Summary of Play

The boards are set up facing each other with 24 feet between the front of each board (or 30ft between the center of the holes). There are two opponents in a single game. Each opponent may be a single player or a team of two players. In single player play, both players stand by a board and then move back and forth between boards as play progresses. In team play a person from each team stands by each of the two boards, so that there is one player from each team at both ends of the game area. The objective is to throw all four of your bags from one board to the other and to either land on the board, or land in the hole.

Traditional Play

Play:
Bags are thrown by alternating between players. The player that has control of play (explained in scoring) will throw the first bag. The foul line is an imaginary line across the front of the board the players are standing beside. During the throw, the players foot should not advance past the foul line. After the first bag is thrown, the second player throws his bag and they alternate in that manner until all 4 bags are thrown. In the single player game the players will move between boards between rounds. In the team game, the other team members will play the bags from the board where they are standing. Play continues like that until the game is over as discussed in scoring.

Scoring:
Scoring is as follows: a bag in the hole is worth 3 points, and one anywhere on the board is worth 1 point. Bags from opposing teams cancel each other out. Each point cancels out the other teams points so that if Team A has one in the hole and Team B has one in the hole, no points are scored for those bags. The same applies to on the board points. So all points are added up for each team and then the low team score is subtracted from the high teams score so that only the team with the most points scores in that round.

Any bag that touches the ground is considered "dead" at the time it touches the ground. Therefore any bags that "bounce" onto the board are not counted and are normally removed by the players in team play. In single player games the players may elect to leave the "dead" bags on the board to avoid continually walking between boards to remove bags. The bags are still "dead" for scoring purposes. Also any bag that the dead bag moves on the board would be moved back to its approximate original position.

Any bag that is thrown when the players foot crosses the foul line is also considered "dead" and would be handled in the same manner as above.

Bags being thrown may move other bags when they land on the game board. This may alter the scoring value of the bag. A bag could either be knocked off the board or could be knocked into the hole. Since scoring takes place at the end of the round, the position of the bag at the end of the round determines its scoring value.

Example: Team A makes 2 in the hole and one on top. Team B makes 1 in the hole and three on top. Team A has 7 points, and team B has 6 points, so Team A won that round with one point. 7- 6 = 1. Team A then adds 1 point to their total points for the game and team B scores 0 for that round. The same result is obtained by counting the bags not canceled. Team A has a net of one bag in the hole and team B has a net of two on top resulting in 3 - 2 = 1.

Control of Play:
The team that scored in the previous round gets control of play for the next round. If no scoring takes place in that round, then the same team retains control for all the following rounds until points are scored. Then control is based on which team scored as discussed above.

Winning:
Points are accumulated for a game by scores in successive rounds as discussed in Scoring (above). The first team that gets to 21 and leads by 2 points wins the game. If the score is 1 point difference or less when one team reaches 21, then play continues until one team is ahead by 2 points at the end of a round. If one team gets to 11 before the other team has scored 1, then the game is a skunk, and the team with 11 wins that game. A skunk is a score of 11 to 0. A team is not penalized for throwing more than 21 points. Since points are scored by round, (i.e. - only one team scores per round) each round is always completed before points are accumulated and winners are determined..

Variations

These variations are some of the different rules that have developed over time. Any or all of the rules may be combined with the "traditional" rules to make for a variety of playing experiences. The players should agree to the variations prior to play. Again, those familiar with The Cornhole Game or Bags may have their own variations to apply to the game.

Play:
The player that has control throws the first bag and continues until all 4 bags are thrown. Then the other player throws his 4 bags.

Scoring:
One in the hole cancels out any bags on top of the board for the opposing team. All of the bags from a team that made one in, for that round, are supreme. However, if each team has an equal number of bags in the hole, then bags on top of the board are counted in a normal manner.
Example 1: Team A throws one in the hole and three on top. Team B throws all four on top. Team A gets 6 points for the one in the hole plus their 3 on top. All of the opposing teams points on top are void because of the one in the hole.
Example 2: Team A throws one in the hole and three on top. Team B throws one in the hole and two on top. Since both teams made one in the hole, those points cancel each other out, and points on top of the board are counted in the normal manner. Since Team A made three on top and Team B made two on top, Team A gets 1 point.
Example 3: Team A throws one in the hole. Team B throws all four on top. Team A gets 3 points for the round because their bag in the hole cancels out all the opposing teams points.

Control of Play:
Control of play is established as in the main rule (winner of the previous round has control). However in this variation, if there is no score for 2 rounds control then alternates between teams until one team scores again and regains control.

Winning:
In this variation, the first team to 21 wins the game. The difference is that there is no requirement to win by 2 points.