Cornhole is similar to horseshoes in many ways, but has some unique advantages that are making horseshoes, and even lawn darts, a thing of the past. First off all Cornhole is kid friendly. It is a great family game, and it’s perfect for any type of party. Not only can the kids play, but most importantly you don’t have to worry about them getting injured. If you have every played a game of horseshoes or lawn darts, you know exactly what I am talking about. Either one of them can really hurt a kid or even a pet that gets in the way.

The other big advantage is its portability. To play horseshoes you need permanent pits set up to play the game right. For lawn darts, you need grass or dirt, which is a little easier to come by than horseshoe pits, you might agree. But you can’t take either one of them tailgating can you. Cornhole can be taken just about anywhere. Campgrounds, tailgating, driveways, backyard barbecues, parties, wherever you go, you can bring your boards. If you have a number of friends that have sets, you can line them up for tournaments side by side. If you have a foldable set of Cornhole boards, the whole set will fit in any trunk.

The game I am talking about has many other names as well. You may hear it called Cornhole, bean bag toss, hillbilly horseshoes, Baggo, or corn toss. You probably wouldn’t have too much trouble finding many other names for the game. The history of the game remains a mystery. Check out The Secret History Of Cornhole for many of the theories that have been floating around. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. Either way, most agree that it’s a ton of fun.

Cincinnati
Cincinnati is the true origin of the game. At least that is what you will hear if you’re at a party in Porkapolis (a nick name for Cincinnati). It may or may not be where the game really started, but there aren’t many that will argue its popularity around town. It is estimated about 1999 that the game really started catching on. It all started on the west side of town. The story goes; from there it has been working its way across the Midwest.

Foothills of Kentucky
Pioneers could have played a version of the game in the foothills of Kentucky. This would fit with the Midwestern popularity as well. There are some that believe that this is where it all started.

Midwestern Farmer
This story gives credit to a Midwestern farmer named Jebediah Magillicutty. It is said that Mr. Magillicutty started the game back in the 1800’s.

German Farmer
Did a German farmer bring the game to this country? There are a number of stories that confirm this version. This falls in line with the Cincinnati story which may give it some additional credibility. Cincinnati is known for its strong German roots. It is very likely that Germany could have been the actual origin, with Cincinnati still taking credit for starting the spread throughout the U.S.

Ancient Civilization
The tribes of ancient civilizations tossed rocks at holes in the ground. This is yet another version of the ancient beginnings of the game. This very well could have be the first time something similar to Cornhole was played. This one however, seems to be a pretty far stretch from the game as we know it today.

Getting Started

• For casual play, boxes are generally set up 24ft apart from front of box to box. (For tournament play, boxes are set up 27ft apart from front of box to box)
• To play the game you will need two teams.
• Teams can be made up of either one or two people each.
• For singles play (1 per team), opponents start and play from the same end.
• For doubles play (2 per team), teammates should line up next to opposite boxes and on opposite sides.
• Start with all bags (8) at one end.

How to Play

• Previous game winner or coin toss should determine which team throws the first bag.
• Alternate throws between teams until all bags are thrown.
• The foul line is made by the front of the boxes and all throws must be made from behind the foul line.
• If a player breaks the foul line or throws out of turn, the player will lose a turn.
• The team that scores the most points in a round, starts the throwing for the next round.
• If the round is tied the last team to win a round throws first.
• Any bag that touches the ground during a throw should be removed from the board and not counted.

Points

• 1 point for any bag thrown that is on the board but not touching the ground.
• 3 points for any bag in the hole
• Any bag that touches the ground during the throw or while hanging from the board does not count.

Tallying the Score

• For each throwing round, the team with the most points wins the round and subtracts the other team’s points from theirs.
• The difference is added to the team’s score that won the round.
• The first team to 21 wins.

