Cornhole is the quintessential backyard game that blends skill with casual fun, perfect for any outdoor gathering. Participants take turns tossing bean bags at an angled board with a hole at the far end, aiming to either land on the board for points or swoosh through the hole for a higher score. The simplicity of the rules and the engaging play make it accessible for all ages and skill levels, ensuring that everyone can join in. With a little strategy and a lot of laughs, cornhole fosters a competitive yet relaxed atmosphere, making it a favorite at barbecues, tailgates, and family get-togethers.
Cornhole is a popular lawn game that involves throwing bags filled with corn or beans into a hole on a raised platform. Here’s how to play:
- Equipment:
- Two cornhole boards, each with a single hole located near the top end.
- Eight bags (usually four of one color and four of another) filled with corn or plastic pellets.
- Setup:
- Place the boards on a flat surface, facing each other, 27 feet apart (front to front).
- Teams or individual players stand at one board and throw bags toward the other.
- Objective:
- Score points by tossing the cornhole bags into the hole or landing them on the board.
- Game Play:
- Decide who goes first (typically with a coin toss).
- Players take turns throwing bags toward the opposite board, one bag at a time.
- All four bags are thrown by one player, then the next player throws their four bags.
- Scoring:
- **In the hole:** Bags that go into the hole are worth 3 points.
- **On the board:** Bags that remain on the board are worth 1 point.
- Scores are tallied at the end of each round (after all eight bags are thrown).
- Only one player/team scores per round, earning the difference in points (e.g., if Team A has 6 points and Team B has 4 points, Team A scores 2 points for that round).
- Rules:
- Bags must be tossed underhand.
- Players must stay behind the front edge of the cornhole board while throwing.
- Bags that touch the ground before landing on the board or in the hole do not count and are removed from the board before the next throw.
- Winning the Game:
- The game continues until a player or team reaches or exceeds 21 points.
- Some play with the rule that the score must be exactly 21; going over means the score reverts to 15.
- Additional Rules/Variations:
- **Skunk rule:** Game ends if a team reaches 11 points before the other team scores any points.
- **Cancellation scoring:** Points scored by the opposing team cancel out (e.g., if both teams score 3 points in a round, no points are awarded).
Cornhole can be played as casual backyard entertainment or in more formal tournaments, with slight variations in rules depending on the setting.