Rules

Quick Play

To play, place your boards four feet apart. Grab paddles of your choice and a wiffle ball and you are set to go. Pickleball paddles and ball work best. Two player game, play to 11, serving 2 and switch. Score on serve or return. Gameplay is like table tennis except that service is directly to your opponent’s board, and both players must stand behind their boards during a serve. Also, you can’t hit the ball into the Hole on your serve, but any other time you hit the ball in the Hole you are awarded a point. Don’t let the ball bounce twice before you return the ball or the rally is over.

Official Rules

Download Official Rules here or read below.

Players:

Cornball is played as a singles game — one versus one.

Equipment: 

  • Two Cornhole boards - 2x4 feet with a 6-inch diameter hole and a ½ inch plywood top.

  • One ball - 74mm (2.9in) diameter wiffle ball, weight 26G (0.92oz). 

  • One paddle per player - wood or polycarbonate, Pickleball or Smashball paddles are best.

Court Layout:

  • Place the cornhole boards four feet apart with inclines facing each other. 

  • There is no net in Cornball. 

  • The top edge of the Board is called the Fieldline.

  • All other edges of the board are called the Husk. 

  • The area behind the Fieldline is called the Field. 

  • The areas on either of the boards are called the Rows. 

  • The area between the boards is called the Soil. 

  • For best play conditions a minimum area of 12 feet by 36 feet is required. 

  • Hard court surface is best, but boards can be set up on any surface that is level and clear for play

Court Layout and Terms:

How to win: 

  • Games are played to eleven points; win by two.

  • Points can be scored when serving or returning. 

Serve:

  • Two serves per player and switch. 

  • A serve is made by hitting the ball directly onto your opponent’s board. 

  • To serve you throw the ball straight up at least six inches and on its way down you hit it at or below waist height. Crouching during a serve is allowed. 

  • To serve you must be behind the Fieldline. You also need to be in the Field to return a serve. After the first return you and your opponent may return the ball while in the Field or a Row. 

  • If you hit a ball into the Hole on a serve, your opponent is awarded a point. 

  • If you miss your opponent’s board when serving, your opponent is awarded a point. 

  • If you are tied at ten points, service changes to one serve per player, win by two.


Return:

  • You must return the ball after it bounces off your Board. If you are unable to return the ball before two or more bounces, the rally is over and a point is awarded to your opponent. 

  • You must return the ball by hitting it onto your opponent’s board or into their Hopper. If your return misses their board, the rally is over and your opponent is awarded a point. 

  • Volleys are not allowed. If the ball is clearly going to miss the board and you volley the ball or it hits your paddle you are still awarded a point. 

  • After a serve you can return a ball while in the Rows. 

  • You cannot return a ball while in the Soil unless it has already bounced off your Board. 

  • You cannot stand on your board or block your board to prevent your opponent from completing a return. If you do, a point is awarded to your opponent. 

  • If you bump into and move your board, the rally is over and a point is awarded to your opponent. 

  • A rally remains in play if you and your paddle touch the board but do not move the board. 

Hole: 

  • You cannot hit a ball into your opponent’s Hole when you serve. If you do, the rally is over and a point is awarded to your opponent. 

  • Any other time you sink a ball into the Hole, the rally is over and you are awarded a single point. Alternatively, sinking a ball into the Hole can count as two points, but that must be decided before the start of the match. 

  • A rally remains in play if a ball bounces off the rim or backboard of the Hole, even during a serve. 

Till:

  • A Till is when you hit the ball off the front Husk of the board and it bounces back toward you. The rally is over and a point is awarded to your opponent. 

Shuck:

  • Any time a ball bounces off an edge of the board and is NOT a Till, as defined above, it is a Shuck and the ball is in play - rally continues.