Cornhole is one of the most popular tailgating games you’ll find being played anywhere. The game itself is very accessible and it makes for great fun. It can be a good game to play for both casual and competitive players. However, regardless if you are looking to be competitive with it, you’ll want to know how to play. Below, you’ll learn how to play and some tips that you should be using.
What Do You Need?
When it comes to playing cornhole, the equipment you need is very basic. It’s only two things.
Boards
The first thing you need is cornhole boards. You’ll need to have identical boards that will be placed 27 feet apart [1]. This is the standard regulation distance. If you’re interested, take a look at our picks for the best rated bean bag toss (cornhole) game sets.
Bags
Another thing you will need when you are looking to play cornhole would be official cornhole bags. These are beanbags. Each player will need a total of four bags. Each bag should be (6-inches by 6-inches) in size.
What Are The Rules?
Scoring
One of the things that you need to know when you are playing cornhole is the rules. The rules can be kept very simple. You get (1) point for landing the bag on the board. You get (3) points for landing the bag in the hole. The first to score 21 wins. While some will tell you that you cannot go over 21, that’s not true. The official rules state that the first to 21 wins the match [1].
Tips For Playing Cornhole
Get The Bag In The Hole
The primary objective for both players is to get the bag into the hole. While this isn’t the only way to score in cornhole, it’s the most rewarding. If your bag is thrown and lands and remains on the board after the frame, it counts as a point. If a player’s bag goes through the ‘hole’ then it’s referred to as cornhole and the player has rewarded a total of 3 points.
Spin to Win
One of the main things that you should be doing when you are playing cornhole is learning how to spin the bag. If you watch professional cornhole players, you will quickly notice they are all spinning the bag as they throw it. The main reason for this is the laws of physics. By spinning the bag, it will increase the surface area of the bag hitting the board and increase the likelihood of it falling into the cornhole.
Correct Stance
When you are tossing the bags, you should try to put your feet in the same position that you would use to throw a frisbee. This will put you in the best position to get cornhole.
Arc It
One of the biggest mistakes a lot of new players make when they are getting started with tossing a cornhole bag is throwing it. You don’t want to throw the bag. Throwing it will increase the chances of the bag sliding off the board. This type of ‘throw’ is increasingly inaccurate and it’s likely going to result in a lost point. Instead, you want to arc the bag so it lands coming straight down onto the board to maximize the chances of having it go in the hole.
Practice
The truth is, tossing bags into a hole isn’t likely to be natural for you. If you’re used to playing basketball, baseball, or another sport, you may need to unlearn some of your inclinations. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at tossing the bag. Getting the hang of playing cornhole won’t take too long. But you do need to continue to practice to grasp the form and to find your niche.
Final Words
As you can see, there is a lot to like about cornhole as a tailgating game. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular. You don’t necessarily need to be a world-class athlete to be good at it. While it does take some practice to get the hang of tossing bags, you should find your tossing style in very little time. Now that you know the rules and tips for playing cornhole, it’s time to get out there and have some fun!
