Cornhole

Cornhole Rules

Cornhole rules — board distance, cancellation scoring to 21, pitching rules, and fouls for rec league and bar league play per ACL standards.

Based on American Cornhole League rules 8 rules Official baseline

Players

Singles or doubles

Game

To 21 (cancellation scoring)

Boards

27 ft apart, front to front

Bags

4 per side, 16 oz duck cloth

Field & Equipment 2

Bags

6×6", 15.5–16.5 oz, resin-filled duck cloth

Regulation bags are six-inch squares weighing about a pound, typically with a "slick" and "sticky" side. League sets must match ACL stamps in sanctioned play.

Board Setup

27 ft front-to-front; 2×4 ft boards, 6" hole

Regulation boards are 2×4 feet with a 6-inch hole centered 9 inches from the back, placed 27 feet apart front edge to front edge (rec/social play sometimes uses 24).

ACL Rule 2

Players & Teams 1

Doubles Format

Partners at opposite boards; no walking

In doubles, partners stand at opposite boards and pitch the frames from their end alternately with their opponent. Singles players walk after each round.

Game Format 1

Rounds & Order

4 bags each per round; round winner pitches first

A round is all eight bags. The team that scored in the previous round throws first in the next; after a wash (0-0), order stays.

Gameplay 2

Hangers & Dirt Bags

Bag touching ground = dead, remove it

A bag that touches the ground before landing on the board is dead and removed before the next pitch. Bags hanging in the hole count as in-hole when the round is scored (knock-throughs count naturally).

Pitching

Alternate throws; stay in the pitcher’s box; foot faults

Opponents alternate tosses from the same side, each from within their pitcher’s box (the rectangle beside the board). Stepping past the board’s front edge before release is a foul — the bag is removed.

ACL Rule 6

Scoring 2

Cancellation Scoring

In-hole 3, on-board 1; scores cancel each round

Each round, one team’s points cancel the other’s: only the difference scores. Bag in the hole = 3, bag on the board = 1, ground = 0.

ACL Rule 7

Winning

First to 21+ at the end of a round (no bust in ACL)

First team to reach 21 or more when a round completes wins — exceeding 21 does NOT reset under ACL rules. Bar leagues sometimes play "bust back to 15"; check your league rule set.

Your league may vary

These are the recreational baselines. Leagues on UnderDraft publish their own rule sets — players see exactly which variations apply before every game, and referees enforce them from the sideline.

Rules for other sports

Soccer rules Basketball rules Volleyball rules Softball rules Baseball rules Kickball rules Flag Football rules Tennis rules Pickleball rules Golf rules Bowling rules

Run your cornhole league on these rules

Publish your rule set, and UnderDraft enforces it — from registration to the live tracker. Free for organizers.

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