Cornhole is one of the most popular outdoor games in America. It has been around for decades and even increased its popularity in recent years. If you ever went to a high school, college or NFL football game, you have definitely spotted people trying to throw little bags filled with corn, rice or pebbles into a hole in a wooden board in front of the Stadium. In this article, we are going to talk about the origin of the famous outdoor game, the history of cornhole, and how to play cornhole.
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Where did cornhole originate?
To this day it is unknown exactly where the game originated. There are currently three different theses out there on the actual origin of cornhole. Theses number one claims that the game was invented in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the bags were filled with kernels and tossed into plywood holes. If you have ever visited Ohio, it is very hard to argue with this claim, because the game is insanely popular in all of Ohio, and especially in Cincinnati.
If you visit a Backyard party, family get together, a football game, or pretty much any other social event, there is a very high chance that you find beer, food, and cornhole. The second claim for the origin of cornhole comes from the Neighbouring State of Ohio, Kentucky. According to the people of Kentucky believe that an early pioneer named Jebediah McGillicuddy played the first version of the game in the hills of Kentucky, where cornhole continues to be very popular today.
Both of these theses claim an origin in the Midwest of the United States. However, there is a third thesis regarding the origin of cornhole and seems a lot more realistic than the first two. Many US farmers find their origins in Germany. Their ancestors moved to the United States hundreds of years ago in hopes of great and more fruitful lands.
Many of these farmers claim that cornhole has been played in their families for hundreds of years and was brought to the United States from their ancestors when they sailed across the Atlantic. According to some sources, cornhole dates back as early as the 14th century and was a popular social game in Germany back then.
So now we are left with three possible origins but no one who can certainly confirm or deny any of these theses. I guess it’s only fair to confirm that it did first emerged in the United States in the Midwest and it might have been brought across the Atlantic by the Germans.
The History of Cornhole
About 20 years ago, the game of cornhole received a massive boost in popularity. It is said that this boost originated in the parking lot of the Cincinnati Bengals Football stadium. Bengals fans introduced the game to fans of the opposing teams and so it began to spread throughout all of the United States. Soon after conquering all NFL Teams, the game spread to college football, baseball and all sorts of social gatherings.
Today cornhole can be bought pretty much anywhere in every imaginable form. In addition to the traditional plywood boards, boards can be bought in the branding of just about any sports team. There are also floating versions for pools, portable sets and yes, even a mobile app. So even though we can’t really confirm the origin – well no one can confirm the origin – the history of cornhole brings us back to the parking lot of an NFL Stadium where fans from the away team played with fans from the home team and then brought these games to their hometowns.
How to play cornhole?
To play cornhole, all you need is two or four players, two identical two foot-by-four-foot boards with a six-inch hole centered nine inches from the top and eight total corn bags. Many cornhole games set to come as a set with cornhole board, cornhole bags included, but make sure to double-check before making your purchase.
Measuring from the front end of each of the two boards, they should be 27 feet apart, directly facing one another. Try to set up the boards on the flattest area you can find.
You and your opponent alternate throwing until each player has thrown four bags. The player or team that wins the frame gets to throw first in the next frame. If neither score, the team or player who threw first during the last frame will throw first in the next.
When throwing, you stand directly next to the board. There is an imaginary three-foot-wide pitcher’s box that runs the length of the board. You must stay within this space when throwing. According to the American Cornhole Organization (ACO), all players must throw the bags with an underhand release.
Traditionally, cornhole is played to 21 points. You are awarded:
- 3 points if the bag goes through the hole
- 1 point for bags that hit and remain on the board
Points are kept according to cancellation scoring. Here is an example scenario:
- In the first frame, Team A gets one bag through the hole and two bags on the board, for a total of five points.
- Team B gets two bags through the hole and one bag on the board, for a total of seven points.
- Instead of the score being Team B 7, Team A 5, Team B must subtract Team A’s five points from their score, giving them a total of two points. Therefore, the score would be Team B 2, Team A 0 after that frame.
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