Cornhole: Outdoor Fun for Everyone

Do they play a lot of Cornhole at your alma mater? You might know the game better as "bean bag toss," but give the name more innuendo and this childhood favorite becomes one of the most popular tailgate games in America. Cornhole is so named because you toss corn-filled bags into a hole -- and because it's funny.

The Cornhole game setup consists of two boards like the one pictured here, and eight corn bags -- two for each player. Set the boards up as far apart as you like (regulation is 10m apart). Players stand anywhere behind the front of their opponent's Cornhole board and toss their bags to the hole in their own board. A corn bag in the hole, or a cornhole, is worth three points. A corn bag on the board but not in the hole, known as an ace or a cow pie, is worth one point. You can play singles or team Cornhole, and the first side to 21 points wins the game.

Cornhole games featuring school logos are especially popular at tailgate events, but the rules and game play are simple enough to make this a great activity for any outdoor gathering. Kids' birthday parties, summer barbecues -- whatever brings you outdoors, it's always easy to get a Cornhole game going.

The Cornhole vocabulary is full of fun (and sometimes suggestive) terminology, as would be expected. For instance, you've had a pretty good round if you score a Leprechaun -- four corn bags on the board, but none in the hole. But you get three times the glory if you achieve a Galbraith -- all four corn bags in the hole in one turn. If you throw a corn patty, prepare for the heckling -- that's a weak throw that hits the ground before even making it to the board.

Most folks are just casual Cornhole players, and the game is simple enough that you can really set it up however you like and play by whatever set of rules you and your pals determine. For those who take all competition seriously, though, check out the American Cornhole Association, a group dedicated to promoting the game and standardizing the rules of Cornhole.