How far apart are cornhole boards?

Official cornhole boards are 27 feet apart, measured from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other. Both the American Cornhole League and the American Cornhole Organization use that distance. For kids or small yards, many families move the boards closer.

How do you score in cornhole?

A bag through the hole is worth 3 points, and a bag resting on the board is worth 1. At the end of each round, each side totals its points and the smaller total is subtracted from the larger. Only the side with more points scores, and it scores the difference.

Do you have to get exactly 21 in cornhole?

No. Under official ACL and ACO rules, the first side to reach 21 or more at the end of a round wins, and there's no penalty for going over. The bust rule, where going over 21 knocks you back to 15, is a popular backyard house rule.

What is cancellation scoring in cornhole?

Cancellation scoring means both sides' points in a round cancel each other out. If one side has 6 points on the far board and the other has 4, the first side scores 2 and the second scores nothing. If the totals are equal, nobody scores that round.

What are the official cornhole board dimensions?

A regulation board has a 2 ft by 4 ft playing surface with a 6-inch hole. The hole is centered side to side, 9 inches from the top edge. The back edge sits 12 inches off the ground and the front edge about 3 inches up.

Who throws first in cornhole?

A coin toss decides the first throw of the game. After that, the player or team that scored in the previous round throws first. If a round ends with no score, ACL rules keep the first throw with the same player.

Does a bag that hits the ground count in cornhole?

No. A bag that touches the ground before landing on the board or going in the hole scores 0. The ACO removes it right away as a foul bag, and the ACL values it at 0 even if it bounces onto the board.

How many bags does each player get in cornhole?

Each player or team throws four bags per round, so eight bags go toward one board. Each side uses one color so the bags are easy to tell apart when you count. Players alternate throws one bag at a time.

Cornhole Rules: Scoring, Distance and Setup

1Object of the game

Be the first player or team to reach 21 points at the end of a round. You score by landing bags on the board or dropping them through the hole, but your points are cancelled by your opponent's points in that same round. Official rules don't penalize going over 21, so a big finishing round still wins.

2Setup

Place the two boards facing each other with their front edges 27 feet apart. Both official bodies, the American Cornhole League (ACL) and the American Cornhole Organization (ACO), use 27 feet measured front edge to front edge.
Check the boards. A regulation board has a 2 ft by 4 ft playing surface with a 6-inch hole centered 9 inches from the top edge. The back edge sits 12 inches off the ground and the front edge about 3 inches up (ACL allows 2.5 to 3.5 inches, ACO 3 to 4).
Each side takes four bags of one color. Regulation bags are about 6 by 6 inches and weigh roughly 16 ounces; the ACL allows 15.5 to 16.5 ounces.
For singles, both players stand at the same board, one in each pitcher's box, the 3 ft by 4 ft area beside the board. For doubles, partners stand at opposite boards in the same lane, so each board has one player from each team.
Flip a coin. The winner chooses who throws first in the opening round. In singles, the ACL has the toss winner also pick a lane, and players keep that lane for the whole game.

3The play

The first player throws one bag underhand at the far board. Your feet must stay behind the foul line, which is the front edge of your board, until the bag leaves your hand.
The opponent throws one bag, and you keep alternating until all eight bags at that end have been thrown, four per player. The ACL calls this a round; the ACO calls it a frame.
Leave every bag where it lands until the round is over. Bags on the board can be knocked off or knocked into the hole by later throws, and they score wherever they end up.
A bag that touches the ground before reaching the board is dead. Under ACO rules it's removed right away, and under ACL rules it scores 0 even if it slides or bounces onto the board.
When all eight bags are thrown, count each side's points at the far board and apply cancellation scoring (see Scoring). In singles, both players then walk to the other board and throw back. In doubles, the two partners at the other board take the next round.

4End of a hand

A round ends once all eight bags have been thrown toward one board. Each side adds up its points, the smaller total is subtracted from the larger, and only the side with more points scores the difference. Pick up the bags. The side that scored throws first in the next round. If nobody scored, the ACL rule is that the same player throws first again.

5Scoring

Every bag is scored where it rests after the last bag of the round is thrown. Then the two sides cancel each other out, so at most one side scores in a round.

For	Points
Bag through the hole (a cornhole)	3 points
Bag resting on the board (a woody)	1 point
Bag hanging over the lip of the hole, still on the board	1 point
Bag knocked into the hole by another bag	3 points
Bag off the board or touching the ground	0 points
Bag that hit the ground before the board	0 points (dead bag)
Points scored in a round	Difference between the two sides
Winning score	21 or more at the end of a round

Cancellation scoring is used by both the ACL and ACO. If your bags are worth 7 and your opponent's are worth 4, you score 3 and they score nothing. Equal totals cancel to zero. The ACL rules say a side is not penalized for going over 21; the bust rule below is a house rule, not an official one.

6Winning

The game ends when a side has 21 or more points at the end of a round. You can't win in the middle of a round, because your opponent's remaining bags may cancel your points. Under ACL and ACO rules there is no bust, so 19 plus a 5-point round wins at 24. Because only one side scores each round, a game can't end tied.

