How to play Cornhole
- Four bags each. Every inning, both players throw four bags at the board, one at a time, taking turns. Orange's bags are orange and Purple's are purple.
- Throw. Drag down to pull the bag back, steer left or right, and let go.
- 3 in the hole. A bag that drops through the hole scores 3 points, whether it goes straight in, slides in, or gets knocked in by another bag.
- 1 on the board. A bag that comes to rest on the board scores 1 point. A bag hanging over the edge of the hole still counts 1 as long as it stays up.
- Nothing for the grass. A bag that touches the grass before the board is dead and scores nothing, even if it bounces or slides onto the board. So does a bag that slides off the board.
- Bags bump. Your bags can push other bags along the board: into the hole, off the edge, or just out of the way. Every bag scores for its owner, wherever it ends up.
- Score the inning. When all eight bags are thrown, each player adds up their points and the lower total is taken from the higher one. Only the player with more points scores, and only the difference.
- Win. The first player to reach 21 points or more at the end of an inning wins. Choose 11 points on the page for a shorter game.
- Who throws first. The player who scored throws first in the next inning. After an inning where nobody scores, the same player throws first again.
Scoring
Cornhole uses cancellation scoring: the two players' points in an inning cancel each other out, and only the difference goes on the scoreboard.
| In one inning | Orange's points | Purple's points | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange: 2 in the hole and 1 on the board. Purple: 1 in the hole and 1 on the board | 7 | 4 | Orange scores 3 |
| Orange: 1 on the board. Purple: 2 on the board | 1 | 2 | Purple scores 1 |
| Both: 1 in the hole | 3 | 3 | Nobody scores |
| Orange: 4 in the hole. Purple: nothing on the board | 12 | 0 | Orange scores 12, the most possible |
The scoreboard at the top shows each player's total, the bags they still hold this inning and, in yellow, their points so far this inning. At the end of each inning a box shows the sum.
Controls
| Device | How to throw |
|---|---|
| Phone or tablet | Put your finger anywhere on the lawn and drag down. Drag left or right to steer, then let go |
| Mouse | Click anywhere on the lawn, drag down and to the side, then let go |
| Keyboard | ← → (or A D) to aim, ↑ ↓ (or W S) for power, hold Shift for small steps, then Space or Enter to throw |
The bar beside the bag fills up as you pull: that's your power. The white dots on the grass show the direction the bag will fly. The rest is up to you: the game doesn't show where the bag will land. Let go with almost no pull to cancel a throw.
With 2 Players, hand the device over between throws. Everything in cornhole is in the open, so there's nothing to hide.
Computer levels
The computer sees the same board you do. It picks its throw by trying throws out on a copy of the board with the same physics as the game, then throws with a hand that isn't perfectly steady. The figures below are for its first bag of an inning, at an empty board.
| Level | How the computer plays |
|---|---|
| Easy | Throws straight at the hole with a shaky hand. About one bag in five drops in, and plenty miss the board. |
| Medium | Tries throws across the whole board and plays one that works. A steadier hand: about a third of its bags go in. |
| Hard | Picks throws that still work if its hand slips a little. It pushes its own bags in, knocks yours off and likes to leave a blocker in front of the hole. More than half its bags go in. |
| Expert | The steadiest hand and the same tactics as Hard. About seven bags in ten drop in, so you'll need to cancel them out. |
Tips to win
- Land short and slide. A bag keeps sliding for several inches after it lands. Aim to land a little in front of the hole and let it slide in.
- Don't overdo it. A bag that lands past the hole will usually slide off the back of the board and score nothing.
- Mind the blocker. A bag lying just in front of the hole stops sliders. Throw a little higher and further to drop over it, or push it.
- Push your own bags in. If your bag sits just short of the hole, a slider straight into it can knock it in for 3 and may follow it in too.
- Knock theirs off. A firm bag into your rival's bag can send it off the board, taking away their point.
- Use the last bag. The player who didn't score last inning throws second, so they get the final bag. If you're ahead in the inning, a safe bag on the board keeps your lead; behind, go for the hole.
About Cornhole
Bean bag games with a sloping board and a hole go back a long way: an 1883 patent for a game called "Parlor Quoits" already used bean bags and a slanted board with a hole as the target. Cornhole as it's played today took off on the west side of Cincinnati in the 1980s, and it's now a popular lawn game across North America. Some people call it bags, sack toss or bean bag toss, and today it has its own leagues and tournaments.
This game follows the standard singles rules of the American Cornhole Association and the American Cornhole League: boards 27 feet apart, a 6-inch hole, four bags each, cancellation scoring and a game to 21 with no need to hit 21 exactly. A few things are simpler than on a real lawn. Both players throw from the middle of the lane rather than from boxes to either side of the board, every inning is thrown at the same board, and there's no foul line or throwing clock to watch.
Questions
How many points do you need to win cornhole?
21 or more at the end of an inning. You don't have to hit 21 exactly, and you don't have to win by two. For a quicker game, choose 11 points on this page before you play.
What is cancellation scoring in cornhole?
At the end of each inning the lower score is taken away from the higher one, and only that difference counts. If you score 7 and your rival scores 4, you get 3 points. If you both score 4, nobody scores.
How far apart are cornhole boards?
27 feet for adults, measured from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other. That's the distance in this game. For children, the American Cornhole Association suggests 12 to 15 feet.
What happens if a bag hits the ground first?
It's a dead bag and scores nothing, even if it bounces onto the board. Here it stays on the grass until the inning ends.
Can two people play cornhole on one phone?
Yes. Choose 2 Players, then take turns throwing and hand the device over between bags. The scoreboard shows whose turn it is and how many bags each of you has left.
Is Cornhole free?
Yes. It's free in your browser, with no download, no sign-up and no ads during a game.
Updated 9 November 2026