic pellets at an angled wooden board set roughly 27 feet away. The board has a single circular hole cut near the top, and the entire contest comes down to landing bags in or on that target with enough precision to outscore your opponents before they outscore you.

Its appeal is straightforward: it takes about two minutes to learn, scales easily from a casual garden afternoon to a fiercely competitive tournament, and demands just enough skill to keep experienced players honest. You will find it at barbecues, camping trips, tailgate gatherings, and increasingly at organised leagues across the UK and North America.

A little history

The precise origins of Cornhole are unclear and disputed. Some accounts place a version of the game in nineteenth-century rural America, while others suggest it developed as a regional pastime in the American Midwest during the twentieth century. What is well documented is that the game grew rapidly in mainstream popularity from the early 2000s onwards, spreading across the United States before gaining a following internationally. No single inventor or founding moment has been verified to a reliable historical record.

Setting up

1. Place the two boards on a flat surface facing each other, with the front edges 27 feet (8.2 m) apart for adult play, or 21 feet (6.4 m) for junior or casual play.
2. The boards should be parallel and the holes aligned with each other along the central throwing axis.
3. Each board is angled so the playing surface slopes upward, with the hole end raised to approximately 30 cm off the ground and the front edge at about 7.5 cm off the ground.
4. Divide players into two teams of one or two. In a two-player game, one player stands at each board. In a four-player game, teammates stand at opposite boards.
5. Decide which team pitches first, typically by a coin toss or by each player throwing one bag to see who lands closest to the hole.
6. Give each team their four bean bags in their designated colour.

How to play

1. Teams alternate pitching bags during each round. A round consists of each player pitching all four of their bags.
2. In a four-player game, one member of each team pitches from the same end of the court, while their teammates wait at the opposite board. Players do not move ends during a game.
3. The team that scored in the previous round pitches first in the next round. After a cancelled round, the team that pitched first previously pitches first again.
4. Stand beside your board (not in front of it) within the designated pitcher's box, which is the space alongside the board between the front and back edges. You may not step past the front edge of the board when releasing the bag.
5. Pitch the bag underarm toward the opposite board. The bag must be released cleanly; no spinning the bag in a way that wraps around your arm.
6. A bag that passes through the hole at any point, including after bouncing off the board, scores 3 points and is called a hole-in or cornhole.
7. A bag that comes to rest on the board surface without touching the ground first scores 1 point and is called an acorn or a woody.
8. A bag that touches the ground before landing on the board, or that is knocked off the board by a subsequent throw from the same team, does not score.
9. A bag that overhangs the hole but has not fallen through by the end of the round counts only as a bag on the board: 1 point.
10. After all eight bags have been pitched, apply cancellation scoring (see Winning) to determine the net score for the round.
11. Remove all bags from the boards and repeat from the opposite end, with the teams switching which player pitches.
12. Play continues until one team reaches or exceeds 21 points.

Winning and scoring

Cornhole uses cancellation scoring. At the end of each round, subtract the lower team's score from the higher team's score. Only the team with the higher score receives points for that round; the other team receives nothing. For example, if Team A scores 7 and Team B scores 4, Team A banks 3 points and Team B banks 0. The first team to reach exactly 21 points wins. If a team goes past 21 in a round there is no penalty by default in casual play, but many competitive formats use a bust rule in which exceeding 21 returns that team to 15 points. Clarify your preferred bust rule before the game starts.

The fine points

The most common dispute is whether a bag that bounces off the ground and then lands on the board counts. It does not: any bag that contacts the ground before coming to rest on the board is dead and must be removed immediately. Similarly, a bag that is already on the board and gets knocked through the hole by an opponent's bag still scores 3 points for the team that originally landed it there. The bag scores based on where it ends up at the conclusion of the round, not based on who caused the final movement.

Foot faults are another regular flashpoint. A player's foot must not cross the front edge of the board at the moment of release. If it does, the thrown bag is declared dead and removed without scoring, regardless of where it landed. In doubles play, players must pitch from the same side of the court as their opposite teammate: both members of one team always pitch from the left side, or both from the right, to avoid crossover confusion. Agree on this before play begins.

How to win more often

• Aim for consistency over power. A smooth, controlled underarm swing lands bags on the board far more reliably than a forceful throw, which tends to overshoot or bounce unpredictably.
• Learn to block. If your opponent has bags sitting on the board, pitch deliberately to knock them off rather than always going for the hole. One knocked-off bag changes the cancellation maths significantly.
• Use the slope. Bags pitched at the centre of the board and released with a gentle arc tend to slide toward the hole. Flat, skimming throws stay where they land and are harder to control.
• In doubles, communicate with your partner about whether to play offensively (targeting the hole) or defensively (blocking) based on the current score difference, especially as either team approaches 21.
• Manage the bust risk. When you are close to 21, count carefully before each throw. Pitching all four bags aggressively when you are on 19 can lose you points if your format uses the bust rule.

Variations

Singles (Head to Head)

Two players face each other and alternate pitching all four bags each round from one end, then walk to the other end and repeat. Cancellation scoring applies as normal. This is the purest form of the game and is used in most competitive formats.

Bust Rule

Under this popular variant, a team that exceeds 21 points has their score reset to 15 rather than simply staying at their current total. This adds a late-game tactical layer, since teams on 19 or 20 must pitch conservatively or risk a significant setback.

Doubles with Partner Switch

After each full game, teammates switch partners with the opposing team. This keeps larger groups rotating and ensures the competition stays balanced if skill levels vary. Scoring resets to zero at the start of each game.

Junior Rules

Reduce the pitching distance to 21 feet and allow younger players to pitch from in front of the board rather than beside it. Some families also reduce the target score to 11 to keep individual games short and maintain children's interest throughout a session.

Cornhole: frequently asked questions