Recreation - Sports

 

Only someone from Ohio would not laugh when they heard the word 'cornhole'. If you are a resident of Illinois, Kentucky, or South Carolina, you have seen this game being played all over the place during the spring, summer, and fall. The game is known in other areas of the country as baggo, bean bag toss, or just bags. Whatever you call the cornhole game, most people that play immediately become hooked and with good reason. Its a game that young and old can play, any shape or size, and something that's easy to do while you continue socializing with others at the party.

Where the game was started is somewhat unknown, most people assume it was started by a group of farmers with some spare corn and some spare time. When most folks think of the game they recall playing a bean bag toss game or something similar when they were kids. The object of the game is simple. You place two cornhole platforms 30 feet away from each other and have two competitors alternate tossing cornhole bags at the board opposite of them. As the players alternate, they keep throwing until each of their 4 bags is thrown. A bag in the hole is worth 3 points and one on the board is worth 1. You tally all the points on the board and the team with the most points gets to add the difference to their score.

The boards themselves can either be purchased online or by constructing them yourself. Regulation platforms measure 4'x2' and are made with 1/2" plywood and have a 6" hole cut towards the top of the board. A lot of online retailers will offer portable cornhole boards that collapse for simple traveling. In areas such as Illinois, the smaller boards are much more common for everyday play. As you probably guessed, a smaller target makes for harder game play. But, the one advantage is that unlike its bulkier counterpart, these boards actually fit in the trunk of your car and are easier for travel. The bags measure 6"x6" and are made with duck cloth and filled with 1 pound of feed corn.

Now, ever year there are more tournaments being announced and sponsored by various organizations. Anything from various cornhole associations, to bars, to charity events. No matter who sponsors it though, you can count on some big draws. In Ohio, the largest cornhole tournament was even televised and had thousands of entries from people wanting to showcase their dominance. The tourneys were really the best way for these players to see how they matched up. It has always been hard to see how good you really were when you're only playing with your neighbors on your homemade cornhole sets. The tournaments are the way to get stiffer competition together in one spot so the players can see where they stand.

Not surprisingly, companies have developed products to meet the needs of the growing sport. Since corn attracts critters and can get moldy if left outside, companies are now making weather resistant cornhole bags which contain plastic as opposed to corn filing. Other companies are coming out with various scoretowers so you don't have to rack your brain trying to remember the count of the game. Although its growing fast, many folks are simply drawn to the game because of its simple concept and nature. There isn't quite as enjoyable as playing bags on a summer evening with friends, perhaps that's why the game is so popular.