Cornhole Rules

Everything you need to know about our Cornhole Rules can be found here!

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Niagara Sport & Social Club Cornhole Rules:

1.   ROSTER/WAIVERS:

       There is no maximum number of players allowed on a corn hole team roster; however, players must be registered with Niagara Sport & Social Club and must sign the Niagara Sport & Social Club waiver to be able to participate.

     Waivers: All players and participants must sign a waiver before playing their first game.

2.     PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:
Niagara Sport & Social Club staff may require players to verify their eligibility at their discretion. If a player is ruled ineligible, the offending team will be assessed a loss for that game.

3.     SPORTSMANSHIP:

Niagara Sport & Social Club expects all participants to play with the highest level of sportsmanship. Rude or demeaning behaviour to venue staff, the opposing team, your own team members, and/or spectators will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Unsportsmanlike behaviour may result in that player being ejected from the game. An ejection may result in further suspension from participation in current and/or future Niagara Sport & Social Club sports. The ejected player is required to leave the premises immediately. Refusal to leave the premises may result in a team forfeit and/or suspension.  Any disputes or complaints regarding a sportsmanship or ejection can be addressed with the league after the day of play in which the incident took place. On the day of the incident, the decision made by Niagara Sport & Social Club staff or venue staff will be considered final and disputes will not be addressed by the league.

Sportsmanship Goal:

Providing a safe and fun environment for the players. Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated.

  • No swearing directly at another player or official
  • Intentional acts of violence (pushing, shoving or intentional physical contact)
  • Verbal threats or comments to instigate an altercation with any person

Player will be suspended immediately from play and the park, and further game suspensions may follow and will not necessarily include or be limited to the player.

At anytime during a game if there are any concerns with the opposing team players, the team captain will address the issue with the other team captain with the presence of the official during a break or halftime. If the issue has not been resolved by the end of the game please forward any concerns to play@niagarasportandsocial.com

4.     TEAMS/FORFEITS:
The minimum number of players required to play a legal game is 2 players.  All games will have a 15 minute grace period if a team does not have 2 players present.  If a team does not possess the minimum amount of players to start once the grace period has expired, the opposing team will receive a win for the first game of the match. A team that does not possess the minimum number of players by 30 minutes past game time, a forfeit will be assessed.

5.     TEAM   POINTS   AWARDED   FOR   STANDINGS:

            The winning team will be awarded 2 points.

            The losing team will not be awarded any points.

             In the instance of a tie, both teams will be awarded 1 point.

7.  GAME EQUIPMENT:
      All cornhole equipment will be provided by Niagara Sport & Social Club


8.  The Basics of Cornhole Rules  – HOW TO  PLAY   THE   GAME

There are 8 bags provided, 4 for each team. Captains will play rock, paper, scissors (best 2 out of 3), with the winner choosing which team tosses first. Teams alternate throwing first each set, i.e. the team that tosses first to start the
first set will toss last to start the second set.

Partners will face each other at opposite board sets so as to not provide an advantage to one team or another. Once a set has started, partners must remain on their same side of the cornhole board for the entire set.

Teams may have up to 2 pitchers on each end, however, they must rotate every toss throughout the set. You can switch pitchers between sets. If a player arrives late, they must wait until the set is over to enter the game, unless the
captain of the opposing team consents to them joining in the middle of the set.

Teams will alternate pitches (pitches must be an underhand toss – overhand is not permitted) until all bags are thrown. Once all 8 bags are thrown, teams will agree upon the scoring (as prescribed below) and will update the
scoreboard. If there is a scoring dispute, the league coordinator should be pulled in for a ruling prior to the bags being moved.

Players must stay behind the foul line when pitching. The foul line is defined as the imaginary line that runs horizontally from the front edge of the board.

The team that scores points will toss first in the next frame. If nobody scores, the order will remain the same, i.e. the team that tossed first in the prior frame will toss first again.

