We love staying active, and a great way to do that is by adding simple games to any get together. Over the past few years the yard game Cornhole (which also is referred to as Bags, Bag Toss, and Sack toss) has been one of the most popular games to bring out at parties or barbecues. While the concept of pitching a bag into a hole is easy, there are rules and structure that have normalized the game to improve competition. Details like “how big is the Cornhole board hole (6 inches)” to “filler material of the bags (corn or resin) “ can impact the game.
You can read the details below, or check out our glossary of Cornhole terms, but if you just want the dimensions here are the common one:
- Distance Between Cornhole Boards – 27 feet
- Distance from hole to hole – 33 ft
- Angel of Cornhole Boards – 10.8 degrees floor to board surface
- Cornhole Board Dimensions – 48 inches by 24 inches
- Cornhole Board hole size – 6 inches
- Cornhole Bag Dimensions – 6 inches x 6 inches
- Cornhole Bag Weight – 14-16 ounces
The popularity of the game spikes in the US in the summer during the fourth of July, but with many people having their own cornhole setup it is still popular year round. Below is a summary showing the popularity of Cornhole, based on Google Trends, over the past 5 years.
One of the appeals of bag toss is that it is easy to setup and take part in. Even if you are not a traditionally athletic individual, you can still have fun. In terms of ease of access one of the best parts of the board setup is that they can be personalized. There are dozens of great DIY tutorials on how to build your own boards, and you can buy a decent setup at a number of sports retailers.
If you want to get series about the game though, there is a pro series that you can take part in, but this starts with understanding the rules. Although you can easily grab a few bags and start throwing them at a target, a standardized setup goes a long way in normalizing the game.
How Far Apart Should Cornhole Boards Be?
The standard distance from front edge of one board to front edge of another Cornhole board is 27 feet (8.23m). This is about nine paces for an average adult. Stepping off the distance is fine for a general backyard game, but if you are going for a competitive event expect that there is an official measurement in order to make it a regulation distance.
You can still have fun even with shorter Cornhole courts. And yes that seems to be the standard phrasing, it is not a Cornhole field or Cornhole pitch or Cornhole alley, it is a Cornhole Court.
Sometimes the length of your board may not match standards, the other measurement to worry about is how far apart the actuals holes are. For throwing an “airmail” which lands directly in the hole, dialing in this perfect toss is key.
The measurement from hole to hole in Cornhole is 33 feet (10.06m), this assumes that each board is of standard dimensions and the hole is 3 feet from the front edge of the board.
If you want the distance between cornhole boards to be less, that is fine! Especially for playing with youngsters or just casually in a backyard things are still fun even with board as little as 15-20 feet apart. We have found that anything less than 15 feet apart makes things almost too easy. Even at a full 27 feet apart some high level professional players are able to land a bag in the hole as much as 60% of the time. For casual players this level of accuracy is insane and highlights that the game really is one of skill.
What Are Standard Sizes for Cornhole Boards?
While many DIYers make their own boards, there is a standard which boards are made to match. Boards themselves are 48″ long and 24″ wide. The hole is placed in the center of the board horizontally and placed 9″ from the back of the board.
Here you might ask, if the board is 48 in long, and the hole is 9″ from the back, how is the hole still 36″ from the front of the board. The answer is that the board should be angled up. This is where the exact dimensions found across the web leave some room for interpretation or fuzzy math that makes allowances for variations and tries to normalize for the front of the board and not the angle.
How Big Is An Official Cornhole Bag, and How Much Does It Weigh?
Cornhole court dimensions are only half of getting a great setup. In addition to having standard boards, the size and type of bag you throw matters. This impacts not only the throw, but also how a bag slides, glides, or rolls after hitting a board (or the ground).
A standard bag is made up of two sides, connected together, such that there is a square shape face. This face measures 6in x 6in, with a weight of 14-16 ounces. The weight is a combination of the material of the bag as well as the filling, which is typically corn (go figure…) or pellets. The pellets or corn have no standard size, though the idea is to match near the size of an average corn kernel.
Similar to the cornhole court setup, if you do not have bags that are regulation you can still have a great game. With all of these dimensions it really matters if you are looking to take park in a sanctioned event or develop in a competitive league. Still, if you are setting up a court for a friendly barbecue or establish a low-key Cornhole competition at your Fourth of July celebration it is nice to know what the standards are and try to get close to them.
With any new bag setup many players will talk about getting the bag worn in before it plays optimally. The typical imperfections during manufacture can get worked out with a few good games. Additionally at the high level cornhole players will often wash a bag in order to break it in, as doing so will normalize the surface of the bag and make it fly, expand, and slide more predictably.