How cornhole scoring works
Cornhole is scored by cancellation, which means the number that goes on the board is a difference, not a total. That single fact accounts for most scoring disputes at a set of boards.
What a bag is worth
A bag through the hole is three points. A bag that stays on the board is one. A bag on the ground is nothing, including one that landed on the board and was knocked off later.
Cancellation scoring
Both teams add up their round, and the lower total is subtracted from the higher. Only the team with more points scores, and it scores the difference. If you throw 7 and they throw 5, you score 2. A maximum round is therefore 12, when one team puts all four bags in the hole and the other puts none.
Playing to 21
The first team to 21 wins. Whether you must land exactly on 21 is the great divide: official ACL play does not require it, and a very large number of backyards do. If you play bust, the usual penalty is that the round does not count, though some houses send you back to 15.
Who throws first
The team that scored in the last round throws first in the next. If nobody scored, the team that threw first previously throws first again.
House rules worth agreeing first
Skunk at 11-0, a cap so a deuce cannot run forever, and handicaps that start the weaker team ahead. None of them are official and all of them are common.
What Score All does with these rules
Cancellation scoring
Three points for a bag in the hole, one for a bag on the board. Both teams total their round, and only the difference goes to the team that scored more. A round where you get 7 and they get 5 is worth 2 to you, not 7.
First to 21
Games go to 21. Whether you have to land on 21 exactly is the argument every set of boards has: turn exact finish on if your yard plays bust, leave it off if going over still wins.
Rounds, not turns
A round is all four bags from each team. The app counts rounds so you can see how long a game took and settle who throws first next time.
House rules
Skunk at 11-0, a point cap so a deuce cannot run on, and handicaps that start one team ahead are all switches when you set the game up.
Cornhole scoring FAQ
What is cancellation scoring?
Both teams total their round and only the difference counts, to the team with more. It is why a round can be worth zero even when bags went in.
Is bust an official cornhole rule?
No. Official play does not require an exact finish. It is a widespread house rule.
What is the maximum score in one round?
Twelve, when one team sinks all four bags and the other scores nothing.
How does cornhole scoring work?
Cancellation scoring: three for in the hole, one on the board, and only the difference between the two teams counts. First to 21 wins.
Do you have to hit 21 exactly in cornhole?
It depends on your house rules. Official ACL play does not require it; plenty of backyards do. Both are settings here.
Is there a free cornhole scoreboard app?
Yes. Score All keeps the running total from the net points you enter each round, on any phone, with a live scoreboard link for spectators.