If you have ever set up cornhole boards by eye and then argued about whether the pitch looked short, this is the page to bookmark. Below are the official measurements, how to lay a court out with nothing but a tape measure, and the handful of mistakes that make a backyard setup feel wrong even when the boards themselves are fine.
Regulation cornhole dimensions at a glance
| Board size | 24 in × 48 in (2 ft × 4 ft) |
|---|---|
| Hole diameter | 6 in |
| Hole position | Centre sits 9 in down from the top edge, centred side to side (12 in from each edge) |
| Back height | 12 in from the ground to the top of the board surface |
| Front height | 3–4 in from the ground |
| Pitch distance | 27 ft, front edge to front edge |
| Foul line | The front edge of each board |
| Pitcher’s box | 3 ft × 4 ft alongside each board |
| Bag size | 6 in × 6 in, 15.5–16 oz fill |
How to lay out a court in five minutes
You need a tape measure and, ideally, a second person. The whole thing takes about as long as it takes someone to bring the drinks out.
- Place the first board where you want it, with the high end away from the players.
- Measure 27 feet from its front edge — the low end, the edge nearest the pitcher — and mark the spot.
- Set the second board so its front edge lands on that mark, facing back toward the first.
- Line the boards up so the two holes face each other squarely. Stand behind one board and sight down the middle; it is obvious when it is off.
- Check both boards sit flat. A board that rocks will throw every shot, and you will blame yourself rather than the ground.
If you are playing with kids, move the front edges to 21 feet for juniors or 12 feet for younger children. There is no rule against shortening it, and a pitch nobody can reach is not a game.
What a regulation board is actually made of
The measurements are only half of it. A board can be dimensionally perfect and still play badly.
Surface. Regulation play calls for a smooth, sanded plywood top. Half-inch plywood meets the minimum, but three-quarter-inch Baltic birch is what tournament boards use, because it stays flat. Thinner cabinet-grade plywood tends to swell the first time it sits on wet grass, and once a top has cupped, bags stop sliding predictably.
Frame. Look for a frame made from the same stock as the top rather than thin pine. Suspension crossbeams under the playing surface are what stop a board flexing when a bag lands hard — that flex is the "bounce" people complain about on cheap sets.
Finish. A sealed surface matters more than a glossy one. Too slick and every bag slides off the back; too rough and nothing slides at all. Most good boards land somewhere in the middle and break in over a season.
Our regulation cornhole boards are built to these measurements, and the sets we carry use three-quarter-inch stock for the top and the frame rather than just the top.
Scoring, briefly
Cornhole uses cancellation scoring, which trips up more people than the measurements do.
- 3 points for a bag through the hole
- 1 point for a bag that lands and stays on the board
- 0 points for a bag touching the ground, even if it ends up resting on the board
At the end of each round, the lower score is subtracted from the higher one and only the difference is awarded. If you score 7 and your opponent scores 5, you take 2 points that round. First to 21 wins, and most house rules require winning outright rather than by two.
Four mistakes that ruin a good setup
Measuring 27 feet between the wrong edges. It is front edge to front edge, not back to back and not centre to centre. Back-to-back puts you at roughly 35 feet, which is why some games feel impossible.
Setting up across a slope. Even a gentle grade makes one board play noticeably differently from the other. If your yard slopes, run the court along the contour rather than up and down it.
Playing into the sun. Sounds obvious. Costs someone the game every summer. Set the court so neither player is throwing into a low sun, or accept that you will be switching ends halfway.
Leaving boards out uncovered. Most warping happens overnight, not during play. A cover or a spot in the garage does more for a board’s lifespan than anything else you can do.
Frequently asked questions
How far apart should cornhole boards be?
27 feet from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other, for regulation adult play. Juniors play at 21 feet; young children at 12 feet.
How big is a cornhole hole?
6 inches in diameter, with its centre 9 inches down from the top edge of the board and centred side to side.
How tall should a cornhole board be at the back?
12 inches from the ground to the top of the playing surface at the high end, and 3 to 4 inches at the front.
What size are regulation cornhole bags?
6 by 6 inches, filled to between 15.5 and 16 ounces. Resin fill is standard now; older sets used whole corn, which breaks down and attracts pests.
Can I build boards to these dimensions myself?
Yes, and plenty of people do. The measurements above are the whole specification. The part that is hard to do well at home is the finish — getting a surface that slides consistently takes more sanding and sealing than most people expect.
Save this for the next cookout
These measurements do not change, so this is a page worth keeping. If you would rather not build a set, we carry regulation boards and tournament-weight bags built to the specs above.