Ok, so you have the basics of how to play cornhole; You’ve practiced throwing and maybe even competed with a friend or family member and now you want to know how the game is actually scored. There are numerous ways that people keep score, along with a variety of rules that they use to keep the game interesting for them. This article will list some of the various ways to score cornhole.

baseball style

If you play the game Cornhole baseball style, then it doesn’t matter if the bean bags fall except when they go into the hole. Each player will toss, one at a time, as they normally would, until all four bags each (eight total) have been tossed. This will conclude an inning and add up the bags that made it through the hole. These will be considered ‘runs’.

Turn around and pitch for the second inning. Continue adding up the ‘runs’ that are scored in nine innings and the person with the most ‘runs’ wins.

Traditional punctuation

The most traditional method of scoring cornhole is for both players to play for a score of 21 (or 11, depending on each person’s preference). Players start with zero and toss their first set of bean bags, alternating tosses. Scoring is as follows: 3 points for each bean bag that is thrown through the hole, 1 point for each bean bag that remains on the board. (Any shot that bounces off the ground and then rolls across the backboard doesn’t count.)

When all four bags are tossed, the players add up their points. The player with the higher total subtracts their opponent’s score from theirs and this is equal to the total points earned for that round. For example, Player A throws 1 through the hole and 2 on the backboard and Player B throws 3 on the backboard. Player A won 3 + 2 points, or 5. Player B won 3 points. Player A gets 5 – 3 or 2 points for that round. Score: Player A: 2, Player B: 0.

Players continue to play until one player reaches 21 points and is declared the winner. A variation of scoring is that in order to win, a player must hit exactly 21 points. If they pass (for example, player A had 19 points, threw a bean bag down the hole -for 3 points- and player B didn’t earn any points that round, then player A has 22 points for the game), then that player back to 11.

You can play however the score is most comfortable for you and your family or friends. There are endless possibilities when it comes to creative scoring for cornhole and the most important thing is to have fun. Unless your career is made playing cornhole, sheet music should be the least of what is a fun and exciting way to spend time with family and friends.