Arc

One of the most important parts of the toss is having the right arc. If you have too much the bag won’t move once it hits the board. Too much arc also adds air time which leaves more room for error. If the bag starts off course by just a little, the longer it has in the air, the further off course it becomes. This sticking power might be helpful for the one pointer’s, but might make a Cornhole a little more difficult as you’ll see below. Too little arc and your Cornhole bags might just slide off the back of the board. The perfect arc lets your bags slide on the board without getting too far out of control.

Slide

If you use the boards slide to your advantage, you will make more Cornholes. Don’t be afraid of the bag sliding if you want to make a Cornhole. It simply gives you a bigger target. If you play on different boards, you will have to adjust to all sorts of playing services. Some boards are really slick, and on some boards the bags just stick no matter how flat your arc. You will have to adjust your arc to accommodate.

Take a look at the pic below to show how to use slide to your advantage. To add a little science, think of this. Do you think your odds are all that great that you will throw your bag right through that 6in hole? Do you think you might up your odds by aiming for somewhere up the middle of the board and sliding your bag till it drops in the hole? Sliding your Cornhole bags is the key to making more Cornholes. You really have about 3ft of error room by sliding. If your bag hits 6in or 2ft before the hole it doesn’t matter. Either way you still have a chance to make the Cornhole if you are using the slide to your advantage. The only thing you have to do is keep it straight.

Form

Keeping the right form keeps your bags straight. It also helps you keep that consistent arc. Once you discover which form achieves the right arc, slide and keep your bags straight, practice makes perfect. Just wash, rinse and repeat. Take a look at these 6 Cornhole Throws You Have To Try to find your perfect throw. No matter which toss you use, consistency is the key. Once you master the form that works best for you, you’re on your road to a Cornhole every time. Well, maybe not every time, but most of the time might be a goal worth shooting for.

4 Team Cornhole Tournament Bracket – Single Elimination

8 Team Cornhole Tournament Bracket – Single Elimination

16 Team Cornhole Tournament Bracket – Single Elimination

32 Team Cornhole Tournament Bracket – Single Elimination

64 Team Cornhole Tournament Bracket – Single Elimination

How do they play?
Most Cornhole enthusiasts would agree that wooden Cornhole boards are preferred over plastic when it comes to playing the game. This is usually because of the way bags slide on plastic. It is pretty tough to keep the bags from sliding off plastic boards. I’m sure there is a knack to it, but for those that are used to playing on wood, the plastic boards are a truly different game. With wood boards, you have a lot more control over how they play. You can make the surface more or less slick by considering different finish types. From bare wood to high gloss paint, there are many choices finish choices.

Portability
Cornhole boards are usually toted from one place to another. Whether it’s a party, camping trip, or just pulling them out in the backyard for fun, they usually have to be moved around. This is where plastic has an advantage. It’s lightweight and the plastic sets being retailed are collapsible. Wood on the other hand is heavier. Also, many wood sets big and bulky. There is however, an exception to this. Foldable wood game sets take care of the size issue without trading off anything really. This being said, they will still never be as light as plastic sets. You just have to decide if it is worth the tradeoffs.

Personal Satisfaction
If you choose plastic boards, you will most likely purchase them rather than build the set yourself. With wood you will have a choice either build or buy your set of Cornhole boards. This all depends on how you view building a set yourself. If you don’t want to mess with it, you will still have to choose between plastic and wood. If you see the value in looking back and being proud of what you have built, then you are probably better off building your own wood set. There is some real value in this personal satisfaction.

Weather
Plastic Cornhole board sets are going to fare better if left out in the weather than wood. When I say this, I am speaking about being left out in the rain or overnight to be covered in dew. Wood can still be protected very well though. If a wood set is left bare, it will take some time but eventually you will see the wood start to wear. If your wood boards are covered with a protective clear coat, stain or paint, it will take a whole lot of rain to have much effect. Either way, it’s best to keep your boards out of the weather.

