How to Play Cornhole: Rules & Scoring

Cornhole is simple to learn and hard to master: two sides take turns pitching bags at a raised board with a hole in it. Bags on the board and in the hole score points, and the first side to 21 wins. Here's exactly how a game works, start to finish.

The setup

Play one-on-one (singles) or two-on-two (doubles). Each player gets four bags, and the two boards face each other 27 feet apart. In doubles, partners split up, one at each board, and pitch from opposite ends. In singles, both players throw from the same board.

Who throws first

Settle it with a bag: spin one flat on the board and watch which way the seam is pointing when it stops, whoever it points to throws first. After that, the side that scored in a round throws first in the next one.

How a round works

A round is one full rotation of all eight bags. Players alternate, pitching one bag at a time, until everyone has thrown their four. You have to release the bag before your foot crosses the front edge of the board; that's the foul line, just like the line in bowling. Then you walk down, tally the round, and play the next one back the other way.

Scoring

A bag in the hole is worth 3 points. A bag on the board that lands and stays is worth 1 point. A bag that touches the ground first and then settles on the board is a foul, pull it off, it scores nothing.

Cornhole uses cancellation scoring: the two sides' points cancel out each round, so only one side ever nets a score. If you put up 7 and your opponent puts up 4, you net 3 that round and they get zero.

Winning the game

First side to reach 21 points wins. You don't have to land on 21 exactly, cross it and the game is yours.

That's the whole game. Now dial in your court setup, grab your gear, and learn how to actually throw.