How to Play cornhole: America’s Favorite Backyard Game
It’s hard to walk through any RV resort or campground in the U.S. without seeing people playing cornhole, a simple game of tossing bean bags into a hole situated in the middle of an angled board. Since the Resort at Canopy Oaks will be having a Cornhole Tournament on February 19th, we thought we’d look at where the game came from and how to play cornhole. So study up. There may be a cash prize in it for you.
History of Cornhole
Like many simple games around the world, it’s hard to track down the exact history of the game widely known as cornhole. Some say the Blackhawk tribe of Native Americans invented the game, while others claim it originated in Cincinnati. Some trace the origin back to a German cabinet maker or a man from Kentucky.
According to Recreation Insider, “It’s likely that the current popularity of cornhole as we know it today began when Popular Mechanics magazine published an article on how to make cornhole boards in their September 1974 issue. By the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, the game had spread to Chicago and Illinois, as well as Northwest Indiana.”
Regardless of its origin, it likely got its name because the first bags were filled with corn kernels. Today, most bags are filled with resin or plastic beads since corn-filled bags grow mildew and break down when they stay wet too long.
Simple Backyard Cornhole Rules
Believe it or not, there is an official rule book on how to play cornhole put out by the American Cornhole Organization (ACO). Their simple backyard rules are what we follow at the Resort at Canopy Oaks during our Cornhole Tournaments.
Note: These rules have been taken directly from the ACO site. A printable version can be found here.
ACO Official Rules For How To Play Cornhole
- Boards are placed 27 feet from front edge to front edge.
- Games are played to 21 or more points. (no bust)
- Woody: Refers to any cornhole bag that has been pitched and remains on the cornhole board playing surface at the conclusion of the frame. Each woody is 1pt.
- Cornhole: Refers to any cornhole bag that has been pitched and passes through the cornhole board hole at any time within the frame. Each Cornhole is 3pts.
- A bag that comes to rest touching the ground AND the board does not count as a point.
- Cancellation Scoring: The approved method of scoring for the sport of cornhole is “cancellation” scoring. In cancellation scoring, the points of one player cancel out the points of their opponent. Using this method, only one player/team can score in each frame.
- Both players play one board at a time and stay in their designated lane for the whole game (right or left).
- Players start the game at one board and alternate pitching bags until each player has pitched all (4) of their bags.
- Players then walk to the end of their lane to the other board, take score, and resume pitching back to the other cornhole board.
- Players must deliver the bag with an underhanded release.
- Feet must stay behind the line of the front of the board at the time of releasing the bag.
- The player/team who scored in the preceding frame pitches first in the next frame.
- If neither player/team scores, the player/team who pitched first in the preceding frame shall retain first pitch in the next frame.
- If bags become piled inside the hole and may interfere or obstruct with the next pitch or if there is question whether a cornhole bag would have naturally fallen through the hole, a player may request to rake the cornhole bags that have fallen inside the hole.
Enter The Tournament
Already know how to play cornhole? Show off your skills near the Tiki Bar at the Resort at Canopy Oaks‘ Cornhole Tournament on February 19th from 12:00pm – 2:00pm. The entry fee is $20 per team, and cash prizes are awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place based on a percentage of the registration fees. You can pre-register by submitting your team name and participant names to activities@resortatcanopyoaks.com or texting 863-420-5893.
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