BackyardGamez Answers

What's the benefit of cornhole bags filled with plastic pellets?

There are two widely-used types of cornhole bags on the market, corn-filled and plastic-pellet-filled. We, like many players, prefer corn-filled bags because they provide great play as the corn breaks down. This breaking down process creates corn dust and produces great slide on the cornhole boards as the bags are tossed.

With that said, we love playing with plastic pellet bags when we play inside, such as a community building, garage, or basement. Playing indoors doesn't provide ventilation like the outdoors, so corn dust can quickly agitate your eyes and get in your mouth as you play inside. Plastic pellets allow for a good bag tossing experience without the hassle of corn dust circulating from poor ventilation.

How to Make Cornhole Lights?

When people ask "How do I make cornhole lights?", they're typically referring to making lights that will light their cornhole boards. The best product for making cornhole lights that we've personally used is battery-powered LED Christmas lights. They're not too expensive and LEDs technically never burn out, so you get bang for your buck.

To install the light ropes, we drilled holes through the face of each cornhole board. We then mounted the LED ropes under the boards and poked the lights up through the holes. With the bulbs barely piercing the board tops, we put a sealant over the bulbs for sealing and protective measures. If you look at the Cleveland Indians board below, you'll notice the light holes on the left.

If you want the full lighted experience, consider buying a set of LED cornhole hole lights for the boards' holes. The circle lights will light the hole while your LED Christmas lights light the boards' perimeter. Best of all, no extension cords! Just 9 volt batteries that last a long time and LEDs that don't burn out!

References:
LED Christmas Lights
Indians Boards with Lights Around Board
Cornhole Boards With Circle Lights on Hole

How heavy are cornhole boards?

The cornhole boards we sell on our website (located here) weigh 65lbs when packaged and shipped. The 65lbs includes two cornhole boards, 8 bags, padding and packaging. We ship them via FedEx to anywhere in the United States, for FREE!

Where can I buy cornhole board decals?

We sell cornhole board hole decals on our website in several different colors. They come with free shipping.

Check them out here.

We also have many articles on how to apply decals to your cornhole boards. Visit our blog by clicking the link at the top of the site to see the various decal blog posts.

Where can I buy cornhole bags online and get free shipping?

Right here on backyardgamez.com! We offer professionally made regulation size (6"x6" weighing between 15-16oz) cornhole bags and offer free shipping to anywhere in the United States. We back them with tremendous customer service and fast shipping. Cornhole Bags With Free Shipping

How to make a cornhole scoreboard?

Making a cornhole scoreboard is easy, but to make it even easier we have created a great online manual showing you exactly how to do it. It includes material images, prices, and where to buy them in addition to images and instructions for each step. It can be viewed on our website or downloaded and printed in PDF format. How to make a cornhole scoreboard

What are the correct cornhole board dimensions?

A while ago, we posted a blog article covering the proper dimensions for cornhole boards. The blog post includes CAD drawings, so make sure to check it out and print it for later use. Click the link below to view the post and images.

CAD Drawings of Cornhole Board Dimensions

Where are the cornhole rules?

We have an entire article devoted to the rules of cornhole on this website. Click the link below to read them. Cornhole Rules

What is the weight of cornhole bags?

According to the American Cornhole Association, cornhole bags are made of two pieces of fabric with double stitching. They should be made of durable canvas with a finished size of 6"x6" weighing between 15 and 16 ounces.

How do I prevent my cornhole bags from bouncing when building a set of cornhole boards

To prevent your cornhole boards from having too much bounce, a cross beam can be added to each board. The cross beam adds support to the middle of the board and will reduce excess bounce. Follow the below steps to add your cross beam.

• Get a pice of wood that will fit correctly under your board. A 2x4 around 22 inches long works nicely.
• Measure 24 inches from the top of the board (splitting the cornhole board in half length-wise).
• Put wood glue on your board and attach the cross beam to the undercarriage of the board.
• Use finishing nails to nail through the cornhole board sides into the cross beam.

