Have you ever been to a barbecue with your family, and enticing lawn games litter the grass, sparking the mildest healthy competition? Badminton, horseshoes, boccie and more have been backyard staples, but have you ever wanted to learn how to play cornhole? This deceptively simple game requires precision and enthusiasm. The best part — anyone can learn it. Figure out the details and show off at your next event.

How to Set Up the Game

Let’s start with a list of cornhole equipment you’ll need to have the perfect game:

• Eight 6×6-inch bean bags that weigh around one pound, and four go to each side. Try to make each team’s bean bags different colors.
• Two cornhole boards measuring 2×4 feet and the six-inch hole is nine inches from the board’s top.
• At least two players, or more if you want to play a team match.
• A way to keep score.

Now, it’s time to put the pieces in place. Find a flat piece of ground to make the game as fair as possible. The boards should be 27 feet apart, opposing each other. The best part about cornhole is that is really all there is to get the game prepped. Now, it’s time to get into positions.

Rules for How to Play Cornhole

You will stay at your board the entire time in a two-player game. There will be one representative from each team at each board in four-player team games. Grab your bean bags and get ready. Let’s learn to play cornhole. Do a coin toss or play rock-paper-scissors to see which side can draw first blood.

Everyone that is throwing must remain in permitted zones, otherwise it’s considered a foul throw. At no point can you pass the front of the board. Where else can you stand and throw? Depending on your throwing strategy, feel free to move three feet to either side of your board. If you have a powerful arm, you can stand three feet behind the back of the board, too. 

One person will throw into the opposing board, attempting to land their bag in the hole or on the board. Each side will alternate until they use all bags.
Are there rules for your throwing style? Can you throw overhand in cornhole? According to regulation play, underhand throwing is the only kind of throw permitted. However, feel free to create house rules to allow overhand and even the side tossing. If you want to get better and more precise at the game, consider only using underhand techniques.

How Do You Score Cornhole Games?

The objective is to be the first side that reach 21 points. If you’re skilled enough to land a bag in the opposing hole, you gain a sweet three points. Any bags sitting on top of the board at the end of the round are only worth one. However, if you’re strategic and use additional throws to push or slide more bags into the hole, those pushed bags are also worth three points — as if you got them in the hole the first time. 

Anything that lands off the board and into the grass is worth nothing when scoring. A bag also will not count if you throw it, it hits the ground, and continues rolling onto the board. In cornhole terms, this is called a “dead bag.” It must hit the board first and stay there to count.

Now, you don’t just simply add the scores of the bags. Cornhole uses elimination scoring. Here is an example. If one Team 1 scores three points and Team 2 scores four, Team 2 wins the inning. However, you take this score, subtract the losing side’s points from the total, and that is added to the winning team’s overall. So, in this round, Team 2 ends with one point and Team 1 with zero. The winning team is the first to launch the following round.

What happens if you go over 21 in cornhole? The American Cornhole Association says nothing. The first to 21 wins the game. However, others play slightly differently. Some games attempt to have the winning score to be exactly 21. If you go over the number, the in-lead team will have their score reduced. Some universities bring the score down to 15 or even 13 as a penalty for their imprecision.

How Do You Get Better at Cornhole?

Here are a few tips to help everyone have the best game they can. First, try orienting the boards so that the sun doesn’t hit any player in the eyes. Additionally, if the wind is too strong, it might cause frustration when bean bags don’t go where you intend. Consider rescheduling or waiting for strong winds to dissipate.

Get a good stretch in before playing or pushing your body. You’d be surprised at the amount of exertion you’ll use trying to win a game of cornhole.

Another way to step up your game is to focus on distance instead of height. Lobbing bean bags high into the air will reduce speed, and it might hinder overall accuracy. This is combined with proper grip. Figure out a way to hold the bean bag that feels most comfortable for you, but some encourage putting a spin on the bag with a flick of the wrist to increase the chance of sliding.

Also, try to be decisive. In competitive cornhole games, each opponent only has 20 seconds to throw their bag. Obviously, you don’t have to maintain a strict clock in a friendly game. However, it gives you less time to second-guess your stance and position.

As a bonus, feel free to learn some expert cornhole lingo. Here are some of the favorite terms and phrases:

• Woody, bag in-the-count, or boarder: A bag that lands on the board and not in the hole.
• Bag in-the-hole, cornhole, or holer: A bag that lands in the hole.
• Corn on the cob: Getting every bean bag on the board.
• Nothing but corn: A bag that goes straight into the hole without touching the board.

Becoming a Backyard Games Legend

Become the best neighborhood cornhole competitor. Show off at wedding receptions and cookouts in equal measure. Learning how to play cornhole thankfully doesn’t have a high learning curve, which allows as many people to enjoy it as possible. Always remember to be a good sport and prioritize fun over everything.