NYC Social Cornhole Rules

RULES

The rules of cornhole are pretty simple. We keep it that way because we expect you to be drinking and having a good time, not worrying about how to play. So the less complicated the better, right?

BASIC RULES

  • 5 players minimum per team
  • 12 players maximum per team
  • Minimum of 2 players needed to start and/or continue a game

*If a bag hits the ground and  bounces onto the board, the bag should be taken off the board*

Matches and Scoring:

  • 2 games per night for each team
    • Each game is 16 rounds
  • Cumulative scoring – *NOT typical subtraction scoring*
    • Ex. A team gets 3 on the board and the other team has 1 on the board. The score for that round will be 3 and 1. The scores for each round will be added up and the highest score wins the game.
    • If tied, the game ends in a tie
      • PLAYOFFS ONLY – play another frame
  • Points:
    • Bag through the hole = 3
    • Bag hanging through the hole = 1
    • Bag on the board = 1
    • Bag hanging off the board (and touching the ground) = 0

**All teams make the playoffs at the end of the season (unless you forfeit 2x)**

Rules in Detail:

Number of Players

A team consists of 5-12 players. A minimum of 2 players (from the team’s league roster) is needed to start and/or continue a game. There are no co-ed minimums for this league.

Substitutions

If a team is short the required number of players in a regular season game, the team may invite players from other teams in their division to Sub in for their game. Teams can only invite enough Subs to put them at regular strength (in this case 2 players to get to 6 players)

Substitutions from outside the division are allowed; we want as many people to have fun with the NYC Social and experience the leagues. If a player subs more than two times over the course of the season then that player will need to register with NYC Social.  Substitutions during the playoffs are not permitted.

Game Length and Structure

  • Each match will be about 30 minutes.
  • Our corn-hole does not use subtraction each round! Each team will add the score from each round together to come with an over-all game score.
  • A match consists of 1 game of 16 rounds. If the game ties, it will end in a tie (except during playoffs – play another frame)
  • Cancellation scoring will not be used.

The Setup

  • For outdoor play two boxes shall be set up such that their fronts face each other and their hole centers are 30 feet apart, or as much distance as the facilities allow.
  • For indoor play two boxes shall be set up such that their fronts face each other and their hole centers are 26 feet apart, or as much distance as the facilities allow.
  • The front of the box has constitute the the foot foul line.

Team Size & Rosters

  • NYC Social Cornhole has no roster requirements for male to female ratios.
  • NYC Social withholds the right to place other small groups and free agents onto your team to balance rosters.
  • Groups of 2-3 or free agents will be placed with other teams or merged with other small groups to create a full roster.

Game Play

  • Two teams of 5-12 people shall play. Teams will form pairs amongst their players. Partners shall stand at opposite boxes on the same side, from the perspective of a third person, and face each other, so there is no advantage given to one team.
  • Each team shall have 4 bags of one color.
  • All 8 bags begin at one end.
  • A coin flip shall determine who has honors in round one.
  • One of the partners on the team who has honors shall begin play by throwing a bag at the opposite box.
  • A player may throw from anywhere behind the foot foul line.
  • Game continues by alternating throws between the two opponent players until all 8 bags have been thrown.
  • If a bag hits the ground then bounces up onto the board, that bag shall be taken off the playing surface.
  • The next frame starts when the other player on the team, which has honors, throws their first bag.
  • The game continues until 16 frames have been thrown.

Fouls

A foul occurs when any of the following happens:

  • A players foot goes past the foot foul line, termed a foot foul.
  • A player goes out of turn. The player who caused the foul loses the throw when the foul occurred and the bag shall be removed if it landed on the playing surface.

Scoring

The score shall be taken after all bags have been thrown for a frame. In league play teams DO NOT subtract scores but instead each run their own tally.

Points shall be given as follows:

  • Three points for a bag that goes through the hole.
  • One point for a bag that is on the playing surface.
  • One point for a bag that is hanging into the hole.
  • One point for a bag that is hanging off the edge but not touching the ground.
  • Zero points for a bag that is on the playing surface, but also touching the ground.
  • Zero points for a bag that is hanging off the front edge and is resting on a bag that is on the ground, unless the bag on the ground can be removed without making the hanging bag fall to the ground, then one point is given.

Each team is given a frame score according to the above point system.

  • A perfect score would be 4 “holes” or 12 points
  • The team who wins the frame is given honors to throw first in the next round. If both teams have the same round score then the game score stays the same and honors stays with the team who had it the previous round.
  • The winner of the game is the team with the most points earned through the 16 frames.
  • In the event of a tie, an extra round(s) shall be played to break the tie. The winner must only win by one point.