Can cornhole bags get bugs in them?

Sort of. They can't GET bugs in them, but can HAVE bugs in them. The reason, corn that is stored in damp places or left setting for long amounts of time can attract corn weevils. The weevils then lay eggs. Next, the person using the corn to fill tossing bags fills the bags and sews them shut. At this point, the corn within the bag has weevil eggs present. Eventually, the eggs hatch and the bags contain bugs/weevils.

To avoid bus in cornhole bags, make sure the corn used to fill the bags is either stored in a freezer (which kills all insects and eggs) and/or is not stored for long amounts of time.

The issue of weevils in cornhole bags is not common, so I wouldn't worry too much, but it does happen. We actually sell high quality cornhole bags if you looking to buy some. They're located here.

How to keep score in cornhole?

Cornhole is played to 21 points.

Scoring Explanation:

During a single frame in cornhole, 8 bags are thrown, 4 by each of the two players. 3 points is awarded for getting a bag in the hole and 1 point is awarded for getting a bag on the board. Bags cannot bounce off of the ground onto the board. When this happens, the bag is removed from the board. Opponents' bags cancel each other out, so if player 1 gets 3 bags on the board and 1 in the hole, he/she totals 6 points. If player 2 gets 4 bags on and 0 in the hole, he/she totals 4 points. Now, you take 6 - 4 and player 1 ends up "actually scoring" 2 points. Play continues until a team (or player if playing singles) scores 21 points or more.

When playing informally, such as with friends in the backyard, there is another version people play called "go back". In the go-back version, if a team doesn't land exactly on 21, they "go back" to a certain number. We personally use 13 when we play go-back. The benefit of playing 'go-back' is it makes matches more interesting and competitive when one team is much better than the other.

What is cornhole?

Cornhole is a game that requires two boards set 27 feet apart. Each board includes a 6" diameter hole and measures 2 feet wide by 4 feet long. The hole is 9" centered from the back top of the board (6" from board top to hole edge).

Players get 4 bags each (usually made of duck cloth and filled with corn kernels or plastic resin pellets) and takes turns throwing. A bag in the hole counts as 3, a bag on the board counts as 1 and a bag on the ground is zero. A bag that bounces off the ground onto the board also counts as zero. Teams' bags cancel each other out, meaning if each team has one bag on the board, the score for that inning is zero.

The first team (player if playing singles) to score 21 or more wins. In theory, Cornhole is similar to horseshoes and bocce. For a full explanation of the game, read our article on the game of cornhole.

In Ohio, the name cornhole is typically used. Depending on the region, the name of the game changes while the rules remain largely unchanged. Other names for the game are Bags, Baggo, Corn Toss, and Bean Bag Toss.

What is the correct distance between cornhole boards when playing cornhole?

The distance is 27 feet from board front to board front (the holes are 33 feet apart). Source: American Cornhole Association (ACA)

Instead of measuring or pacing, there's a better way to determine 27 feet. Make a cable that attaches to the front of your boards. Make the cable 27 feet long and put a snap hook with screw lock on each end of the cable. Next, put a wood screw hook in the front of each of your cornhole boards. Now, you never have to measure the distance again! Simply place your first board on the ground with the cable attached to the front. Fully extend the cable and clip the other end into the hook on the other board. Pull the cable tight and your boards are 27 feet apart.

Where can I buy duck cloth for making cornhole bags?

Duck cloth can be purchased at many stores, both online and offline. However, the quality of the cloth varies, so make sure you know which grade your buying. The cloth will most likely be 9oz, 10oz, or 12oz. Duck cloth (also referred to as canvas) can be purchased in person at:

• Walmart
• Target
• Hobby Lobby
• Joann Fabrics
• Michaels

• Big Duck Canvas
• Fabric Depot
• Miller's Dry Good and Fabrics
• Amazon

What is the best way to light up my cornhole board?

