From children to adults, this simple contest is similar in concept to horseshoes where individuals or teams compete by taking turns tossing bean bags at their opponent’s corn hole board.
Scores are tallied based on the number of times the bag makes it into one of the corn holes of your opponent’s board.
Depending on which part of the country you happen to be in, there are different rules, scoring opportunities and styles of play.
These variations can provide different levels of challenge and ways to play the game. Distance between the board pieces is also a factor to be considered when setting up the playing field.
Pieces can be placed between 15 and 30 feet, depending on the skill level of the players and house rules of the home based team. Prior to playing, teams agree on scoring rules, definition of fouls and end of game number.
Once established, the game begins with an initial pitch by you or your partner to the other team’s board.
Making your Own Bean Bags
The bean bags used can be made of different material, colors and sizes. If you are looking to make your own bag tossing game, the bags are probably the easiest part to put together.
Start by selecting the basic fabric material to craft your bean bag. You can recycle old fabric from old blankets, shirts or even pillow cases if needed. Of course you can also to purchase your material from the local craft or department store. Material can range from common cotton or polyester blends to corduroy to even softer materials like flannel or fleece.
Once the fabric has been selected, you will need to cut out 4 to 6 inch squares of material. You will need 2 pieces cut for each bag you intend to make. A typical game will consist of 2 bags per player for 8 bags total.
Your next task is to gather the material to fill the cloth bags. You can use dried beans found at the local grocery store. It is very inexpensive and will provide good balance to your bean bags. Some people will use dried feed corn because it is more mold resistant than other materials.
After the squares have been cut and the filler beans have been purchased. You are on to the next step of sewing the sides of each bag together. You want to use the strongest thread available. Use a double stitch pattern on each side to prevent the bags from tearing open during play.
Sew all sides together leaving one side with about a 2 inch opening. Place a small funnel into the hole and add your bean material to the bag. You should fill each bag about 2/3 full but be careful not to overfill.
Sew up the last remaining area of your bean bag and repeat for the rest. Once complete, you will have a nice set of bags for your bag toss game.
Cornhole or bean bag games are a favorite pastime while tailgating for your favorite team. A simple game to pass the time away, and enjoy a day in the sun with friends is what it is all about. You can make your own bean bag game from basic materials found around the home or home improvement store or you can buy game boards online with your favorite team logo and color scheme.
Whichever way you go, your day will be filled with good fun, good beer and good times. Add a few twists by using some of the variations that are popular in different parts of the country like:
The Denver Dive - This version of the popular game has the following rules:
Target boards are set 20 feet apart.
Each team member gets 3 bags, 2 of one color with other bag color being the dive bag.
Each regular bag is tossed like normal to the hole. Points are scored based on whether or not the bag lands on the board (1 point) or in the hole (3 points).
The Dive Bag is then tossed last and doubles the points of the bag it matches (2 or 6 Points ) if the bag dives into the hole. If the dive bag is the only bag that scores points, they are made at face value
Another variation popular on the West coast is the termed the Seattle Swing
Board pieces are set at 10 paces
2 bean bags are tossed toward the hole from each team member as usual
You get 1 point for a bag on the board, 2 points if it is hanging over the edge the hole and 3 points for each bag that goes in to a hole. If the bag "swings off" any side but does not fall to the ground, the current points on the board are doubled. To do this, the toss style changes from a high arc to a more horizontal motion.
As you play your own favorite variation, keep in mind that there are many other ways to add to the scoring of the standard bean bag toss game for your tailgate party.
Bag toss games are very popular with kids and adults alike. You can have hours of fun when tailgating with friends before the big game... Tailgate bag toss games are easy to play and can be changed to make a more interesting competition.
