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Cornhole Rules Card

A one-page cornhole rules card: how to play, how to score, and how to set it up. Hit print, fold it, and keep it with your set. Want the full walkthrough? See the Cornhole rules.

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Cornhole

rules card
Players2 or 4 (1v1 or 2v2)
Ages8+
Setup2 min
Spaceapprox 30 ft long x 8 ft wide

What you need

  • 2 regulation cornhole boards (2 ft x 4 ft with a 6-inch hole)
  • 8 bags total (4 per side, two colors)
  • A flat lawn or driveway about 30 ft long
  • Optional: a tape measure to set the distance

Scoring

  • Bag through the hole = 3 points.
  • Bag landing and staying on the board surface = 1 point.
  • Bags that hit the ground first then slide on, or that fall off, score nothing. A bag touching the ground and resting against the board does not count.
  • Cornhole uses cancellation scoring: in each frame the two sides' points cancel out, and only the higher side scores the difference. Example: you score 5, opponent scores 3, you net 2 points for that frame.
  • First side to reach 21 at the end of a frame wins.

How to play

  1. Set up the boards. Place the two boards facing each other so the front edges are 27 feet apart. Players or teams split up, one at each board.
  2. Decide who throws first. Flip a coin or rally for it. The first frame's honors go to the winner; after that, whoever scored last throws first.
  3. Toss your bags. Each player throws their 4 bags one at a time at the far board, alternating with their opponent. Stay behind the front edge of your board (the foul line) when you release.
  4. Tally the frame. Once all 8 bags are thrown, count the points on the far board. That completes one frame (also called an inning or round).
  5. Switch ends and repeat. Players at the far board now throw back the other direction. Keep playing frames until someone hits the winning score.
  6. Win the game. The first team to reach 21 points (or more) at the end of a frame wins.

Set it up

Boards are set with their front edges 27 feet apart. Each board is 2 feet by 4 feet, tilted up to 12 inches at the back, with a 6-inch hole centered 9 inches from the top edge. The front edge of each board is the foul line you throw from.