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Cornhole is similar to horseshoes except you use wooden platforms and corn bags instead of horseshoes and metal stakes. Contestants take turns pitching their corn bags at the platforms until a contestant reaches the score of 21 points. A corn bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform scores 1 point. Nobody really knows how cornhole started, but the game can be played anywhere and is great fun for all ages!
Value of the Corn Bags
- Corn Bag In-the-Hole: Bags that come to rest inside the hole in the platform are worth THREE points
- Corn Bag In-the-Count: Bags that come to rest anywhere on the platform are worth ONE point
- Corn Bag Out-of-the-Count: Bags that come to rest anywhere besides on the platform or in the hole are worth ZERO points
**Note: Corn bags must not touch the ground or any other part of the court prior to landing on the platform or in the hole. If a corn bag touches the ground before coming to rest on the platform or in the hole, it is a foul and must be removed prior to the continuation of play.
Cancellation Scoring
- Corn bags in-the-hole and corn bags in-the-count that are pitched by opponents during each inning (half inning for this doubles tournament) will cancel each other. Only non-cancelled bags are counted in the score.
- Corn bags in-the-hole from one contestant will cancel corn bags in-the-hole form the other contestant and those cancelled bags shall not score any points. Any non-cancelled corn bag in-the-hole scores THREE points.
- Corn bags in-the-count from one contestant will cancel corn bags in-the-count from the other contestant and those cancelled bags shall not score any points. Any non-cancelled corn bag in-the-count scores ONE point
- Points earned from non-cancelled corn bags in-the-hole are added to a team’s total score every half inning
- Points earned from non-cancelled corn bags in-the-count are added to a team’s total score every half inning
- Skunk scoring not allowed during round robin play
**Note: Cancellation scoring allows possibility of both teams scoring every half inning (Ex: Team A gets 3 bags in-the-hole and 1 bag in-the-count. Team B gets 2 bags in-the-hole and 2 bags in-the-count. Team A gets THREE points based on non-cancelled bags in-the-hole and Team B gets ONE point based on non-cancelled bags in-the-count.)
Length of Games
- Cornhole matches will be played until one team of contestants reaches 21 points at the completion of an inning.
- A match can never end in the middle of an inning. If a team reaches or exceeds 21 points in the top of an inning, the game cannot end until the other side is allowed to pitch and the inning is completed.
- If a match is tied at 21 or more at the end of an inning, play will continue until one team achieves a higher score at the end of an inning.
Innings
- Cornhole matches are broken down into innings. There is a top and a bottom round of play within each inning.
- The top of an inning is completed when the first two contestants (one from each team) pitching from the first platform have tossed all four corn bags.
- The bottom of an inning is completed when the last two contestants (one from each team) pitching from the other platform have tossed all four corn bags.
- An inning is never completed until all four contestants have pitched all four corn bags.
Pitching Rules
- The first two contestants (one from each team) alternate tossing corn bags until both players have thrown their four bags. The remaining two contestants (one from each team) will pitch from the other platform and continue alternating in the same manner until their four bags are tossed and the inning is completed.
- A contestant may toss the corn bags from either the left or right side of the platform, however, all four corn bags must be delivered from the same side of the platform during an inning. Both contestants can pitch from the same side of the platform if they choose.
**Note: The team that scored the most in the preceding half inning shall pitch first. If neither team scores during a half inning, the team that pitched last in the preceding half inning shall pitch first.
