Cornhole
3 in the hole. 1 on the board.
Round after round, only the difference counts. Matchito keeps it, up to 21.
Score a gameOne round, one tap.
Tap the round’s net points on the color that won it. Nobody scores? Nothing to tap. Try it!
- 21 points to win
- 1 to 12 points per round
- Only the difference counts
- Pick cornhole, and name the two teams.
- After each round, tap the net points on the color that won it: its points minus the other team’s.
- At 21 or more, at the end of a round, the game ends. The referee calls every round out loud.
The rules, in short.
What the American Cornhole League’s rules say, and nothing more.
- 21
To win
The game ends when a team has at least 21 points at the end of a round. No two-point lead needed, and going over 21 isn’t penalized.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 4, Win Condition - 3 and 1
The bags
A bag through the hole is worth 3 points. A bag on the board at the end of the round is worth 1. A bag that touches the ground before the board is worth nothing.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 4, Bag Values - Net
Cancellation scoring
The two teams’ points cancel out: only the difference is awarded. You score 10, they score 8, you get 2.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 4, Scoring Method - 4
A round
A round is 8 bags thrown at the same board, 4 per player, alternating. You score at the end of the round, never during it.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 4, Rounds, Pitch Sequence and Bag Values - Who pitches
The first bag
The winner of the coin toss chooses who throws the first bag. After that, it’s the team that scored in the last scoring round. In a round where nobody scores, the same first thrower keeps it.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 3, Coin Toss, and § 4, Pitch Sequence - 27 feet
The boards
The two boards face each other 27 feet apart, measured from the front of one to the front of the other.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 2, Layout - Line
The foot foul
When you release the bag, keep at least one foot in your pitcher’s box, without touching or crossing the foul line, the front of the board, until your bag has hit the board or the ground. When an official watches the game, each foul costs you that bag, removed from play, and any points it gained you.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 2, Foul Line, and § 4, Foul Line and Pitcher’s Box Requirements, Foot Foul Penalties and Enforcement
One press per point.
One press per net point, on your watch or the three buttons on your earbuds: ⏮ for pink, ⏭ for yellow. A bag in the hole, three presses. A short pause, and the round is scored; ⏯ undoes it.
The questions people ask.
How many points do you need to win at cornhole?
Twenty-one, reached at the end of a round, with no minimum lead.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 4, Win ConditionHow much is a bag worth in cornhole?
3 points in the hole, 1 on the board, nothing if it touches the ground first. You score at the end of the round, and only the difference between the teams is awarded.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 4, Bag Values and Scoring MethodDo you have to hit exactly 21?
No. The rules don’t penalize a score over 21. Dropping back when you go over is a backyard rule, with no official standing.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 4, Win ConditionHow far apart should the boards be?
27 feet, or 8.23 m, measured from the front of one board to the front of the other.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 2, LayoutWho throws first in cornhole?
In the first round, the team chosen by the winner of the coin toss. After that, the team that scored in the last scoring round.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 3, Coin Toss, and § 4, Pitch SequenceWhat is a bag hanging in the hole worth?
1 point, like a bag on the board. A bag resting on the front edge but touching the ground is worth 0.
ACL, Official Rules & Regulations, 2026/2027 season, § 4, Bag Values