Origins
Bags, Bago, Bag Toss, Bean Bag Toss, Etc...
All of these are terms used to describe the sport of cornhole. Current knowledge of cornhole lacks a specific start date in terms of when it was first played. However, there is no shortness of theory's to how it was started. They span from some saying it was started as early as the 14th century to others saying it wasn't founded until the 1800s by a Kentucky farmer. This disparity has made it hard for the current professional leagues to embrace their sports history and has led to a focuse on modernizing the game.
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With that being said, the first official rendition of the game can be traced back to 1883 and Windt's "Parlor Quilts". His form of the game had a square hole at the top of the board and used bean bags rather than the traditional disk.
Modern Rules
The Court - The baseline rules for Cornhole begin and end with the court. Regardless of location official courts will have the boards 27 ft. apart measuring from the front of the boards. The total court length must measure between 40-45 ft and be 8-10 ft wide, Beside of each board each player is allotted a three foot area to step out know as the pitchers box. While throwing the bag the only rules are that you must stay behind the foul line until the bag is released from your hand and that it must be underhanded.
Bags - The only equipment that you need is a set of bags. A set totals four bags that must meet specific guidelines.
Length measurements are 6 inches by 6 inches with a tolerance of a quarter inch. If they do not meet the .25 tolerance they will deemed illiegal.
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Weight of the bags must be 16 ounces with an accepted tolerance rate of 15.50 - 16.25 ounces. If they do not meet these specifics it will not pass inspection.
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Thickness of the bag should measure at 1.25 inches with a tolerance of 1.125 - 1,5 inches. Bags not meeting this requirement will not pass inspection.
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Material of the bags must be durable and leave no residue on the board. The inside of the bags must be filled with plastic resin beads and may not contain any metal or foreign material.
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Appearance of the bags must have a visible and legible logo as well as nothing more than 1/8 of an inch from its seam.
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Color of the bags must be a distinct different color from the higher seeded opponent.
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Any altercation of the bags from its manufactured form is grounds for immediate disqualification.
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Boards - Boards must meet specific built durability and measurement dimensions to be considered legal. Boards must be made of wood with at least a half inch thickness and measure 4 ft long by 2 ft wide. The back of the board should be 12 inches from the ground while the front should be 3 to 4 inches from the ground to create an incline.
The hole must be 6 inches in diameter and be 9 inches from the top and 12 inches from each side.
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The playing surface of the board must be free of any blemishes that could affect the trajectory of the bag and be sanded for a smooth texture with a gloss overlay to allow the bag to slide up the board but not back down.
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Play of the Game - Cornhole game play is structured so that each player or team alternates throwing the bag after every throw. The team that scored the last point gets to throw first. In doubles teammates must stand directly across from each other on the same side of the board.
Scoring - Each bag on the board results in one point. A bag in the hole results in three points. However, scoring is calculated in the cancellation method shown here. If black scores 3 and white scores 1 the black team is rewarded two points. This continues until one team makes or exceeds 21.
