Cornhole Rules, Distances & Board Dimensions: The Complete Guide

Whether you're setting up for a backyard tournament or just settling a friendly argument, here's everything you need to play cornhole the right way — official board dimensions, exactly how far apart to place the boards, bag specs, and how scoring actually works. It takes five minutes to learn and a lifetime to master.

Cornhole board dimensions

A regulation cornhole board is a simple, standardized rectangle. If you're buying or building a set, these are the numbers that matter:

Board size: 24" x 48" (2 ft x 4 ft) playing surface
Hole diameter: 6 inches
Hole placement: the center of the hole sits 9 inches from the top edge and 12 inches from each side (centered left-to-right)
Board height/slope: the back edge is raised about 12 inches off the ground and slopes down to roughly 3–4 inches at the front
Top material: typically 1/2" to 3/4" plywood for a smooth, consistent slide

The "standard cornhole board size" question has one answer for tournament play: 2 feet by 4 feet. Smaller 2 ft x 3 ft boards exist for tailgating and travel, but 24" x 48" is the regulation size.

How far apart are cornhole boards?

This is the most-asked cornhole question, so here's the short version:

Regulation (adults): boards are placed 27 feet apart, measured from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other.
That works out to 33 feet hole-to-hole (center of one hole to the center of the other).
Kids and casual play: shorten it to 12–15 feet so younger players can reach the board.

The front edge of each board is the foul line. Players must release the bag before their foot crosses that line — step over it and the throw doesn't count.

Cornhole bags

Bags (sometimes called bean bags or corn bags) are standardized too:

Size: 6" x 6"
Weight: about 1 pound each (15.5–16 oz)
Fill: resin pellets in modern bags, or dried corn in traditional ones
Count: 8 bags per game — 4 per player or team, in two colors

How to play cornhole

Cornhole is played one-on-one (singles) or two-on-two (doubles). In doubles, teammates stand at opposite boards and throw toward the far board.

Players alternate throws until all 8 bags have been pitched — that's one round (or "frame/inning").
Throw from behind the front edge of your board (the foul line).
Add up the round, apply cancellation scoring (below), then throw the next round from the other end.

Cornhole scoring, made simple

Each bag is worth points based on where it lands:

In the hole ("cornhole"): 3 points
On the board ("woody"): 1 point
Off the board, or it hits the ground first: 0 points

Cancellation scoring: the two sides' points cancel each other out each round, so only the difference counts. If you score 7 in a round and your opponent scores 4, you net 3 points and they get 0.

Winning: the first side to reach 21 points wins. Some house rules require winning by 2, or hitting exactly 21 (going over "busts" you back to 15) — agree on it before you start.

Quick setup checklist

Place the two boards facing each other, 27 feet apart front-edge to front-edge (12–15 ft for kids).
Give each player/team 4 bags in one color.
Decide singles or doubles, and who throws first.
Alternate throws, keep your foot behind the front edge, and score by cancellation to 21.

Frequently asked questions

How far apart are cornhole boards? 27 feet from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other (33 feet hole-to-hole) for regulation play; 12–15 feet for kids and casual games.

What are the dimensions of a cornhole board? 24 inches by 48 inches, with a 6-inch hole centered 9 inches from the top and 12 inches from each side.

How big is the cornhole hole? 6 inches in diameter.

How much do cornhole bags weigh? About 1 pound (15.5–16 oz) each, and they measure 6" x 6".

How many points do you need to win? 21, using cancellation scoring (3 for in the hole, 1 for on the board).

Make your boards your own

Once you know the rules, give your set some personality. Our cornhole board wraps are thick, waterproof vinyl that fit standard 24" x 48" boards and apply bubble-free — an easy way to turn a plain set into the best-looking boards at the tailgate. Designed and hand-cut in Tomball, Texas.