cornhole-bagtoss

There are many different interpretations on how the game of cornhole was started. Some believe that a German farmer perfected the game in the back of his barn after seeing some kids throwing rocks into a hole. Other believe that an Irish farmer invented the game to pass the time with his friends.

What we do know is that the first documented version of cornhole popped up in Ohio. It became a popular following and traveled accross the state to many different tailgating parties, getting picked up by travelers from other states. Now this game is popular across the world and picking up rapidly with all age groups.

Rules of Cornhole:

1. COURT LAYOUT

A) Cornhole / Bag Toss courts are to be 10ft wide X 45 ft long. Each court will consist of two cornhole boards, 8 bean bags, a pitchers box and foul lines.

B) Pitcher's Box - This section is where players will be throwing the cornhole bags from. Each box is to be 4 ft wide X 3 ft long.

C. Foul Line - These are imaginary lines from the cornhole to the opposite cornhole board.

2. PLAYING EQUIPMENT - CORNHOLE BOXES AND BAGS

A) A Cornhole Platform should be 48" X 24" and made of wood.

B) The hole for the board needs to be 6 inches in diameter and 1 ft from each side of the board.

C) The cornhole bags will be 6" X 6" and weigh between 14 and 16 ounces

3. THROWING DISTANCE

A) The distance between cornhole platforms will be 27 ft makeing the throwing distance roughly 30 ft.

4. PLAY OF THE GAME

A) The game of cornhole can be played with either 2 people or 4. Singles involve both participants playing from the same side. Doubles is played with partners standing on opposite sides.

B) How Cornhole is Scored.
(I) In the hole -- If the bean bag goes into the hole on the platform, 3 points are scored
(II) On the cornhole platform -- If the bean bag lands on the platform, but does not go in the hole, 1 point is scored
(III) Off the cornhole platform -- If the bag doesn't go into the hole or land on the platform, 0 points are scored

C) The throwing of the bags will be alternated until all 8 bags have been thrown. The scores of both teams will then be added up and the difference will be totalled up. The points of the lower scoring team will be deducted from the higher scoring team

If you've ever been to a football, baseball, basketball, or any sporting event really, then you've noticed that many people like to tailgate. Tailgating, for those who aren't familiar, is a social event that takes place usually in a parking lot of a stadium or arena before a sporting event. Most tailgates involve a group of people drinking, grilling, and sometimes playing unusual games. I would like to discuss one of those games today.

Ever walk through a tailgate and wonder why people are throwing bags at boards 25-30 feet away from them? This is actually a game that was conceived a long time ago and many believe it came to the states through Ohio. The game is called Cornhole. Cornhole, also known as bean bag toss, corn toss, soft horseshoes, and many other names is one of the fastest growing tailgate games in the nation. It involves 8 bean bags, two cornhole boards (I'll describe what a cornhole board consists of later on), and 4 players. Here is a summary on how the game is played:

There are two teams needed for this game. 1 player from each team will stand across from each other at opposite ends. All 8 cornhole bags will start on one side (make sure there are two different colors of bags so you can separate who through which bag). The object of the game is to get the bags in the hole cutout in the cornhole board across from them (usually 25-30 ft away). Team A will start by throwing the first bag. You will alternate shots meaning Team B will throw the next bag and so on until all 8 bags are thrown. Score is kept by:

If a cornhole bag lands on the board it is considerd 1 point. If a cornhole bag lands on the board and goes in the hole it is 3 points. All points are tallied at the end of one round of throwing and the difference between the total is added to the team that got more points. For example if Team A scored 4 points and Team B scored 7, then Team B would get 3 points for that round. Which ever team gets to 21 first wins.

This is a rapidly growing game and only getting more popular by the day. I recommend the next next time you are at a tailgate try this game out. Who knows, you could be the next cornhole www.cornhole-bagtoss.com