7A worked hand

Singles, red against blue. Red leads 15 to 12 and scored last round, so red throws first. Red's first bag lands on the board. Blue's first bag drops straight through the hole. Red's second bag slides up and knocks its own first bag into the hole, then stays on the board. Blue's second bag hits the grass short and skips up onto the board; it touched the ground first, so it's dead and removed. Red's third bag goes through the hole. Blue's third bag lands on the board, and blue's fourth lands on the board too. Red's fourth bag misses long. Now count. Red has two bags in the hole and one on the board: 3 + 3 + 1 = 7. Blue has one in the hole and two on the board: 3 + 1 + 1 = 5. Blue's dead bag counts nothing. Cancellation gives red 7 − 5 = 2 points, and blue scores 0. Red now leads 17 to 12 and throws first in the next round. Under the popular bust house rule that resets to 15, red would need exactly 4 more points; a 6-point round would drop red from 23 back to 15.

8House rules

The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.

Bust rule (exactly 21): In many backyard games, going over 21 at the end of a round is a bust. Wikipedia lists the common penalties: dropping back to 15, returning to your score before the round, or your prior score minus one. Official ACL and ACO rules have no bust.
Skunk at 11–0: Some groups end the game early when one side leads 11 to 0, called a skunk. Wikipedia notes this is unofficial; the full skunk is a 21 to 0 game.
Shorter distance: With kids or a small yard, move the boards closer than 27 feet. Wikipedia notes shorter distances are common for younger players and tight spaces.
Hanging bag worth 2: Wikipedia notes that some players score a bag hanging over the hole, but not through it, as 2 points. The ACL scores it as 1 point like any other bag on the board.
Dead bags stay put: Backyard players often leave a bag that bounced off the grass where it lands and just don't count it. The ACO removes it immediately so it can't block or be pushed around.

9Mistakes people make

The boards are 27 feet apart measured front edge to front edge, not back edge to back edge and not from where you stand.
Only one side scores in a round. Subtract the lower total from the higher and give the difference to the leader.
A bag that hits the ground before the board scores 0, even if it bounces onto the board or into the hole.
The side that scored last throws first in the next round. It doesn't simply alternate, and under ACL rules a scoreless round leaves first throw with the same player.

10Playing better

Aim for the board first, the hole second. A bag that stays on the board is worth a point and can be pushed into the hole later by your own throw.
Throw a flat, spinning bag. A bag that lands flat slides predictably, while a bag that tumbles in the air tends to bounce off.
Pick one spot in the pitcher's box and throw from it every time. A consistent release point makes your distance repeatable.
Watch for blockers. A bag sitting just in front of the hole makes a slide shot hard, so either air-mail your bag over it or push it in with a firmer slide.
Late in the game, count the cancellation math before your last bag. Sometimes the right play is to knock an opponent's bag off rather than chase the hole.

Cornhole: questions people ask

How far apart are cornhole boards?: Official cornhole boards are 27 feet apart, measured from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other. Both the American Cornhole League and the American Cornhole Organization use that distance. For kids or small yards, many families move the boards closer.
How do you score in cornhole?: A bag through the hole is worth 3 points, and a bag resting on the board is worth 1. At the end of each round, each side totals its points and the smaller total is subtracted from the larger. Only the side with more points scores, and it scores the difference.
Do you have to get exactly 21 in cornhole?: No. Under official ACL and ACO rules, the first side to reach 21 or more at the end of a round wins, and there's no penalty for going over. The bust rule, where going over 21 knocks you back to 15, is a popular backyard house rule.
What is cancellation scoring in cornhole?: Cancellation scoring means both sides' points in a round cancel each other out. If one side has 6 points on the far board and the other has 4, the first side scores 2 and the second scores nothing. If the totals are equal, nobody scores that round.
What are the official cornhole board dimensions?: A regulation board has a 2 ft by 4 ft playing surface with a 6-inch hole. The hole is centered side to side, 9 inches from the top edge. The back edge sits 12 inches off the ground and the front edge about 3 inches up.
Who throws first in cornhole?: A coin toss decides the first throw of the game. After that, the player or team that scored in the previous round throws first. If a round ends with no score, ACL rules keep the first throw with the same player.
Does a bag that hits the ground count in cornhole?: No. A bag that touches the ground before landing on the board or going in the hole scores 0. The ACO removes it right away as a foul bag, and the ACL values it at 0 even if it bounces onto the board.
How many bags does each player get in cornhole?: Each player or team throws four bags per round, so eight bags go toward one board. Each side uses one color so the bags are easy to tell apart when you count. Players alternate throws one bag at a time.

Sources

Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.

ACL Official Rules & Regulations, American Cornhole League. Read September 29, 2026.
Official Cornhole Rules, American Cornhole Organization. Read September 29, 2026.
Cornhole, Wikipedia. Read September 29, 2026.

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