🎯 How to Play Cornhole: The Beginner’s Guide

If you’ve recently discovered cornhole, whether at a pub garden, a festival, a wedding, or on holiday, you’re probably wondering how to play cornhole and why it has become one of the fastest-growing outdoor games in the UK.

The best part?

Cornhole is incredibly simple to learn, but endlessly addictive to play.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through:

• The rules of cornhole
• How scoring works
• Game setup and board distance
• Tips for better throws (even as a beginner)

Let’s dive in.

🏆 What Is Cornhole?

Cornhole is a bean bag toss game played with two raised boards and eight bags.

The goal is simple:

Throw the bag into the hole or onto the board to score points.

It’s easy to set up, easy to play, and fun for every age.

🎯 Official Cornhole Setup

To play cornhole correctly, here’s what you need:

Equipment	Details
2 Cornhole boards	Regulation size: 2ft x 4ft
8 Cornhole bags	4 of one colour, 4 of another colour
Throwing distance	Regulation distance: 8.23 metres (27 ft) between the front edges of the boards

👉 For casual backyard play, shorten the distance if needed.

✅ How to Play Cornhole: Step-by-Step

1. Place the two boards facing each other at regulation distance.
2. Players stand next to their board at the “throwing line.”
3. Each player throws four bags, alternating throws.
4. After all 8 bags are thrown, add up the points.
5. Only one team scores per round (more on that below).
6. The first player/team to reach 21 points wins.

🧮 Cornhole Scoring

Action	Points
Bag in the hole	3 points
Bag on the board	1 point
Bag touches the floor first then the board	0 points
Bag hangs off the board and touches the ground	0 points

Cornhole uses cancellation scoring, meaning:

Your score for the round = (Your points) – (Opponent’s points)

Example:

• You score 5 points
• Opponent scores 3 points✅ You earn 2 points that round

💡 Throwing Technique: How to Throw a Cornhole Bag

Want smoother throws and more consistency?

Use the flat-spin technique:

1. Hold the bag with fingertips, not your palm
2. Swing your arm like a pendulum
3. Release underhand with a gentle spin (like a frisbee)

Spinning helps the bag land flat and slide toward the hole, instead of bouncing.

👇 Why Cornhole UK Boards Make a Difference

If you’ve only played on cheap sets before, you’ll notice the difference instantly with regulation wooden boards:

• Smoother surface = better slide
• More weight = no bouncing when bags land
• Built to last = no warping in damp weather

👉 Shop premium boards here