Learn About Cornhole Tournaments

/ / Published in Information

Cornhole has evolved from just a backyard barbecue game to well organized leagues and divisions across the country. What was once a simple game among friends has now become a nationally televised sport! In this article, we outline the basics of how to play Cornhole, how to find and join a cornhole league in your area, and how you could even find yourself on national TV playing cornhole for awards and prizes.

As with any professionally organized activity, there are some rules and regulations to follow. Below you will find some of the basic rules of the game.

Cornhole Tournament Equipment Rules:

  • The board must be two feet by four feet
  • The board must be angled 12 inches from the ground at its highest point
  • The board must be three to four inches from the ground on the low end
  • The six inch hole must be directly in the center of the board and nine inches from the top
  • Bags must measure six by six inches and weigh 15.5-16.5 ounces

Cornhole Board Placement During a Tournament:

  • Measured from the front, or low end, the boards should be placed 27 feet apart
  • Cornhole (also referred to as corntoss) boards should be lined up evenly with each other.

Here is a video explaining how to set up your cornhole game and how the score is kept.

How To Play

  • If you’re playing doubles you will stand with your opposing teammate next to one board and your teammate will stand with their opposing teammate at the other board.
  • You will decide which person from each team throws first, if you’re playing one on one this step is not necessary
  • One team will throw the first bag then the other team will throw their first bag
  • Remember not to cross the front of the board, that’s the foul line
  • You will alternate like this until each of your four bags is thrown
  • Getting your bag in the hole is worth the most points so that’s what you should aim for
  • You play until one team or player reaches 21 points and that team is the winner.

This video teaches you the basics of how to throw a bag and even how to play with a defensive edge.

Tips From Pro Cornhole Players

Did you know there are multiple different ways to hold a bag? They all affect how the bag moves in the air and slides along the board. Perfect your “pitching style” and become a pro.

How To Join A Local League

There are various leagues set up across the country that you can join. Most of these are just for fun…but you can win some moo-lah. 32 states have local cornhole leagues you can join.

Once you find a league you’d like to join. They will typically have a registration section on their website. This is where you will pay for yourself or your team to participate in a scheduled tournament.

Here is an example of what a registration and information page will look like:

Cornhole Tournament Registration Page Example

Professional Cornhole Organizations

There are two professional cornhole organizations that allow players to play both socially and professionally. They are the American Cornhole Organization and the American Cornhole League.

The ACO is the older of the two organizations. It was founded in 2004 and its contribution to the game is the two sided bags.

The ACL is the newer of the two organizations, but it’s more famous due to its presence on ESPN.

How To Qualify To Be A Professional Cornhole Player

There are currently 80 people with the pro title in the ACO and 97 registered pro teams in the ACL.

To become a pro in the ACL follow the following steps:

  • Purchase an ACL membership, this costs $25. This membership allows you to compete against others at your skill level. You can play out of your skill level…if you can handle the competition.
  • Becoming a registered ACL member allows you to be seen on the national standings, access statistics, and receive discounts when applying for ACL regional, conference, and national events in the future.
  • Once you’re a member you will have a player profile assigned to you. This shows your age group and skill level
    • Junior, College, Adult, Senior
    • 1 Bagger, 2 Bagger, 3 Bagger, 4 Bagger, Premier, Elite
  • ACL directors will place you in divisions that match your skill level
    • Backyard, Social, Competitive, Advanced
  • Once you’re an established player you play in local, regional, conference, and national tournaments. The creme de la creme gets to compete at the Championship of Bags for a chance to win $50,000. This is a nationally televised event that’s hosted by ESPN.

To become a pro in the ACO follow the following steps:

  • Purchase an ACO membership, the cost is $35.
  • You will be added to the ACO ranking list
  • You will have access to a player profile with all of your info and statistics
  • You’re eligible to earn ACO World Ranking points at ACO Regionals and ACO Majors
  • You would be eligible to compete at the ACO World Championships of Cornhole

Regulations By ACL

The ACL used to have regulations in place for what bags were approved, they have since lifted this rule. For the 2019-2020 season players can bring their own bags to tournaments. They must within the regulations of 15.5-16.25 ounces and 5.75 and 6.25 inches when laid flat. The material cannot leave residue on the board, but it can be made out of any material whether it’s woven, non-woven, or knitted. Here is an in depth list of bag requirements. Popular bags brands are listed on the ACL website along with the types of bags that are permitted by the ACL, the list even includes grandfathered bag types.

Professional Cornhole Divisions

The United States is broken down into 14 professional divisions.

ACL Conference Map

How To Find Regional Tournaments

Here is a photo taken on the ACL website. To find events check out the events page on their website.

ACL Regional Tournaments Map

Stay Up To Date With ACL Statistics

The ACL has rankings for pro singles, pro doubles, singles, overall, conference, state, and virtual on their website. Keep up with your favorite participants. The ACO has their rankings listed on their website as well for pro players, world players, and virtual players.

Different Types Of Tournaments Hosted By ACL

  • ACL Juniors – Tournament dedicated to children. They compete for prize money intended for their college tuition
  • ACL College – Tournament designed ideally for college intramural cornhole teams, but any college age student team or college alumni team can participate. This provides scholarship money and money to be donated to booster clubs.
  • ACL Championship – A tournament that spans a year that is determined by a points system. This tournament is designed for any age group and skill level. The competitions occur locally and regionally then progress to conference and national events.
  • ACL Pro – Series of national events that is televised by ESPN

Televised Tournaments

Cornhole is a growing activity and ESPN recognizes the popularity of it. Cornhole tournaments are televised on ESPN 3. If you would like to view upcoming cornhole tournaments you can find them on ESPN.

Where To Follow ACL And ACO

ACL

ACO

What you can read next

In Need of Family Bonding Time? Try Cornhole!
Buying Cornhole Boards
Throw a Cornhole Every Time!