You have seen it everywhere. Bars,backyards, and of course tailgates. Anywhere there are a gathering of people you are sure to see bean bags flying through the air. It may go by various names, but it is most commonly known as cornhole. Here is everything you need to know about bringing cornhole to your tailgate.
HOW TO PLAY CORNHOLE
To play cornhole you need:
- 2 cornhole boards
- 8 bean bags (4 of one color 4 of another)
- 4 players formed into 2 teams of 2
- an open area to throw bags
Cornhole is a team game. To win, your team must accumulate 21 total points before the other team.
One team member from each side will be at each board. Boards are placed about 27 feet apart from one another. Players on side A will throw their bags, alternating by team, to side B. The goal is to try and land the bag on the opposite side’s board. After side A throws, Side B will then throw, and then Side A, then Side B and so on until one team breaks the 21 point barrier. It doesn’t need to be exactly 21 to win, just 21 or higher.
Points are scored through landing bags on certain areas of the board.
Any bag that land off the board or hits the ground prior to landing on the board will be awarded 0 points. Points scored when a players front foot crosses the front of their board will also be awarded 0 points. Scoring is done through a cancellation system. 
There are many different techniques you can use for tossing your bags. Just make sure that when throwing, your front foot doesn’t cross the plane of the board’s front edge. Doing so will disqualify your throw and earn 0 points for that throw.
Cornhole boards need to built to certain specifications. If you are planning on building your own boards, check out The American Cornhole Association to learn more. Personally, I find it it easiest to purchase quality already made boards from cornhole.com and then customize them to my liking. Here is how I painted a set of natural boards that I ordered from cornhole.com.
After staining, taping, painting, applying decals, and finally sealing with polycrylic My boards were done. For the paint I used an outdoor semi gloss paint from Lowes. You don’t need to buy a large can. A small sample size is enough to paint a board. You may need to apply several coats in order to have a nice thick coat. I applied 3 coats.
What happens when it starts to get darker? It is a little harder to see the hole right? Well Cornhole.com has a solution. Cornhole Hole Lights.
Interested? Head over to Cornhole.com and search for Cornhole Hole lights under accessories.
Bringing a cornhole set to your tailgates is a way to show off your design skills and team spirit. There is no limit to how many designs you can create. If you are at a loss and need some inspiration, check out the best cornhole designs that I have seen throughout my travels.
