Cornhole Game Boards

Cornhole has gone from an informal backyard game to a national pass time of serious competition. Starting with Midwesterners filling small bags with corn to create a softer version of horseshoes, love for the game has spawned formal leagues, a national association, and licensing by the major professional sports.

What are the rules and specifications for cornhole? There is more than one answer to that question, and it depends on whom you ask. It's a bit like asking what are the essential ingredients to homemade lasagna - it all depends on your mom's original recipe. Boards are 2' x 4' in organized tournaments, and 2' x 3' on the sets with NFL, MLB, and NCAA team logos. The fronts of the boards should be 20 to 27 feet apart, or however much room you have in the parking lot of the stadium.

Cornhole game boards can be made of wood, plastic, or million-dollar carbon fiber. A solid oak cornhole board can weigh up to 40 lbs., so a complete set of two boards is not something you are likely to carry with you; solid wood boards are happier in a permanent location. Compact travel boards have a wood frame, a lightweight yet durable composite middle surface, and velcro back-to-back for easy carrying. Even more portable are plastic boards that lock together and have individual compartments on the back of the boards for each bean bag.

Pro team cornhole boards are an immensely popular gift for fans of a particular sporting team. Cornhole purists are pretty strict on the type of board, and typically favor homemade versions from a carpenter in America's heartland. Cornhole fans by the millions, however, want their favorite team's colors and logo proudly displayed in the center of their boards, and the pro sports licensing authorities always catch up with small business carpenters illegally putting a team or school logo on their product. The mass-produced boards that have the exclusive licensing of the National Football League and Major League Baseball have gone through several iterations of design, finding a balance between quality and cost. These cornhole game boards have either a football field or a baseball diamond graphic on the playing surface, with team logos on the top and bottom.