Official Cornhole Rules, Regulations, and Product Care Guide [2023-2024 season]

Equipment Guidelines

Boards

• Material: Boards must be made of wood (birch or oak) for ACL events.
• Finish: The surface should be smooth with a finished coat.
• Dimensions:
  • Width: 2 feet
  • Length: 4 feet
  • Tolerance: ±1/4 inch
• Hole:
  • Diameter: 6 inches (±1/8 inch)
  • Center Placement: 9 inches from the back edge, centered width-wise
• Thickness:
  • With cross-section support: Minimum ½ inch
  • Without cross-section support: Minimum ¾ inch
• Weight: At least 15 pounds
• Height:
  • Front Edge: 2.5 to 3.5 inches above the ground
  • Top: 12 inches above the ground (±1/2 inch)
• Surface Treatment:
  • No foreign substances (e.g., baby powder, silicone spray) allowed
  • A dry cloth can be used to clean the board before play

Bags

• Player Responsibility: Players must bring their own bags unless provided by the event director.
• Dimensions:
  • Width: 6 inches (±1/4 inch)
  • Length: 6 inches (±1/4 inch)
• Weight: Between 15.5 and 16.5 ounces
• Thickness: Between 1.1 and 1.5 inches
• Alterations: Bags must not be altered after purchase (e.g., no repair, stitching, resin removal/addition)
• Care:
  • Washing: Allowed with fabric softener and/or detergent, then dried
  • Breaking In: Permitted using ACL Approved products
  • Labeling: Allowed with a permanent marker, label not exceeding 5 square inches
• Condition:
  • No holes where resin can leak
  • No foreign substances on bags; intentional liquid application is prohibited
  • Bags must be uniform in design and color for both sides in a set of four
  • Switching Bags: Only allowed if a bag is unintentionally damaged or altered during a game
• Inspection:
  • Directors can inspect bags anytime

  Non-compliant bags lead to disqualification from using those bags and possible forfeiture of prize money
  
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Penalties

• Intentional Liquid Application: Players caught applying liquid may have to switch bags mid-game or forfeit the game.
• Sweat Management: Use a cloth to remove sweat; intentional application to bags is penalized similarly to liquid application.
• Design Consistency: All bags in a set must look the same. Mixed designs/colors within a set are not allowed.
• Bag Damage: If a bag is unintentionally damaged during a game, all four bags in that set must be replaced after the round.

Layout / Court Guidelines

Court

• Definition: The court is the total playing area for a cornhole game, consisting of two boards.

Pitcher's Box

• Dimensions: A rectangle 3 feet wide by 4 feet long (the length of the board) on either side of a board.
• Function: Designates a player's pitching area.

Lanes

• Definition: A lane consists of two pitcher's boxes directly opposite each other on two different boards within one court.
• Player Positioning:
  • Singles Play: If a right-handed player is in the pitcher's box on one board, the corresponding pitcher's box in the same lane on the opposite board will position the player's right hand towards the edge of play.
  • Doubles Play: Teammates line up directly across from each other in the same lane, not diagonally across lanes.

Boards

• Placement: Boards should be placed 27 feet apart (±1/2 inch), measured from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other.
• Orientation: The front edges of both boards must face each other.

Foul Line

• Definition: The foul line is at the front end of the board and also marks the front edge of the pitcher's box.

Vertical Clearance

• Indoor/Covered Play: The minimum ceiling height or covering is 12 feet.

Scoreboard

• Placement: One scoreboard per court (two sets of boards), placed at least 1 foot behind one board, outside the field of play.

Requirement: Scoreboards are not mandatory for play, but recommended.

Pre-Game Guidelines for Cornhole Games

Coin Toss

• Procedure: Each game starts with a coin toss, including every game in a series or in double elimination tournaments where the elimination bracket team wins the first game.
  • One player or team flips the coin.
  • The other player or team calls “heads” or “tails.”
• Singles Play:
  • The winner of the coin toss chooses the lane for the entire game.
• Doubles Play:
  • The winner of the coin toss chooses one of the following:
    • The lane and location of each player, which will be permanent for the game.
    • The player matchup for each board.
  • The loser of the coin toss decides the outcome of the option not selected by the winning team.
• First Bag: The winner of the coin toss decides which team or player will throw the first bag of the game.

Practice

• Customary Practice: Unless unanimously decided otherwise, a “down and back” practice round is completed before starting the game.
  • Singles Play:
    • Players complete one round of practice throws.
    • Walk to the opposite board, staying in the same lanes.
    • Complete another round of practice throws.
  • Doubles Play:
    • Competing players on one board complete one round of practice throws.
    • Their partners then complete a practice round from the opposite board in the same lane.
• Series Play: For a series of games with the same teams/players, a “down and back” is done if there is a side change, opponent change, or bag change, unless all players unanimously agree to skip it.
• Additional Practice: Must be unanimously agreed upon by all players.

