How to Play Cornhole: Rules, Scoring and Setup for Beginners
Cornhole is a bean-bag tossing game in which two teams take turns throwing small bags at a raised, sloped board, scoring three points for a bag that drops through the hole and one point for a bag that lands and stays on the board, with the first side to exactly 21 winning. It is simple to learn, gentle on the body, and made for a sunny afternoon in the garden.
If the name reads oddly to British eyes, that is because it is American: 'cornhole' refers to the corn kernels that traditionally filled the bags. We sit it here alongside the throwing games we already love at the garden gate, from skittles to quoits, and we will say plainly where it does and does not connect to our own story.
The one-sentence answer, and where the game comes from
Here is the short version a parent can carry into the garden: cornhole is played by two teams who take turns tossing bean bags at a board roughly nine metres away, scoring three for a bag that goes in the hole and one for a bag that stays on the board, and the first team to reach exactly 21 wins. That really is the whole game.
The name puzzles many British players. According to the entry catalogued at Wikipedia, the game took its modern shape in the American Midwest, and 'corn' refers to the maize that once filled the bags. The definition recorded by Merriam-Webster reflects that American usage too. British readers will hear echoes of older lawn pastimes here, and rightly so.
We should be honest about our own connection. Jaques of London invented croquet and brought Ludo, Snakes and Ladders and Happy Families to British homes, but we make no claim over cornhole. It belongs to a wider family of throwing games, and the pleasure of it is the same pleasure you get from a well-pitched quoit: a satisfying arc and a soft landing.
Cornhole at a glance
Setting up the boards and the throwing line
Setup is the part most beginners rush, then regret. Place the two boards facing each other so their front edges are 27 feet apart, which is a little over eight metres. Each board is the standard two feet by four feet, raised at the back so the surface slopes, with a six-inch hole centred near the top. The slope is what gives the game its lovely sliding finish.
The line you throw from sits level with the front edge of the board you are aiming at. In doubles, one player from each team stands at one board and their partners stand at the other, so play passes back and forth across the pitch. You will want a flat, firm patch of lawn, the same kind of ground you would choose for setting up a croquet court.
If you are buying or building your first set, check the bags are filled to a consistent weight, because uneven bags spoil the throw. The guidance shared by RoSPA on garden play is worth a glance for keeping younger players clear of the throwing line. Keep spectators behind the thrower, mark your two distances before anyone competes, and you have a tidy pitch that will see out a whole summer of screen-free afternoons.
Your cornhole pitch, step by step
- Two feet by four feet
- Six-inch hole near the top
- 27 feet, front to front
- Throw from the front edge
- Flat, firm lawn
- Clear behind the thrower
- Four per player
- Filled to even weight
A good throwing game asks only for a flat patch of grass and a willing arm. The rest is practice.
Scoring, cancellation and reaching 21
Scoring is where cornhole shows its quiet cleverness. A bag that goes through the hole is worth three points. A bag that lands and stays on the board, without falling off, is worth one. A bag that touches the ground first and then rolls onto the board does not count, and neither does a bag that slides off after landing. So far, simple enough.
The twist is cancellation scoring. At the end of each round, you compare the two teams' tallies and only the difference counts. If your team scores six and the other scores four, you take two points and they take none for that round. This keeps games close and means a strong round can be wiped out by an equally strong reply, much as a clever exchange resets the balance in draughts.
The first team to reach 21 wins, and most house rules ask you to land on 21 exactly. Overshoot and you may bust back to a set figure, often 11, depending on the rules you agree at the start. Because of cancellation, a careful team can claw back from behind, which is part of why the game travels so well from family board games evenings to the garden. Agree your bust rule before the first throw and nobody falls out over it.
How a round plays out
The British cousins: quoits, skittles and garden throwing games
If cornhole feels familiar, that is because Britain has thrown things at targets on the lawn for centuries. Quoits, in which a ring is pitched at a pin, is the closest relative, and its history is well documented by the traditional games archive at tradgames.org.uk. The aim and the gentle, looping throw are almost identical to cornhole, only with a ring instead of a bag.
Skittles is the other great garden cousin, a knock-down game that rewards a steady arm rather than brute force. We have written a full guide to choosing a skittles set, and the same thinking applies: solid wood, even weighting and a finish that survives morning dew. You will find both quoits and skittles in our best sellers, alongside boule for those who prefer to aim at a jack.
The point of pairing these games is not to pretend cornhole is British. It is to say that if your family enjoys cornhole, you will almost certainly enjoy quoits and skittles too, because the skill is shared. Play England's work on outdoor play makes the case that active, social games of this kind do children a great deal of good. A garden cupboard with two or three throwing games in it is a small, lasting gift.
Buying your first set, and what makes one last
If you are choosing a set, the same rules apply that we give for any outdoor game. Look for solid wood boards that will not warp after one wet weekend, hinges that fold flat for storage, and bags that hold their filling without leaking. Cheap sets tend to fail at the bags first, so weigh one in your hand if you can. The principles we set out in how to choose toys that last carry across neatly.
