Cornhole Scoring and Bust Rules

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Cornhole Scoring

Cornhole scoring is pretty simple once you get the hang of it, but it can be complicated when starting out. The secret is to keep in mind that only one team can score per round.

How to Score Cornhole Points

There are two kinds of points to deal with when scoring cornhole throws.

  • Woodies are bags that land directly on the cornhole board playing surface. Bags are not allowed to bounce onto the board from the ground or other surface, and any bags that do should be immediately removed. Woodies are worth 1 point.
  • Cornholes are bags that fall through the hole in the top of the playing surface, either by sailing in directly, sliding in on the throw or being pushed in by another bag (yours or your opponents!). Cornholes are worth 3 points.

Cornhole Score Totalling and Point Cancellation

In cornhole, points are totaled at the end of each round. Once all eight bags have been tossed, score up the total bags for each team. The team that has the most points for the round will subtract their opponent’s points from their own to get their total score for the round.

Let’s look at an example:

Team A lands two woodies and one cornhole
Team B lands one woody and two cornholes

Team A scored 5 points, while Team B scored 7.  Team B’s score for the round is 2, because 7-5=2. Team A receives no points because, I repeat, only one team can score per round.

This type of scoring is good for the game because it adds some defensive strategy and extends how long a game might last.

Busting – Cornhole Bust Rules

Cornhole scoring can get tricky toward the end if you choose to play busting rules. According to the American Cornhole Organization’s official rules, games end when a team reaches or exceeds 21 points. Often, though, backyard and tailgating games play rules that insist landing on 21 exactly, and not going over. In these rules, “going over” 21 is called “busting.”

When a team busts in cornhole, they drop their score back down to 15, and have to work their way back up. Remember, though, scores are totaled at the end of the round. There is no limit to the number of times a team can bust (unless you set a house rule).

For more information regarding cornhole scoring, check out the official cornhole rules.