OFFICIAL RULES
BOARDS AND COURT LAYOUT
The Heart of the City Swish for Soccer Bags (Cornhole) Tournament will be played on boards and a court layout meeting the following requirements:
1. Hardwood plywood playing surface measuring 24"x 48". Each hole is 6" in diameter, centered 9" from the top of the board and centered from each side.
2. The front of the board is 3" to 4" from the ground to the top of the playing surface. The back of the board is 12" from the ground to the top of the playing surface.
3. The board will be positioned 24' from the front edge to front edge of the board for casual competitive play. The front edge of the board is considered the foul line.
4. Each lane will have designated pitcher's boxes - the right box is on the right side of the board when facing out into the lane, the left box is on the left side of the board when facing out into the lane.
LENGTH OF GAMES
Traditional 21: The game shall be played to the pre-determined number of twenty-one (21) points. The first team to reach (or exceed) that amount at the conclusion of a frame is the winner.
SCORING
Woody - Refers to any bag that has been pitched and remains on the board playing surface at the conclusion of the frame. Each woody is worth one (1) point.
Cornhole - Refers to any bag that has been pitched and passes through the board hole at any time within the frame. Each cornhole is worth three (3) points.
Foul Bags - Refers to any bag that has not been determined as a "woody" or "cornhole", or was designated a foul bag as the result of rules violation, including:
· A bag pitched from a different pitcher's box than their designated pitcher's box.
· A bag pitched with the player's foot over the foul line.
· Any bag that contacted the ground before coming to rest on the playing surface, or comes to rest touching the ground and board.
Cancellation Scoring: The points of one team cancel out the points of the opposition team. Using this method, only one team can score in each frame.
Example:
Black achieves one (1) woody and two (2) cornholes during the frame (7 total points).
Red achieves two (2) woodies and zero (0) cornholes during the frame (2 total points).
7 points - 2 points = Black scores 5 (five) points for that frame.
RECORDING THE SCORE
No bags shall be moved before the scoring is determined. If the scoring decision is in doubt, a Certified Official shall be called to determine the scoring for the frame in question.
The game is self-scoring and players are required to call out the score at the beginning of each frame. The player pitching first in that frame calls out the team score followed by the opponent's score.
TEAM PLAY
This is a doubles tournament and Team A competes against Team B - each team is comprised of two (2) people. Each team will stay in their designated lane for the whole game.
1. Players at the headboard will alternate pitching bags until each player has pitched all four (4) of their bags.
2. Players at the footboard will take score and resume pitching back to the other cornhole board.
PITCHING ROTATION, BAG COLOR, AND LANE ASSIGNMENTS
A coin toss is used to determine the pitching rotation, bag color, and lane assignments.
The team winning the coin toss pitches first.
The team winning the coin toss chooses their bag color.
The team winning the coin toss selects one of the following options:
1. Choose the lane assignments, or
2. Choose their opponent to pitch against (head-to-head).
If option #1 is selected, the coin toss winner chooses their lane and takes their positions in the pitcher's boxes. The opposing team then chooses their own pitcher's boxes to determine head-to-head match-ups.
If option #2 is selected, the coin toss loser chooses their lane and takes their positions in the pitcher's boxes. The coin toss winner then will choose their own pitcher's boxes to determine head-to-head match-ups.
PITCHING BAGS AND ORDER
Pitching:
Players alternate pitching bags (one player at a time) until each player has pitched all four (4) of their bags.
A player must pitch all four (4) bags from their designated pitcher's box.
Players must deliver the bag with an under-hand release. When pitching a bag, players must release the bag before any part of the player's body touches the ground on or beyond the foul line.
Pitching the next frame:
The team who scored in the preceding frame shall pitch first in the next frame. If neither team scores, the team who pitched first in the preceding frame shall retain first pitch in the next frame.
OTHER GENERAL RULES
Timeouts:
Each team is allowed a one (1) minute time out per game. A player may only call a time out when it is their turn to pitch. Both players may walk to the other boards to examine bag position during the time out.
Moving cornhole boards and bags:
A player can only straighten a board in between frames and with the approval of their opponent. A Certified Official may be called to determine board placement if needed.
Accidental release:
Any bag that leaves a player's hand once the final step (if taken) and final forward swing of the delivery process has started shall count as a pitched bag.
A bag that is accidentally dropped by a player before the final step (if taken) and final forward swing has started, shall not be considered a foul bag and may be picked up and pitched.
Pitching out of turn:
If a player pitches out of turn at any time during a frame, their pitch will be considered a foul bag and swept from the playing surface.
If the out-of-turn bag affects any bags in play, their opponent has the option of returning all bags to their original position on the playing surface or leaving all bags as they are. If the error is not discovered until after two (2) bags have been pitched, the frame shall continue to be scored accordingly.
Touching the bags before the frame is complete:
If any bag in a scoring position (woodies or cornholes) are touched by a player, whether intentionally or unintentionally, before all bags during the frame are pitched, the frame is over.
The offending team (team who touches the bags) forfeits all remaining bags and tallies the score for the bags they have already thrown during the frame. The non-offending team tallies a cornhole for each remaining unthrown bag during the frame.
Raking bags:
If bags become piled inside the board hole and may interfere or obstruct with the next pitch, or if there is question as to whether a bag would have naturally fallen through the hole, a player may request to "rake" the bags that have fallen inside the hole. To request a rake, the player must audibly ask their opponent.
Sweeping bags:
If a foul bag lands on the playing surface or comes to rest touching the ground and the board, it must be removed immediately.
If a player pitches a foul bag which affects any bags in play, their opponent has the option of returning all bags to their original position on the playing surface or leaving all bags as they are.
Sportsmanship:
A player/team while in competition shall make no disturbing noises or movements that would distract their opponent or players on surrounding courts. Other inappropriate behavior would include profanity, abusive language, obscene gestures, flipping bags, etc.
Giving/Receiving player advice:
It is legal for a teammate to provide advice on bag position and/or next pitch recommendation. It is not appropriate to receive advice or recommendations from a spectator.