Cornhole League Rules
Last Updated October 15, 2025
We Are A Fun and Friendly League
The goal and purpose of the Savannah Adult Recreation Club is to provide fun and friendly competition in adult recreational sports. Each player should treat their fellow athletes, referees, spectators, and other staff with respect and courtesy at all times. Any profane or malicious comments directed at any of the aforementioned people will not be tolerated. Follow our general code of conduct because a failure to do so will result in an ejection from the game, suspension or even a permanent ban from the club.
At A Glance
- Matches are best 2 out of 3 games.
- Games are played to 21 points. A team wins as soon as they reach or exceed 21 points at the end of a round.
- Points are awarded per bag: 1 point = bag on the board / 3 points = bag in the hole.
- Scoring is cancellation style. No bust.
- At the end of each round, each player's total is calculated and the lower score is subtracted from the higher score. The difference is the net points earned by the higher-scoring player that round. (Ex. Player A score 8, Player B scores 6, Player A's team is awared 2 points.)
- Teams that are awared points after each round throw first.
- Boards are placed 27 ft front-edge to front-edge (standard regulation)
- Teams must play 2 vs 2, does not have to be co-ed.
- The two players who start game/tournament must be the same pair for all games in that match/tournament (no swaps).
Eligibility & Rosters
- Players must be 18+.
- Teams register a roster of players. Substitutes/guest players must follow league policy ask SARC admin if you have questions.
- To be eligible for playoffs, a player must have played in at least 3 games/matches during the regular season.
- Teams do not have to be co-ed. Any gender composition.
- Minimum of 2 players per team.
Forfeit Policy
- A team not ready to play may be alotted a 10 min grace period.
- After 15 minutes of delay: the first game is a loss. After 30 minutes: the entire match is a loss.
- The non-forfeiting team must still field the minimum number of required players to receive the forfeit win.
- Teams failing to notify league reps at least 4 hours before scheduled start time risk removal from league/tournament.
Match Play / Game Flow
- Start of Match: Captains decide first throw or side by rock/paper/scissors (best of one). Winner chooses either first throw or side.
- Switching Sides: Teams switch sides after each game.
- Time-outs: Each team is allowed one 1-minute time-out per game; no carryovers.
- Substitutions: Substitutions only allowed between games (or between rounds of play) — not mid-throw sequence unless permited by SARC admin.
Scoring
- Games are played to 21 points. A team wins as soon as they reach or exceed 21 points at the end of a round.
- Points are awarded per bag: 1 point = bag on the board / 3 points = bag in the hole.
- Scoring is cancellation style. No bust.
- At the end of each round, each player's total is calculated and the lower score is subtracted from the higher score. The difference is the net points earned by the higher-scoring player that round. (Ex. Player A score 8, Player B scores 6, Player A's team is awared 2 points.)
Bag Toss / Gameplay Specifics
- Two teams alternate tossing bags ( 4 bags per team per side throw) from the regulation distance.
- A bag landing on the board = 1 point; in the hole = 3 points.
- Bags that bounce onto the board count if they remain; bags that bounce off or touch the ground first do not count.
- A bag that touches any object outside the board (e.g., ground, grass before board, fence) is “dead” and scores no points.
- After each side throws, teams tally points and update score. The next sides throws begin with the team that scored points in previous sides throw.
Faults & Infractions
- If a player steps over or beyond the foul line (front of board) while tossing, that toss is forfeited — no score from that bag.
- Bags that hit the ground before landing on the board/hole = 0 points.
- Disruptive conduct (argument, profanity, unsportsmanlike act) may lead to ejection from game, suspension or permanent ban.
- Illegal substitutions (not on roster, or too many/too few players) result in penalties (e.g., loss of toss, bag, round, or game).
Playoffs
- Match format: Best 2 of 3 games to 21.
- Higher Seed throws first.
- Only players who are on the official roster, paid-up and have met minimum regular-season participation (3 matches) may play in playoffs, except in injury/illness cases approved by league admin.
