Cornhole is a simple and fun game. All it needs is some space (40 feet long by 8 feet wide), two cornhole boards, and cornhole bags. There are quite a few different approaches for keeping scores in a cornhole game. The official version states that a game ends when a team reaches a score of 21 but what happens when you go over 21 in cornhole.
What happens if you go over 21 in Cornhole?
Before we discuss different approaches used for scoring, let’s understand the official way of scoring outlined by the American Cornhole Association.
Official Scoring Method
The game works through the cancellation scoring method. A cancelation scoring method cancels out low scores against high scores. The total points are calculated at the end of each inning, and the difference in the score is the score of the winning team.
For example, there is a match-up between two teams; blue and red.
Team blue has a total score of 6 after one inning, and team red scores 4. The total points at the end of that inning will be 2 for team blue. Team blue won the innings, and it will toss first in the next innings. The score for the next inning will be calculated in the same way and added to the first inning score.
American Cornhole Association rules state that when a team reaches 21 points, it is the winner, period. It is the final call.
Variations to the Official Method
Some variations have been added in the scoring method over time and to make the game more interesting. Let’s check them out.
Skunk: A skunk happens when you defeat the opponent team by preventing it from scoring any points against you. There are two ways to settle a skunk in a cornhole. Either you can call a skunk if the score is 13-0 at the end of an innings, or you lead the game by 7-0 after an innings.
A score above 21: Some people play cornhole with a rule which states that if your score passes 21, your team will revert to 11 or 13 points, and then the game will continue again. One of the team needs to reach an exact score of 21 to win the game. It is an exciting variation to the original scoring method and results in longer, interesting, and competitive games.
Win by 2 or more points: Another variation to the game is that the winning team must have a lead of at least 2 points at the end of the inning. If the final score is 21-20, the game will continue until one of the teams has a lead of 2 or more points at the end of the game.
Tie Breaker: What will happen if both teams have a score of 21 at the end of an innings or game? The game continues until one team has a higher score at the end of an inning.
Scoring Methodology
Woody: Any bag landing on the wood surface is worth one (1) point.
Cornhole: A bag going through the cornhole, directly or by sliding, is worth three (3) points.
You don’t need to follow official rules unless you are playing in an official tournament. The best thing about cornhole is that you can customize the game to have some fun.