Play will continue until a team reaches 21 points (or more) first.
 The team that reaches 21 points will win the set.

Matches are best 2 out of 3 sets. If a match is tied after the first 2 sets, the 3rd set will be played to 15 points.

SCORING:

“Cornhole!” – 3 points will be awarded for a bag in the hole, which is defined as a bag which thrown through the hole in the platform or otherwise comes to rest inside the platform by being knocked in by another players bag.

“Woody!” – 1 point will be awarded for a bag in the count, which is defined as a bag that has any portion resting on the platform. If a bag touches the ground and then comes to rest on the platform, it will be considered a foul and must be removed from the board immediately and no points will be awarded.

Bag Out of the Count – 0 points will be awarded for a bag out of the count, which is defined as a bag that comes to rest anywhere except in the count or in the hole. A foul bag will be considered to be out of the count and must be removed from the court immediately.

Cancellation scoring will be in effect! i.e. the score recorded at the end of each frame will be the difference in the points between the 2 teams.

For example:
If Team 1 makes 2 bags in the hole for a total of 6 points and Team 2 makes 2 bags in the count for a total of 2 points, the result would be Team 1 scoring 4 total points (6 – 2 = 4).

FOUL BAGS:

A foul bag is a bag that is delivered in non-compliance with the rules of the game. All foul bags are considered out of the count and must be removed from play immediately. If a foul bag contacts any bags that are in the count, those bags will be replaced at their original positions, even if the bag is in the count and is knocked in the hole by the foul bag.  Foul bags will be assessed in the following instances:

  • Any bag not delivered within 20 seconds of a players turn beginning.
  • “Dirty Bag!”  – Any bag that contacts the ground.
  • A player crosses the foul line on the toss.
  • A player tosses out of turn.

PLAYOFFS

SEEDING
Playoff seedings will be determined by the best overall records. In the event that 2 teams are tied with the same record, head-to-head matches will determine higher seedings whenever possible. When head-to-head matches cannot clearly determine a higher seed, or when 3 or more teams are tied, tiebreakers will be determined in the following order:

1)    Head-to-head matchups (for 2 way ties when possible, described above)

2)    The highest team set differentials for the season

3)    Highest team point differentials for the season

4)    Highest team total sets won

5)    Highest team total points for the season

6)    Lowest team total points allowed for the season

7)    Coin Flip

Cornhole Terminology:

Ace  You receive an ace, one point, for having a beanbag land (and stay) on the board.
Air Mail  When a player tosses a bag and it goes into the hole without touching the cornhole board, this is called air mail.
Back Door  A beanbag that, either by bouncing or a swish, goes over the top of a blocker and into the hole for 3 points.
Backstop  A beanbag that lands on the board, but behind the hole. This type of situation helps keep other sliders from going off the board.
Blocker  When a cornhole bag lands in front of the hole this is called a blocker.  Mainly, it â??blocksâ?? other bags from entering the hole.
Candycorn  A bag that has fallen short of hitting the cornhole board.
Cornfusion  When two players or teams cannot agree on the score in any one particular inning.
Cornhole  A beanbag that is tossed and goes into the hole is called a cornhole.  This results in 3 points for the player or team that tossed.
Corn Patty  A bag that is not thrown with enough force and lands short of the cornhole boards.
Cornzizzle  When a single player gets four bags in the hole in a single round â?? a real feat!
Cow Pie  You receive a cow pie, one point, for having a beanbag land and stay on the board.
Dirty Bag  Occasionally a bag hits the ground first before bouncing or rolling up onto the cornhole board, resulting in a dirty bag. Also, a dirty bag can occur when a bag first hits the board and then partially slides off with some of the bag touching the ground. When either of these dirty bags occur, no points are given for the toss.
Dirty Roll Up  When a bag first hits the ground before â??rollingâ?? up onto the board. No points are awarded for this toss.
Double Deuce  When a single player gets four bags in the hole in a single round â?? a real feat!
Double Stack  While most throw styles are allowed in tournaments, the double stack is not, but it is still fun for backyard play. The double stack is accomplished by stacking two beanbags on top of each other and simultaneously tossing them at the cornhole board.
Drain O  A beanbag that is tossed and goes into the hole is called a drain-o.  This results in 3 points for the player or team that tossed.
Fault  When a foot has stepped past the front of the corn hole board or other predetermined throw line.
Fling  Some players like to hold the beanbag by one corner between their index finger and thumb and simply â??flingâ?? the bag with a flick of the wrist.
Flop  When a bag is tossed in cornhole and there is no spin or rotation during its flight, this is referred to as a flop.
Four Bagger  Similar to a double deuce or gusher a 4 bagger is when a single player gets four bags in the hole in a single round.  However, in this case, without the help of their own, or other players, bags â?? i.e swishers or sliders.
Frisbee  This type of throw has the beanbag spinning in the air like a frisbee in order to help it â??stickâ?? to the board when it lands.
Glory Hole  When a player tosses a bag and it goes into the hole without touching the cornhole board, this is sometimes called a glory hole.
Granny  Just like in bowling, a granny shot is achieved by using both hands and tossing the beanbag from between the legs.
Gusher  When a singles player gets four bags in the hole in a single round â?? a real feat!
Hammer  The last bag tossed each round or inning is sometimes referred to as the hammer.
Hanger  Sometimes a beanbag lands on the board and is partially dangling over the lip of the hole. This is called a hanger and it does not receive the 3 points unless it falls all the way in.
Honors  A team is given honors for the next inning and gets to toss first when they were the last to score in a previous game/inning.
Hooker  A bag that hits the board and slides in a hook or curve going around another â??blockerâ?? bag and into the hole.
Jumper  A bag that hits another bag already on the board and causes it to â??jumpâ?? into the hole.
Jump Shot  In cornhole, a jumpshot is made when a player jumps and â??shootsâ?? the bag at the hole like in basketball.
Knuckleballer  Throwing a beanbag in cornhole, just like you would throw a knuckleball in baseball.
Light â??em Up  The popularity of the cornhole lights for nighttime play has really grown in the past few years.  This phrase is one to signal itâ??s time to turn them on.
Lipper  A bag that is on the board, halfway hanging into the hole, but not all the way through to gain the 3 points.
Make Them Glow  The popularity of the corn hole lights has really grown in the past few years. This is another phrase signaling itâ??s time to turn them on!
Police  Cornhole score keepers or tournament officials are often referred to as da police.
Push Bag  When a single tossed bag either pushes or pulls two or more other bags already on the board into the hole.
Rim Job  Sometimes a bag will look like it is going to go in, but then it hits the side or lip of the hole and bounces out and onto the ground.
Sally  A bag that is not thrown with enough force and lands short of the cornhole boards.
Shucked  This refers to a player or team that has beaten 13-0, for those that play past the 11-0 skunk.
Shucker  When a bag is tossed and hits another playersâ?? bag, knocking it off of the board, this is called a shucker.  Oh, shucks!
Skunk  A skunk occurs (and the game is over) when one team or opponent reaches 11 points and the opposite team has 0 points.
Sky Bag  When a beanbag is tossed really high and lands far beyond the cornhole board, it is called a sky bag.
Slick Woody  Like a slider, the tossed bag hits the board below the hole and simply slides up and into the hole for 3 points.
Slider  A beanbag that is tossed, hits the board further down from the hole, and slides up the cornhole board and into the hole.
Stanker  Any tossed bag that is for one reason or another considered foul can also be called a stanker.
Swish  When a player tosses a bag and it goes into the hole without touching the cornhole board, this is called a swish.
Weak Sauce  A player who tosses and their bag lands short of the corn hole board.
White Wash  A white wash occurs (and the game is over) when one team or opponent reaches 11 points and the opposite team has 0 points.
Woody  A tossed bag that remains on the cornhole board garnering the tosser a point.