We do not make a cornhole set ourselves, and we would rather tell you that than pretend otherwise. What we do make are the British garden games that scratch the same itch, built to the standards Jaques has held since 1795. A boule set or a skittles set will give you the throwing, the scoring and the gentle rivalry, with the heft of good materials behind it.
For indoor evenings when the rain comes, the same family of skill games waits in the cupboard. Browse our board games, our card games, or a quiet backgammon set for two. Independent reviews collected on Trustpilot give a fair sense of how our sets wear over the years, which is the only test that really matters.
A solid wood folding set for the rainy days between garden games, made to the standards we have held since 1795.
How far apart should the cornhole boards be?
The front edges of the two boards should be 27 feet apart, which is a little over eight metres. You throw from a line level with the front of the board you are aiming at, so the throwing distance is the same in both directions. Measure and mark both distances before you start, ideally on a flat, firm patch of lawn. A consistent setup keeps games fair and saves a lot of friendly arguments. The same care over the ground that we recommend for setting up a croquet court applies here.
How does scoring work in cornhole?
A bag that drops through the hole scores three points. A bag that lands and stays on the board scores one point. A bag that hits the ground first, or slides off after landing, scores nothing. At the end of each round you use cancellation scoring: compare the two teams' totals and only the difference counts, awarded to the higher team. So if one side scores five and the other three, the leading side takes two points and the other takes none for that round.
What does it take to win a game?
The first team to reach exactly 21 points wins. Because of cancellation scoring, only the round-by-round difference adds to your total, so games stay close and a strong reply can wipe out your gains. Most house rules ask you to land on 21 precisely. If you go over, many groups 'bust' you back to a lower figure, often 11. Agree your bust rule with the other team before the first throw so everyone knows where they stand.
Why is it called cornhole?
The name is American. Traditional bags were filled with corn, meaning maize kernels, and the target is the hole in the board, hence 'corn-hole'. British readers sometimes find the word unfamiliar, since we tend to call our equivalents quoits, skittles or simply garden games. The entry catalogued at Wikipedia and the definition recorded by Merriam-Webster both reflect this American origin. Today many sets use plastic resin pellets rather than corn, but the name has stuck regardless of the filling.
How many players do you need?
Cornhole works best with two or four players. In a doubles game, two teams of two play, with one partner from each team stationed at each board, so the bags travel back and forth across the pitch. You can also play one against one, with both players throwing from the same end and then walking to the other board. Two boards and eight bags, four per player, are all you need. It scales well for a family afternoon, with players taking turns to rotate in.
Is cornhole suitable for children?
Yes, with a little supervision. The bags are soft and the throwing action is gentle, which makes it kinder on young arms than many ball games. For younger children, shorten the throwing distance so they can experience success, then lengthen it as their aim improves. Keep other players behind the thrower, as the guidance shared by RoSPA on garden play suggests. It pairs well with our wider thinking on screen-free, active play, which Play England's research supports as good for children's development.
What is the difference between cornhole and quoits?
They are close cousins. In quoits you pitch a ring at a pin or hob, while in cornhole you toss a bag at a board with a hole. The throwing arc and the target skill are almost identical, but quoits is the older British game, well documented by the traditional games archive at tradgames.org.uk. If your family enjoys one, they will very likely enjoy the other. We make British garden games in this family, though we do not produce cornhole sets ourselves.
Does Jaques of London make cornhole sets?
No, and we would rather be straight about that. Jaques of London invented croquet and brought games such as Ludo, Snakes and Ladders and Happy Families to British homes, but cornhole is an American game and we make no claim over it. What we do make are the British garden throwing games that give the same pleasure, including skittles and boule, built from solid wood to standards we have held since 1795. Those are the sets we would point you towards for your garden cupboard.
What should I look for when buying a cornhole or garden games set?
Look for solid wood that resists warping after rain, hinges that fold flat for storage, and bags or rings that hold their weight without leaking. Cheap sets usually fail at the bags first, so weigh one if you can. The principles in our guide to choosing toys that last apply directly. Independent reviews on Trustpilot are a fair guide to how a set wears over years rather than weeks, which is the test that truly matters for any outdoor game.
Can I play cornhole indoors or in a small garden?
You can, with sensible adjustments. Shorten the distance between the boards to suit your space, and choose somewhere with a clear run behind the thrower. A hallway, a large room or a patio all work for a relaxed game, though you lose a little of the long, looping throw. For wet days, the same skill family waits indoors: a board game, a card game or a quiet backgammon set will keep the competitive spirit going until the lawn dries out.
Cornhole is a small, sociable game with an honest set of rules: three in the hole, one on the board, cancellation scoring and a race to 21. It is not ours, and we will not pretend it is, but it belongs to a tradition Britain knows well, the gentle art of throwing something at a target on the grass. Whether you choose cornhole, quoits or skittles, the real gift is an afternoon outdoors with the people you love.