Cost
The cost of plastic or finished wood board sets are really about the same. With either, you will probably get what you pay for. If you buy expensive Cornhole boards they will probably be better made and finished than the less expensive. The only time wood has an advantage here is if you choose to build your boards yourself. A well built set of either type of Cornhole boards will most likely cost you over $100. You could spend as little as $25 if you make them yourself.

Weather Resistant
This one goes to the plastic pellets. One of the biggest advantages to plastic pellets is their resistant to moisture. Over time, corn is more susceptible to developing mildew as the weather takes its toll. It’s almost inevitable that Cornhole bags will be left outside sometime. If this happens, the rain or the morning dew starts working away on your favorite bags. Your corn filled bags will probably start to mildew if they aren’t dried out quickly enough. Worse than that, if they really get waterlogged, corn can even swell up. Once this happens to your Cornhole bags, you might as well pitch them and dig out the sewing machine. They’ll never be the same.

Corn Breaks Down
Once a new set of Cornhole bags gets broken in it’s easy to get used to your “favorite bags”. The fabric that Cornhole bags are made out of is usually stiff “Duck Cloth” canvas. After the canvas breaks down, the bags get softer and easier to play with. That’s the good side of breaking in you bags. On the other hand corn changes the weight and play of the bags when it breaks down too much. You may have tossed a set of bags yourself that seemed half filled or floppy. This is the effect of the corn breaking down. I will say, this takes some serious playing time before you’ll notice the effects of this. Nevertheless, this is one of the disadvantages of corn as a fill.

It’s all in the Name
This one is pretty self explanatory. The game is called Cornhole, not pellet or bean hole. This is one reason some insist on corn filled bags. Playing with corn is how the game originated.

The Dust is a Must
No matter what you think about some of the disadvantages of corn filled bags listed above, it’s tough to argue with this one if you’ve played with both Cornhole bag types. This is the main reason everyone loves playing with corn filled bags. I’m not talking about which is more practical. I’m talking about what feels the best to play with. The dust that corn filled bags produce help the bags slide and play better. But that’s not the only reason players like the dust. There is just something about the dust of a Cornhole bag that coats your hands and clouds around the boards when the bags hit. It’s just part of the game for most. As the saying goes, “The Dust is a Must”.

The Basic Fold
This seems to be the most popular throw among Cornhole enthusiasts in our neck of the woods. Basically you flatten the bag and fill out. Then you just fold the bag right in half with an even amount of fill in each half.

The Double Fold
With this fold, you hold the bag by one corner. Next you fold the corner without any fill over the corner holding all of the fill. Then you fold the bag in half with the other two corners.

The Pancake
With this throw the bag is flattened completely. It can then be thrown under hand while resting flat on your hand. The most popular way to throw the pancake is by spinning it like a Frisbee towards the hole while keeping it as flat as possible.

The Sling
To throw the Sling, you hold the bag by one corner with you index finger and thumb. You then sling (as the name suggests) the bag to the hole giving the bag backspin.

The Fling
This throw is similar to The Sling. However, you hold this bag by one edge rather than a corner. You then pitch the bag underhand giving the bag backspin.

The Overhead
This is the only overhead throw on the list. You could mix one of the above folds with this method. However, generally the bag is just held in a ball and sort of shot towards the hole. I will add that this is probably the least consistent throw that I have seen, although it does work for some.

1. Ace or Cow Pie – A bag on the board for one point
2. Blocker – A bag on the board keeping a bag from scoring
3. Cornhole – A bag in the hole for 3 points
4. Back Door – A Cornhole that scores over a blocker
5. Dirty Bag – A bag that touches the ground before the board
6. Double Deuce – Four Cornhole’s in a row from one player in one round
7. Honors – The name for the team that scored last or throws first
8. Lipper or Hanger – A bag that is hanging an ready to drop in the hole.
9. Sally, Suzy, Mary (you get the idea) – A throw that doesn’t make it to the board
10. Skunk – A game with an 11-0 score