Scoring guide
How to score cornhole
Cornhole uses cancellation scoring: each round, only the side that threw better scores, and only by the difference. Here’s how it works, with examples you can check.
Updated
The short version
- In the hole: 3 points. On the board: 1 point. Anything else: 0.
- Cancellation: at the end of each round, subtract the lower total from the higher. Only the side with more points scores, and only the difference.
- First to 21 wins, checked at the end of a round. You don’t have to hit 21 exactly, and there’s no need to win by 2 under the official rules.
- Whoever scored pitches first in the next round.
Points for each bag
Each side throws four bags a round, alternating one at a time. Bags are counted only once all eight have been thrown, because a later bag can knock an earlier one into the hole or off the board.
| Where the bag ends up | Points | Details |
|---|---|---|
| In the hole | 3 | Through the hole, whether pitched in or knocked in by another bag. |
| On the board | 1 | Resting on the board when the round ends, including a bag hanging over the hole that the board still holds up. |
| Off the board | 0 | On the ground, knocked off, or touched the ground before landing on the board. |
| Foul | 0 | Stepped over the foul line, took too long, and so on. The bag comes off the court. |
How cancellation scoring works
Add up each side’s points for the round. Subtract the smaller total from the larger. The side with the larger total adds the difference to its score, and the other side adds nothing. If the totals are equal, the round is a wash and nobody scores.
That means a round can never put both sides on the board, and a great round can be wiped out by an equally good reply. It’s why good players knock opponents’ bags off the board and block the hole.
| Side A threw | A | Side B threw | B | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in the hole, 2 on the board | 5 | 1 in the hole | 3 | Side A scores 2 |
| 2 in the hole | 6 | 2 in the hole | 6 | Nobody scores (a wash) |
| 4 on the board | 4 | 1 in the hole | 3 | Side A scores 1 |
| 3 in the hole, 1 on the board | 10 | 1 on the board | 1 | Side A scores 9 |
| Nothing | 0 | All 4 in the hole | 12 | Side B scores 12 |
The ACA’s older rulebook describes holes cancelling holes and board bags cancelling board bags. Everyday play, the ACA’s current rules and this app all use the subtraction above.
A whole game, round by round
Here’s a complete game between Side A and Side B, played to 21. The totals are each side’s points for the round before cancellation.
| Round | A’s bags | B’s bags | Scored | Score (A–B) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 3 | A +2 | 2–0 |
| 2 | 4 | 7 | B +3 | 2–3 |
| 3 | 6 | 6 | Wash | 2–3 |
| 4 | 9 | 1 | A +8 | 10–3 |
| 5 | 3 | 8 | B +5 | 10–8 |
| 6 | 7 | 2 | A +5 | 15–8 |
| 7 | 10 | 4 | A +6 | 21–8 |
Side A reaches 21 at the end of round 7 and wins 21–8. Side B threw 31 points’ worth of bags over the game but kept getting cancelled out. Notice round 3: both sides threw 6, so it was a wash. Side B had pitched first in round 3 (it scored in round 2), so after the wash Side A, which had pitched second, went first in round 4.
Winning the game
- First to 21. The first side to reach or pass 21 at the end of a round wins.
- No bust. Going over 21 is fine. The backyard rule that drops you back to 15 or 11 isn’t part of the official game.
- No win by 2. A 21–20 win counts under the official rules.
Common house rules
These aren’t official, so agree on them before the first bag.
- Win by 2: keep playing until the leader is at least 2 points ahead.
- Skunk: the game ends early if one side leads 7–0 or better at the end of a round. It’s in the ACA’s older rulebook but not its current rules.
- A different target: play to 11 or 15 for a quicker game.
See the official rules on winning for the full wording and sources.
Scoring mistakes that start arguments
- Giving both sides their points. Some backyard games add up both sides every round. The official game cancels, so only one side can score.
- Counting too early. Wait until all eight bags are thrown. A bag on the board can still be knocked in, or off.
- Counting a bag that hit the ground first. If it touched the ground before landing on the board, it scores 0, even if it bounces on and stays.
- Leaving foul bags on the court. A fouled bag scores 0 and comes off right away, so it can’t knock other bags around.
- Forgetting who throws first. Whoever scored last round goes first. After a wash, whoever went second goes first.
Cornhole terms you’ll hear
Everyday slang, not official terms, but you’ll hear them at any tournament.
- Airmail: A bag that goes straight into the hole without touching the board.
- Slider: A bag that lands on the board and slides into the hole.
- Woody: A bag on the board, worth 1 point.
- Four-bagger: All four of your bags in the hole in one round: 12 points before cancellation.
- Wash: A round where both sides score the same, so nobody gets points.
- Blocker: A bag left on the front of the board to get in the way of the other side’s slides.
- Skunk: Winning early by leading 7–0 or better, if you’re playing that rule.
Let your phone do the math
This site scores cornhole for free, with nothing to install. Tap each bag as it lands, cycling from miss to board (1) to hole (3), mark any fouls, and press Score round. It works out the cancellation, keeps the running score, tells you who pitches first next, and calls the game at 21. It can also run a whole tournament.