4. GAMEPLAY

Proper Pitching Technique

1. Pitch Definition
   • A pitch is when a player throws a cornhole bag towards the opposite board, aiming to land the bag on the board or in the hole. Players can choose to pitch the bag off the board for zero points.
2. Pitching Style
   • Pitches can be made underhand or overhand.
3. Foul Line Rules
   • Players must release the bag before any part of their body touches the ground on or beyond the foul line. At the time of release, both feet must be behind the vertical plane of the foul line. Violation of this rule results in penalties.
4. Pitcher's Box Rules
   • Upon release, a player must have at least part of one foot inside the pitcher’s box and in contact with the ground. Players with disabilities may follow through beyond the foul line if the release occurs behind it.
5. Midpoint and Board Contact Rules
   • No body part, except the hand or arm, may cross the midpoint of the board. Players cannot step on the cornhole board while pitching or after follow-through. Violations incur penalties.
6. Foot Foul Violations
   • Stepping over the foul line before bag release results in penalties. If an official is called to observe, the player receives a warning for the first violation and subsequent violations result in forfeited bags. Intentional violations lead to immediate penalties.
7. Penalty for Forfeited Bags
   • Forfeited bags are removed from play with minimal disturbance. If bags are moved or fall into the hole during removal, they count but are subject to point adjustments. The player’s points from the forfeited bag and any additional points gained are subtracted from the round score.
8. Pitch Sequence Rules
   • The opposing player must wait for the previous player’s bag to come to rest before pitching. Violations result in penalties similar to throwing out of turn.
9. Follow-Through Step Rules
   • Players must keep one foot behind the foul line during the follow-through step. Both feet crossing the foul line results in penalties as for foot fouls.
10. End of Round Movement
    • Players must wait for the last bag of the round to come to rest before moving to the other end.

Sequence of Play

1. Rounds Definition
   • A round consists of 8 bags thrown by two players (4 each) towards one board. Scoring is calculated at the end of each round.
2. Board Adjustment Rules
   • Players can adjust the board before a round if misaligned. Adjusting during an opponent's throw results in forfeiting the next bag.
3. Pitch Sequence
   • The game starts with a coin toss to decide the first pitch. Pitching alternates until all 8 bags are thrown. The player or team with the last scoring round gets the first pitch in the next round. If no points are scored, the same player or team pitches first.
4. Singles and Doubles Play
   • In singles, players walk to the opposite board and complete another round. In doubles, partners at the opposite board complete a round.
5. Winning the Game
   • The game continues until a team scores at least 21 points at the end of a round. Winning does not require a two-point margin. Achieving a score over 21 points results in an immediate win.
6. Incorrect Pitch Sequence
   • Bags pitched out of sequence are forfeited and removed from play. The correct sequence is re-established by the opposing player pitching two consecutive bags.
7. Game Forfeiture
   • A player or team refusing to finish the game forfeits by a score of 21-0.
     

Scoring

1. End of Round Scoring
   • Scoring is completed at the end of a round. Bags on the board count as 1 point; bags in the hole count as 3 points. Bags on the ground or hanging off the board are worth 0 points.
2. Pinned and Hanging Bags
   • Pinned bags touching the ground are deemed dead. Officials remove pinned bags. If a hanging bag stays on the board, it counts as 1 point; if it falls, it counts as 0 points.
3. Cancellation Scoring
   • Points are calculated using cancellation scoring. For example, if Player A scores 10 points and Player B scores 8 points, Player A earns 2 points for the round.
4. Bag Sweeping
   • In case of stacking bags, an official or unbiased spectator may “sweep” the bags to clear the hole.
5. Waiting Period
   • Players must wait three seconds after a bag stops before picking it up. Jumping or actions causing vibrations during this period result in penalties.
     

Player Interaction and Conduct

1. Disruptions and Interference
   • Players must not disrupt each other’s pitches or interfere with the flight path of bags. Violations lead to disqualification or bag forfeiture.
2. Behavior and Conduct
   • Talking, yelling, or movements to distract opponents are prohibited. Officials can issue warnings and penalties for inappropriate behavior.
3. Celebrations
   • Celebrations after throws are allowed but must not cause delays. Excessive celebrations may lead to disciplinary actions.
4. Coaching
   • Coaching by spectators or designated coaches is allowed during gameplay.

Game Without Officials

Games without officials are scored by the players. Scoring errors must be addressed immediately.

Caring for your Cornhole Boards & Bags