This is a common question because many people struggle trying to find a way to play the game outside at night. For the best result, buy flood lights that are mounted on a stand. The lights we use are purchased at Sears and aren't near as expensive as you think (currently $33.99 for a tripod with 2 lights). See them here.

If flood lights are overkill for your situation, then I would consider either implementing Christmas Lights into your boards if you have building experience. You can drill holes in your board and easily install roped LED Christmas Lights. See an example here.

If you want a fast, inexpensive way to light your boards, buy the LED rings. These rings are very popular cornhole lights that easily mount under the holes in your boards. They run off a 9v battery and never burn out since they're LEDs. However, they only light the hole, not the entire cornhole board.

What are the dimensions of a cornhole board?

This is best illustrated with an image, but to give a brief textual answer. Thw width is 24", length is 48", hole is 6" in diameter, the front of the board is 3" - 4" from the ground to the cornhole board top, and the back stands 12" from ground to deck.

What is the dimension of the "hole" in a cornhole board?

The hole in a cornhole board measures 6" in diameter. Its position is 9" centered from the top of the board and 12" centered from the side. By centered, we mean that you measure 9" from the back of the board to the center of the 6" hole and 12" from the side of the board to the middle of the 6" hole.

When making cornhole bags, what type of corn should I fill my cornhole bags with?

When making cornhole bags that are filled with corn (not resin pellets), people typically use either un-popped popcorn kernels or whole kernel feed corn. In our experiences, whole kernel feed corn consists of larger kernels and breaks down slower that popcorn kernels.

If you only want to make a set of bags for yourself, we recommend either popcorn kernels or a small bag of feed corn like sold at Tractor Supply . This prevents you from having extra corn and wasting money. If you're wanting to make bags in bulk, such as for selling, we recommend visiting a feed store so you can get economy of scale.

How much does it cost to make a good set of cornhole boards?

To make a regulation-size set of wood cornhole boards (the kind with adjustable legs), assuming pine is used the cost is typically between $60 - $70, including wood, paint, screws, etc. Of course, the price can vary widely based on the type of wood, size of wood (thickness of frame and plywood top), the number of colors, and whether the boards have solid side walls or not.

When finishing cornhole boards, what's the difference between Polyurethane and polycrylic?

Polyurethane is an oil-based finish that has a strong odor, takes a long time to dry, requires a solution to remove from your brush, and will turn yellow over time. Polycrylic (also known as polyacrylic) is a water-based finish that dries within a few hours (although it doesn't cure for a few days), doesn't have much odor, and can be cleaned off of tools with water and soap. Both are commonly used to apply a finishing coat to cornhole boards. As a rule of thumb, it's always good to use an oil-based finish over an oil-based sub coat and a water-based finish over a water-based sub coat. You typically don't want to mix and match oil and water based paints and finishers. For cornhole boards, we like to use polycrylic on painted boards and polyurethane on stained boards. In the end, the choice is yours.

Is it legal to put sports logos, such as that of college and professional teams, on my cornhole boards and sell them?

No, it's not legal. It's illegal. Since logos are trademarked, you are infringing on the rights of those that own the trademark when selling your cornhole boards with the logos. You are profiting from others' intellectual property.

If you want to sell cornhole boards with trademarked logos on them, contact the trademark owners and discuss the options for getting licensed to use the trademarks commercially.

What wood is typically used to build cornhole boards?

Birch and pine are two of the most common. Birch is slightly more expensive and higher quality while pine is often used because its relatively inexpensive, readily available, and works well for boards.

What fabric are cornhole bags made of?

They are typically made of duck cloth or canvas. Both can be used, but duck cloth is often recommended by the cornhole community because its durable, lets the bags breath, and isn't to stiff.

What is the standard size for a bocce ball?

The standard size is 107mm. Anything under 100mm is typically used by children while 100mm+ to 115mm is used by adults. The bocce league I belong in uses 115mm.