1.1 The Cornhole Court –An American Cornhole court is a rectangular area 8 ft wide and a minimum
of 42 ft long. The court consists of 2 boards, 4 designated pitcher’s boxes and foul lines (see illustration above).

1.2 Cornhole Pitcher's Box – A pitcher's box (rectangle 4 ft x 3 ft) is at each end of the court and on
both sides of each board (4 boxes in all). Each cornhole player must remain in the pitcher's box while
pitching bags.

1.3 Cornhole Foul Lines – The front edge of each cornhole board is the foul line. This applies to all sanctioned and non-sanctioned games. Junior and wheelchair players have a different foul line (see Rule 2 Pitching Distances).

1.4 Multiple Cornhole Courts – There should be a two-foot buffer zone between the pitcher's boxes of two parallel courts. This will leave a total of 10 feet between boards set up side by side.

1.5 Indoor Cornhole Courts – Pro-Sanctioned events must have 15 feet vertical clearance from the lowest possible obstruction. Amateur (Casual Play) Sanctioned & Non-Sanctioned should have 12 feet vertical clearance.

RULE 5: Cornhole Game Play

5.1 Singles Or Doubles Cornhole Competition – American Cornhole can be played as doubles or singles. In doubles play, two players are partners against another team of two (one member of each team pitches from one board and the other member pitches from the other board). In singles play, a player competes against another player (both pitch from the same board). All other rules are the same for doubles or singles play.

5.2 Opening Coin Flip – In Doubles play, the coin toss winner has the choice of picking who pitches against whom or which side of the board to play from. The coin toss winner also decides who pitches first. In Singles play, the coin toss winner decides who pitches first and what side of the board to play from.

5.3 Position Of Cornhole Players – In Doubles play, each player's partner is directly across from them in the opposite box at the other board. So each team has one player throwing from the left pitcher's box and one throwing from the right. Each player is assigned a pitcher's box and will be required to pitch from their box the entire game

In Singles play, a player from the left pitcher's box of the head board would move to the foot board and toss from the right pitcher's box.

The pitcher must not go outside the designated pitcher's box during the process of pitching. The opposing player is to stand just behind their own pitcher's box while competitor is tossing.

5.4 Delivery Of Cornhole Bags –Every match is broken down into frames of play. During each frame of play each player must pitch all four bags. In Doubles play, the “headboard” players (players pitching first)
alternate until they've pitched all 8 bags, completing a frame. The "footboard" players (players pitching second) then call out the score before removing the bags. Once the footboard players also pitch in the same manner, their frame is completed. In Singles play, players alternate pitching until all 8 bags have been pitched, completing the frame. Cornhole players must deliver the bag within 15 seconds of stepping into the pitcher's box with the intention of pitching.

5.5 Cornhole Pitching Rotation – The player who scored in the preceding frame shall pitch first in the next frame. If neither pitcher scores, the player who pitched first in the preceding frame shall pitch first in the next frame. (In Doubles and Singles play, players switch "Pitchers Boxes" after each game)

5.6 Cornhole Scoring Designations

• Cornholes – A bag-in-the-hole (or Cornhole or Holer) is a bag thrown through the hole in the board. A bag can be pushed in by other bags from either player. 
  1 Cornhole = 3 points.
• Woody or Boarder – A bag that is not in-the-hole but lands with any portion resting on the board.
  It may not touch the ground before landing on the board. If it does, it's called a "DIRTY" and must be removed from the playing surface before another bag is tossed. A bag hanging on the board surface but touching the ground as well is also a "DIRTY" and has no point value and should be removed from playing surface before play continues.
  1 Woody or Boarder = 1 point.
• Stanker or Foul Bag – A bag which is not a Cornhole or Woody, or a bag which was delivered in
  non-compliance with one of the rules of the game. It has no point value, scores as a
  "DEAD BAGGER" and is to be removed from the board surface before any more bags are pitched.
  Bags knocked into foul territory by a foul bag should be returned as closely as possible to their
  original position. This also applies to bags that are knocked into the hole by a foul bag.
  1 Stanker or Foul Bag = 0 points.
• The following rule violations, if spotted and called by a player or assigned judge, will result in
  the foul bag being declared a "STANKER" and removed from the court:
• Any bag pitched when the player has made contact with or crossed over the foul line before the bag is released.
• Any bag pitched when the player has started or stepped completely outside the pitcher's box before releasing the corn bag.
• Any bag not delivered within the 15 second time limit.
• A bag pitched from a different pitcher's box than the first bag.
• Any bag that contacted the court or the ground before coming to rest on the board surface.
• Any bag which struck a previously defined object such as a tree limb, wire, indoor court ceiling, etc.
• Any bag that leaves a player's hand once the final forward swing of the toss has started shall count as a pitched bag. A bag that is accidentally dropped by a player before the final forward swing has started shall not be considered a "STANKER" and may be picked up and pitched.
• A player's bag shall be called a "STANKER" if the player removes it before the scoring of that
  bag has been agreed upon. A judge shall be called if a decision cannot be reached. The judge
  shall determine the scoring for the frame.

5.7 Protests – If a player desires to make a protest, the protest shall be made to the judge or tournament official at the time the problem occurs. The tournament judge shall make the final ruling on all protests.

 RULE 7: Cornhole Scoring

7.1 Cornhole "Traditional 21" Scoring – This is a negation or cancellation format where opposing players' frame points cancel one another out. Only those points that do not cancel out apply to the total overall score. Example: Red team scores 7 points in a frame and Blue team scores 9 points in the same frame. The difference is 2 (9-7=2). Blue team scores 2 points in that frame.

7.2 Cornhole "Frame Game" Scoring – Unlike the negation process, Frame Game players are trying to accumulate as many points as possible over 13 complete frames. The perfect score, or maximum amount of points available, is 156 points, meaning a player would need to throw 52 of 52 cornholes. The player with the highest cumulative score at the end of 13 frames is declared the winner. All Woodys and Cornholes for each player are counted toward their score for the frame.

7.3 Cornhole "TRADITIONAL 21" LEAGUE FORMAT (Recommended. Applies to Doubles and Singles)

• Play one match per team or player in an outing
• 1 match = 3 games
• Games are scored with Traditional 21 scoring (negation scoring)
• Winner of best of three games wins the match
• 1 league point is given for:
• Each game won within a match
• Winning a match

• 
  League also tracks:
  • Cornhole Games Won
  • Cornhole Games Lost
  • Cornhole Matches Won
  • Cornhole Matches Lost
  • Average Points Scored in Cornhole Games
  • Average Points Given up in Cornhole Games

7.4 "TRADITIONAL 21" CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT BRACKET (Recommended)

• Best of Three winner moves forward loser goes home
• Traditional Bracket Structure
• Seeding recommended as best option but random luck of draw works fine
• Ideally 16 / 32 / 64 / 128 / 256 team brackets recommended