Cornhole house rules and variants
Most of the cornhole rules people argue about are house rules rather than official ones. Neither governing body uses a bust rule, a win-by-two requirement or a skunk rule, and all three are common in backyard play. This page separates the two clearly, so you can choose your rules deliberately instead of by accident.
Scoring house rules
These change how a game ends. None of them appears in the ACL or ACO rule books, and all of them are perfectly reasonable to play if everyone agrees before the first bag is thrown.
| Rule | What it does | Effect on the game |
|---|---|---|
| Bust back to 15 | Passing 21 sends you back to 15 instead of winning | Much longer games; the leader can stall near the target |
| Exactly 21 to win | You must land on 21 precisely | Similar to bust, and can drag badly at the end |
| Win by 2 | A one-point lead at 21 is not enough | Tightens close games; can extend them a long way |
| Skunk at 11–0 | Game ends early if one side leads 11 to nothing | Mercy rule — keeps a queue of players moving |
| Play to 11 or 15 | A lower target | Shorter games, useful when many people are waiting |
| Time or frame limit | Highest score after a set number of frames | Predictable length for a tournament bracket |
The bust rule is the one worth thinking twice about. It is popular because it sounds like it makes the endgame more skilful, but in practice it rewards a leader for deliberately scoring nothing — pitching bags off the board on purpose to avoid overshooting. That is a strange thing to be good at, and it is a large part of why neither governing body uses it.
The scorekeeper on this site supports bust and win-by-two as switches, both off by default. Turning one on re-scores the whole match under it rather than applying it from that point on, because a game scored half under one rule set and half under another is nobody’s rules.
Playing with two, three or an odd number
Cornhole is designed for two or four. Three players, or five, needs a house arrangement — here are the ones that work.
- Two players (singles): both stand at the same board and pitch all four bags each, then walk to the other end together, score, and pitch back. This is the standard singles format and it is fully official.
- Four players (doubles): partners split up, one at each end, and pitch toward each other. Each player stays in the same lane all game. Also fully official.
- Three players: the usual solution is cutthroat — everyone for themselves, each pitching four bags per frame at the same board, with cancellation applied between all three. Scores stay low, so drop the target to 15.
- Three players, alternative: one player sits out each game and rotates in as the winner stays on. Simpler, and it keeps the official rules intact.
- Five or more: play doubles and rotate the extra player in each game. A skunk rule earns its keep here, because it stops one long game holding up the queue.
Named variants and regional names
The game is called different things in different places, and a handful of genuine variants circulate under their own names.
| Name | What it refers to |
|---|---|
| Bags | The usual name for the game in Chicago and much of the Midwest |
| Baggo | A branded version of the game; often used generically |
| Bag toss / sack toss | Generic descriptive names, common in retail listings |
| Corn toss | Another descriptive name, referring to the original whole-corn fill |
| Washers | A different game entirely — washers pitched at a box or cup, not bags at a board |
| Ladder toss | Also a different game — bolas thrown at a ladder frame |
Washers and ladder toss are worth naming explicitly because they are often sold and searched for alongside cornhole and are sometimes assumed to be variants of it. They are separate games with their own rules, scoring and equipment.
Common questions about house rules
Is the bust rule official in cornhole?
- No. The ACO rule sheet states that games are played to "21 or more points (no bust)", and the ACL says a team is not penalised for scoring over 21. Busting back to 15 is a house rule, though a very common one.
What is the skunk rule in cornhole?
- A house rule that ends the game early when one side reaches a set lead — usually 11 to 0 — while the other has not scored. No governing body recognises it. It is most useful when a queue of people is waiting to play.
Can you play cornhole with 3 players?
- Yes, though it is not an official format. The usual approach is cutthroat: all three play for themselves, each pitching four bags per frame at the same board, with cancellation applied between all three scores. Because scores cancel three ways they climb slowly, so a target of 15 works better than 21.
Can you play cornhole with one board?
- Yes. Everyone pitches at the same board from an agreed distance, which is how most casual practice happens. Keep the distance at 27 feet to make the practice worth anything, and use cancellation scoring as normal.
What is cornhole called in Chicago?
- Bags. The game is widely known as bags across Chicago and much of the Midwest, and the boards are often called bag boards. The rules are the same game.