Reference
Cornhole Glossary
Cornhole has its own vocabulary — equipment terms, throwing techniques, governing-body acronyms, and house rules. Use this glossary to decode anything you hear at the courts.
A
- ACA
- American Cornhole Association — one of the major US governing bodies, headquartered in Texas. Sets equipment standards and sanctions tournaments.
- Ace
- A bag that lands and stays on the board surface (also called a 'woody'). Worth 1 point.
- ACL
- American Cornhole League — runs the largest pro circuit and televised majors, with player-rating systems (Pro, Advanced, Competitive, Social).
- ACO
- American Cornhole Organization — the original governing body (since 2005), publisher of HOLE Magazine and host of the World Championships of Cornhole.
- Airmail
- A bag thrown directly into the hole without first touching the board surface.
B
- Backstop
- A bag placed at the back of the board so it can stop subsequent slides or knock them in.
- Bag toss
- Generic name for the game, sometimes used in the Midwest to refer to cornhole.
- Blocker
- A bag positioned in front of the hole to prevent the opponent from sliding bags in.
- Bust
- Exceeding the target score (typically 21) under a 'bust-back' house rule, sending the team's total back to 15.
C
- Cancellation scoring
- Standard scoring method: only the difference between the two teams' frame points goes on the running total.
- Cornhole
- (1) The game itself. (2) A bag that goes through the hole — worth 3 points.
- Cornhole, dirty
- A bag that goes through the hole after being knocked by another bag — still worth 3 points.
- Cornhole, swish
- A bag thrown directly into the hole without touching the board first.
D
- Dot
- A bag landing right next to the hole, often used as a setup for a follow-up shot.
- Drop
- A high-arc throw designed to land softly near the hole and stop quickly.
F
- Flop
- A bag that lands flat and stays exactly where it lands without sliding.
- Frame
- A single round of play — 8 bags total (4 per team), after which points are tallied and tossed.
H
- Hammer
- The last bag of a frame. Having the hammer is a significant tactical advantage.
- Honors
- The right to throw first in a frame, awarded to the team that scored points in the previous frame.
- Hooker
- A throw that curves into the hole, often using a bag's slick side to control spin.
- House rules
- Casual variants that differ from sanctioned rules — bust-back, skunk, two-player teams from one box, etc.
J
- Junior distance
- 21 feet between boards (instead of the regulation 27 feet), for kids or casual play.
M
- Match
- A complete contest, typically first to 21 points. Tournament events may use best-of-3 matches.
P
- Pitcher's box
- The rectangular area beside the board from which a player must throw. Stepping past the front of the board is a foul.
- Pro bag
- A dual-sided bag with one slick face (slides) and one stick face (stops). Used in all sanctioned tournament play.
- Push
- Throwing a bag firmly so it slides up the board without stopping easily.
R
- Roll-up
- A bag that rolls partially up the board before settling, often used to slide past a blocker.
S
- Singles
- 1-vs-1 play. Each player throws all four bags from each end and walks to the other end after the frame.
- Skunk
- Casual rule where a team behind 11–0 loses the match immediately. Not part of ACA/ACO/ACL play.
- Slick side
- The smoother face of a pro bag, used to slide bags into the hole or past blockers.
- Slop
- A bag that bounces or rolls onto the board in an unintended way — common in casual play, often scored differently in tournaments.
- Stick side
- The grippier face of a pro bag, used to stop quickly on the board (e.g., for blockers or backstops).
- Switcholio
- A doubles variant popularized by the Scoreholio app where partners switch ends each frame.
T
- Three for three
- All three of a player's remaining bags going in the hole — a perfect frame for that player.
- Toss
- A single throw, or generic name for the game.
W
- Wash
- A frame where both teams' net points are equal, resulting in 0 points to either side.
- Woody
- A bag that lands and stays on the board surface — worth 1 point (also called an 'ace').
More reference
See the full rules, the scoring guide, or build a tournament bracket.