Cornhole – Means Different Things to Different People

Cornhole has become hugely popular over the years and even had its day on television with “American Gladiators” but it has been a long time coming back into the mainstream of lawns and sporting events. The main reason for this is because the rules are simple, very comparable to football, yet surprisingly complex for something that looks so easy. Basically, cornhole consists of a board with a tall, wide surface and two holes on each corner (six if you count one as an individual hole). Players stand or sit down in a chair opposite each other and throw their bags of corn through the holes. The object of the game is to be the first player to get all the bags into the hole and then to remove their bags from the board without letting them fall into the hole. Points are scored when a player reaches either end of the board without letting any bags to drop into the hole.

While this may seem pretty straightforward, the intricacy of cornhole makes it a game of skill that requires quick thinking, quick reactions and total concentration. For those who play cornhole often they know that once a score is made it is important to snap out of their comfort zone and try to get that same score again. That is why points are sometimes scored when the corn is thrown into a bowl or onto the ground, or when a player hits the boards or the pins. Additionally, when a cornhole player makes a successful catch, they are usually rewarded with a point. Additionally, bags of corn can sometimes be added to the game to create more scoring opportunities, and players have to remember to turn over the corn each time they pass the ball so that they do not run out of bags.

The only time that cornhole has really gotten in the press was during the 2021 NCAA tournament when Kentucky’s Billy Gillispie was seen trash talking and complaining about the referee’s call during a game. After the dust cleared and the cameras caught what was said, the “bags of corn” phrase popped up as a keyword in search engines. Although there are some Cornhole purists who will argue that such language is beyond the abilities of a game of cornhole, the fact remains that many people enjoy the game and the occasional vulgarity or profanity is accepted as a way to enjoy the game. Online forums and message boards are a good place to start researching the meaning of cornhole.