Hey Gang, Let's Play Cornhole!

Now that you're done snickering at the title of this article, let me inform you of those who aren't in the know that cornhole is more commonly known as the bean bag toss, and is played similarly to horseshoes. In the Midwest we have plenty of corn, so we're filling our bean bags with it and tossing them through a small hole in a wooden board. And you thought the Midwest was a boring place full of unrefined yahoos!

Well, you're pretty close. When a bunch of beer-and-jack drinking rednecks get together around here, they feel compelled to cornhole, and it's usually the most exciting thing going on. If you're in the area, you can get your chance to test your skills at cornhole during North Manchester's (Indiana) Fun Fest (Aug. 6-8), when the Moose Family Center #1518 will hold a double-elimination Cornhole Tournament.

Cornhole has been around for a while, but the first documented cornhole tournament was at a Cincinnati tailgate party. Apparently the tailgaters entertained themselves with this simple child's game, but then when you've got a bunch of sloshed sports fans they tend to start behaving childishly anyway, so I guess it was a good fit. Out-of-towners liked the game and took it home with them, introducing it to other parts of the United States.

Cornhole has become a popular tailgate, picnic and bar game in the Midwest, and its popularity is growing in other parts of the country. The rules are simple and it's easy to make your own equipment. The corn hole target is an approximately two foot by four foot board with a six-inch hole about 9" from one end. The board is slightly inclined off the ground, with the hole at the high end of the board. The cornhole player tosses the bag across a distance of several feet, hoping that the cornhole bag will fall in or slide into the hole for a score of three points. Bags that land on the board but don't fall through the hole score the player one point. The first player to reach 21 points is declared the winner.

This has become such a popular event that there are even organizations dedicated to upholding the official rules and regulations of the cornhole game. On the American Cornhole Official Rules web page I found Rule #8 regarding appropriate conduct to be a humorous read, considering that every time I've seen the sport played it has been by rowdy group of good ole' boys and gals full of spirit(s). Participants (and spectators) are not allowed to make "disturbing noises or movement" and are to refrain from "heckling, unfair rooting, or any other form of unsportsmanlike conduct." Since such conduct can get the troublemaker expelled from the game, it's a wonder a tournament is ever played to completion when alcoholic beverages are included in the fun.

For a sanctioned Cornhole game, equipment must meet official standards. Otherwise, all you need is a bit of scrap lumber, some sturdy cotton fabric and a few pounds of field corn to create your own cornhole game. All joking about beer-guzzling rednecks aside, this game that can be played by people of any age. Cornhole competitions can provide hours of safe and wholesome entertainment at family gatherings, picnics, and other events.

Resources:

http://www.northmanchesterchamber.com/funfest/FunFest-Schedule-2009.pdf

http://www.americancornhole.org

http://www.cornhole.com/history_of_cornhole.htm

personal experience