cornhole...bags....same same

i'd never heard of bags until i moved here. i guess it's a midwest thing, but apparently all the kids that went to college around here know how to play and they are good! it's a great sidewalk game that is loads of fun when it is sunny and warm and you have plenty of beer. you can find the game being played at tailgating parties, on sidewalks, in parks, and just about any other outdoor space. since wikipedia can explain it much better than me, i figure i'll let them tell you all about it:

according to wikipedia: Cornhole is a lawn game in which players take turns pitching cornhole bags—cotton duck bags filled with feed corn—at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. These platforms are usually made with plywood or occasionally plastic, and are often decorated. A corn bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform scores 1 point. Play continues until a player reaches the score of 21.

kyle and trish try and get s ome bags on... they aren't doing so great here!


last memorial day, higgins and i were playing...

me and john...

kyle and sonny...


Platform size and layout

The Cornhole platforms are set 33 feet (10 m) from the inside edge of each hole (the 6-inch (150 mm) diameter holes are centered 9 inches (230 mm) in from the back) while the player can stand anywhere from no further than the back of the platform but not any closer than the front of the platform. Additionally, there must be 12 feet (3.7 m) of vertical clearance above the playing area.

examples of what boards can look like - they can be decorate or not...



Gameplay

Cornhole matches are broken down into innings (or frames) of play. During each inning, every player throws four bags. A player may deliver the bag from either the left or right pitcher's box, but, in any one inning, all bags must be delivered from the same pitcher’s box.

Cornhole can be played as either doubles or singles. In doubles play, four players split into two teams. One member from each team pitches from one cornhole platform and the other members pitch from the other. The first side of players alternate pitching bags until both players have thrown all four of their bags, then the players pitching from the opposing cornhole board continue to alternate in the same manner until all four of their bags are delivered and the inning or frame is completed.

Scoring

In order to score, the bags must either be tossed into the hole or land on the board. A bag that falls through the hole is worth a value of three points. The bag can be tossed directly into the hole, slide into the hole, or be knocked into the hole by another bag. A bag that lands on the board and is still on the board at the end of the inning is worth one point. In cancellation scoring, bags that fall in the hole and bags that land on the board that are pitched by opponents during a frame cancel each other out. That is, if one player scores four points and the other player scores three points, the first player receives one point for the inning.

Length of the game

A cornhole match is played until the first player or team reaches or exceeds twenty-one points at the completion of an inning.

Terminology

The following is a list of terms commonly used in a cornhole game :

Air Mail or Swish
A bag that goes directly in the hole without touching the board.
Ace or Cow Pie
A bag lands on the board, which is worth one point.
Cornhole or Drain "O"
A bag falls in the hole, which is worth three points.
Slider
A cornhole that slides into the hole.
Blocker
An ace that lands in front of the hole, essentially blocking the hole from sliders.
Back Door
A cornhole that goes over the top of a blocker and into the hole.
Hanger
An ace on the lip of the hole ready to drop.
Honors
The team who tosses first, resulting from the team scoring last.
Dirty Bag
A bag that is on the ground or is hanging off the board touching the ground.
Sally or Corn Patty
A toss that is thrown too weakly and lands on the ground before reaching the board.
Gusher or Double Deuce
Four cornholes by a single player in a single round.
Skunk or White Wash
A game that, by some rules, ends in an 11-0 score.
Backstop
A bag that lands past the cornhole but remains on the board creating a backboard for a slider to knock into without going off the board.
Jumper
A bag that strikes another bag on the board causing it to jump up into the cornhole.
Hooker
A bag hitting the board and hooking or curving around a blocker and going on the hole.
Cornfusion
When players or teams cannot agree on the scoring of a given inning.
Police
The cornhole referee.
Shucker
When a player pitches a bag and it strikes an opposing players bag knocking it off the board.
4 Bagger
When a player puts all 4 bags in with no help from his bag or another player.
Push Bag
When a bag takes in 2 or more bags of either the throwers bag or the opposing players bags.

History

The true history of the game is unknown, though stories abound. Some people claim that one of their ancestors invented it, but none of these stories have been substantiated. One story claims that the game was first played during the 14th century in Germany, then rediscovered in Kentucky within the last century. Despite debate about whether the game was actually created in the Kentucky farmland or the West Side of Cincinnati, some sources credit the invention to western Cincinnati, but by whom or when is unknown.

and there you have it. the next time you are in chicago and it is a nice day, you can try your hand at a game of bags if you wish.