Cornhole Tournament Rules
Plan to arrive at 10:30 am for registration
1. The tournament will be limited to 32 teams (64 people). Showing up early is the best way to guarantee your spot.
2. Tournament Format
- The First 32 and Sweet 16 will be played to a total of 21 points in a single elimination format
- Top 8 and beyond will be played to a total of 21 game points in a double elimination format
- No skunk rules – All games will be played to 21
3. All matches will be scored using cancellation scoring per round.
- A round is when both players from one side of the playing field have thrown all 8 cornhole bags (4 each).
- In cancellation scoring, corn bags in-the-hole and corn bags on-the-board pitched by opponents during a round in doubles play cancel each other out. Only non-cancelled corn bags are counted in the score for that round.
- Corn Bags in-the-hole count as three points and on-the-board count as one point
4. Playing Field, Equipment and Other Logistics
- Boards will be 27 feet apart from front of board to front of board.
- Bags will stay with boards and are not to be moved.
- All boards will be assigned by the tournament director randomly.
- Boards for the double elimination will be random and determined before the start of the tournament.
- The start of the game can be decided with a flip of a coin, paper-rock-scissors or pick-a-number game.
- The winner of the coin toss has the option to pick sides while still lining up across from each other and whether they want to throw first or not.
If the winner of the coin toss chooses to pick sides first their opponents then choose where they will stand from.
- Board slickness will be determined by the slickness test used for ACO boards. If you think a board is too slick or sticky report it to the tournament director and he will measure.
- Acceptable boards range from 18″ to 36″. Pro boards are typically played very slick from 18″ to 26″. We will be using the slicker boards for Elite 8, Final 4 and Championship so learn how to adjust that throw with more arc.
5. Pitching
- Alternate pitching of the cornhole bags between the two teams will take place until all four cornhole bags from both sides are thrown. This is also the
definition of a round.
- The contestant who scored in the preceding round shall pitch first in the next round on the opposite side of the playing field. If neither person
scored, the contestant’s team who scored last will pitch first.
- Contestants must stand directly across from there partner when throwing.
6. Foul Corn Bags – A foul corn bag is a corn bag which was delivered in non-compliance with one of the rules of the game listed below. It is to be removed
from the cornhole board before any more corn bags are pitched and counts for zero points.
- Any corn bag pitched when the contestant has crossed beyond the foul line (the front of the cornhole boards) before the corn bag is released
- A corn bag thrown out of turn
- A corn bag that contacted the ground before coming to rest on the cornhole platform
- Any corn bag that leaves a contestant’s hand once the final forward swing of the delivery process has started shall count as a pitched corn bag. A corn
bag that is accidentally dropped by a contestant before the final forward swing has started shall not be considered foul and may be picked up and pitched.
- A contestant’s corn bags shall be called foul if the contestant removes any corn bag before the scoring of that corn bag has been agreed upon. A judge
shall be called if a decision cannot be reached. The judge shall determine the scoring for the round.
7. Ending the Game
- The cornhole match shall be played until the first team of contestants reaches (or exceeds) 21 points at the
completion of a round. The winning team does not need to win by two or more points.
- The cornhole match can never end in the middle of a round. Thus, if a team that pitches first reaches or exceeds 21 points, the game can not end until all 8 bags have been thrown to complete that round.
8. Protests – If a contestant desires to make a protest, the protest shall be made to any of the tournament directors/judges at the time the problem occurs. The tournament director/judges shall make the final ruling on all protests.