Official Rules: Foreword

This code of rules is written to govern the playing of the bean bag game / cornhole game. These rules are not intended to discriminate against any manufacturers of the bean bag game but are to reinforce proper game play and proper equipment.

1.01
The Bean Bag Toss Game is a game between two teams. Teams either consist of either one or two players.

1.02
The Objective of each team is to win the game by reaching a score of 21 or greater. The winning team must have won by a margin of at least two points. If the difference in score is less than two points, the game shall continue until one of the two teams has a total score which is greater than the other teams score by two or more points and greater than 21.

2.01
The court shall be laid out according to Diagram 1. The bean bag game boxes shall be set up with their downward slants facing each other. The sides of the two boxes should be perfectly lined up. A distance of 30 feet is to be obtained from the center of the hole to center of the hole.

2.02
Playing surface must be flat without a slant detectable by the human eye. Minimum Playing area shall be 10 ft wide and 40 ft long.

2.03
Foul Lines are where the front of the box makes contact with the ground or floor.

2.04
Overhead obstructions must be not less than 12 feet from the ground or floor.

Bean Bag Game Boxes

3.01
The boxes shall be constructed of 3/4 plywood or mdf. The use of 1/2 inch plywood is acceptable if it is reinforced from the underside to ensure the bean bags, thrown in normal gameplay, will not bounce. ( Bean Bags shall transfer kinetic energy to the box which is apparent when a thrown bag slides upward instead of bouncing. When a bag bounces, the bag absorbs the majority of the impact and therefore bounces into the air.)

3.02
The game boxes shall be constructed with a 12 degree pitch with an allowance of +/-0.5 degree.

3.03
The width of the game box's top panel shall be 24 inches +/- 1/4 inch.

3.04
The front end of the top panel shall be a minimum of 2 inches from the ground and a maximum of 5 inches.

3.05
The top panel of the game box shall be a length of at least 36 inches and not more than 48 inches.

3.06
The hole shall be centered on the box with the center of the hole a minimum of 9 inches from the top of the panel and a maximum of 14 inches from the top of the panel.

3.07
The hole shall have a diameter of 6 - 6 3/8 inches.

3.08
The two game boxes used in any game shall be the same sizes, constructed out of the same materials and shall be constructed at the same angle.

Bean Bags

3.09
The dimensions of the bean bags shall be 6 inches x 6 inches with an allowance of +/-1/8 inch.

3.10
The fabric used must be durable. The allowable fabrics can be a minimum strength of cotton duck and a maximum strength of 1000 denier cordura. All fabrics in between the range are allowed. Any questionable fabrics can be tested by participants or event host to determine acceptability.

3.11
Stitching of the bags shall be done with upholstery thread or a thread of similar integrity.

3.12
The fill used in the bean bags shall be popcorn or a high density polymer with a ratio of volume vs. weight similar to popcorn. ( Beans or field corn are not permissible for the fact that they disintegrate and turn to powder at a fast rate. The powder leaves the bag during game play and make the weights of the bags less and renders some bags lighter than others.)

3.13
The weight of the total bag ( fill plus fabric ) must be in between 14.5 ounces and 16 ounces. All bags must be the same weight +/-0.5 ounces.

4.01
To begin game play players flip a coin to determine who throws first. Issues over bag colors and which end of the court starts first can also be determined with a coin toss.

4.02
The coin toss determines who throws first. After initial volley, the team that last scored will always throw first.

4.03
Players will alternate throws.

4.04
Players may throw from either side of the box and from any available distance from the adjacent box as long as they do not pass the foul line.

4.05
Games will be played with either six or eight bags. Bags for any given game will be 1/2 of one color and 1/2 of another color. Colors must contrast each other.

5.01
Points are to be tallied only after all the bean bags have been thrown.

5.02
One point is awarded for any bean bag that lands on the game box. Three points are awarded for any bean bag that goes in the game box's hole. Points are only to be tallied after both players have thrown. ( bags that get knocked off the game box during game play do not count as points )

5.03
Points are to cancel each other out. After each volley, both player's points are to be tallied. The team with the most points then subtracts the other teams points to get their net score for that volley. For example, after the volley, TEAM A landed two bags on the box ( 2 points ), one bag off the box ( 0 points ), and one bag in the hole ( 3 points ) for a total of 5 points. TEAM B landed one bag on the box ( 1 point ), two bags in the hole ( 6 points ), and one bag off the box ( 0 points ) for a total of 7 points. Since TEAM B ended up with more points than TEAM A, they would subtract TEAM A's points from their total to end up with a result of............. 2 points for TEAM B

5.04
The winning team must have won by a margin of at least two points. If the difference in score is less than two points, the game shall continue until one of the two teams has a total score which is greater than the other teams score by two or more points and equal or greater than 21.