Cornhole Scoring: Cancellation Scoring Explained
The official way to keep score, in plain words — so the argument at the boards can end and the game can go on.
The short answer
- 3 points for a bag through the hole
- 1 point for a bag on the board
- − only the difference between the two sides counts
That last part is cancellation scoring. Both sides count up their bags, the lower total cancels out of the higher one, and only what is left becomes points.
The setup
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Boards 27 feet apart Measured from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other.
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4 bags per side, per round A round is also called an inning or a frame. Both sides throw all 4 of their bags before anyone counts.
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Underhand throws, feet behind the line Throw underhand from beside your board. Your foot must stay behind the front edge of the board — the foul line — until the bag leaves your hand.
What each bag is worth
Count the bags only after all 8 are thrown. Here is what each one is worth:
Through the holeThe bag goes in the hole and drops through. Best throw there is.
On the boardThe bag lands and stays on the board without touching the ground.
A foul bagIt touched the ground first, bounced up onto the board, or landed off the board. Worth nothing.
How cancellation scoring works
At the end of the round, each side adds up its bag points. Then subtract the lower total from the higher total. Only the difference scores, and only one side scores each round — the side with the higher total.
If both totals come out the same, nobody scores. That is called a wash.
Worked example
- Team A throws 1 bag in the hole and 2 on the board: 3 + 1 + 1 = 5 points of bags
- Team B throws 2 bags on the board: 1 + 1 = 2 points of bags
5 − 2 = 3
Team B's 2 points cancel 2 of Team A's 5. Team A scores 3 points for the round — not 5.
Who throws first next round? The side that just scored throws first. On a wash, the side that threw first in the round just played throws first again.
Round calculator
Tap the + and − buttons to match the bags on the boards. The score stays on this page, on your device — nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Round 1 · Team A throws first
Team ARound total: 0
4 bags still to place
Team BRound total: 0
4 bags still to place
0 − 0 = 0
A wash — nobody scores this round.
Winning the game
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First to 21 wins. The first side to reach or pass 21 points at the end of a round wins the game. Going past 21 is fine.
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No “win by 2.” A score of 21–20 ends the game. You do not need a two-point lead.
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No exact 21 needed. Landing on 22, 23, or higher still wins — there is no penalty for going over.
House rules you'll meet in backyards
“Win by 2,” “must hit exactly 21,” and “bust — go back to 15 if you pass 21.” All three are backyard inventions.
They are fine if everyone agrees before the game starts, but none of them is in the ACL or ACA rulebook — and at least one widely shared rules page online lists “win by 2” as if it were official. It isn't.
Sources
- American Cornhole League (ACL) — official rules of play
- American Cornhole Association (ACA) — official rules of play
Checked November 1, 2026.