Roma Sports Cornhole Rules

Cornhole Rules
League Rules
Make Up Game Policy

ROMA SPORTS PUTS A W-HOLE LOT OF FUN IN CORNHOLE!

What is Cornhole?

Cornhole is considered a ‘backyard’ game but is now played in facilities indoors and outdoors all year long. It is a very easy game to play but very hard to master! It can be played by all people regardless of age, colour, ethnic origin, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or socio-economic status.

We welcome everyone to come out and enjoy this social and recreational game at Sala 61!

All team captains and players are encouraged and required to read all rules before playing in the league.

Fall Regular Season

Roma Sports’ Fall Regular Season will run for 12 weeks – from the week of September 10 and 12, 2024 until the week of November 26 and 28, 2024.

Fall Playoffs

Roma Sports’ Fall playoffs will begin on December 3 and 5, 2024 and conclude on December 10 and 12, 2024.

Every team in the league will make the playoffs.

Playoffs will be single elimination. Playoff matches are a best 3-out-of-5 games format.

Playoffs – A minimum of 3 players are required to play in the playoffs.

Know Before You Go

Teams are encouraged to go online to look at the schedule prior to their matches – Times, Opponents, and Court/Lane locations will be outlined. Standings and Results will be posted online as well.

Four Courts At Roma Sports

We have four numbered courts at Roma Sports with Court #1 being closest to the restaurant/bar, and Court #4 being closest to the windows. Our courts will feature high top tables at each end and on-court beverage service.

Equipment

Roma Sports will provide all cornhole bags and boards. Teams are not allowed to bring their own bags. This allows an equal playing opportunity for all participants.

Two: 4 feet x 2 feet Boards. They will be positioned 27’ apart from the front of each board.

Gameplay

A cornhole match is separated into innings (or frames). During each inning, each player or team will throw their designated four bags.

Crew Format (4 vs. 4)

Roma Sports Cornhole League will be using the crew format (4 vs. 4).

Two teammates are positioned at each of the two boards, one pair in the left pitcher’s box of one board and the other pair in the right pitcher’s box of the opposite board, each pair facing each other, in the same lane.

In crew format each teammate pitches two bags per inning, again alternating throws both with the opposing team and with the player’s teammate who is standing with them at the same board. Here is how the alternating throws works:

Player 1 Team ‘A’ throws first bag

Player 1 Team ‘B’ throws first bag

Player 1 Team ‘A’ throws second bag

Player 1 Team ‘B’ throws second bag

Player 2 Team ‘A’ throws third bag

Player 2 Team ‘B’ throws third bag

Player 2 Team ‘A’ throws fourth bag

Player 2 Team ‘B’ throws fourth bag

Note that in crew format, the score for any inning is based on eight throws per team.

Who Throws First?

To determine who throws first in the first game, a player from each team will compete in a friendly game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

The team who wins a game, gets to pick if they want to throw first or second, in the next game.

Pitching/Throwing/Tossing

The person pitching must pitch from behind the front edge of the cornhole board.

The bag must be pitched underhand.

A pitch is considered complete once the forward swing of the arm takes place and the bag is released. There are no “do-overs” if a pitch is dropped after the forward arm swing takes place.

If a bag is dropped on a back swing of the arm it is not considered a pitch and can be retaken within the 20-second allotted time.

The team who scored in the previous frame shall pitch first in the next frame. If the frame ended in a tie, the team who pitched first in the previous frame shall maintain first pitch in the next frame.

The winner of the previous game has the option of throwing first or second in the next game.

Games and Match Duration

We play for 1 hour. There will be a clock at the courts for official game time.

  • Time begins right at your scheduled game time regardless if the teams are ready to play or not.
  • This includes a 5-minute warm-up and 55-minute game time.
  • We play as many games as we can get in within the allotted time.
  • Games will end right on the hour.
  • If time expires before the final game is complete (and the two teams have won the same amount of games). A tie-breaker will be decided by the first team to score two or more points than their opponent in a completed end/frame – with all 4 bags of each team being thrown to complete the end.
  • If your team wins more games than the other team in the 1 hour of play, then your team will get 1 point for winning the match.

Continuity of Play

  • Players are not to intentionally stall play.
  • A player must make a throw within 20 seconds of the last throw to keep the game moving.
  • If a player does not throw within 20 seconds, that throw will be forfeited and the bag will be a “Foul Bag.”
  • Score counting will be done in a timely manner and once the score is recorded for that frame, the first player has 20 seconds to make their pitch.
  • There are no timeouts.

Scoring

To score points, bags must be on the surface of the board or fall through the hole.

The score must be counted and agreed upon by both teams before removing the bags from the board.

In cornhole, cancellation scoring is used. When the scores are tallied at the end of an inning, whichever player or team scores higher is awarded points equal to the difference between both sides.

For example, if Team A scores 12 points in an inning and Team B scores 10 points, then Team A is awarded two points (12 minus 10); whereas if Team A and Team B both score 12 points, the difference is zero, and no one scores.

Scoring is as follows:

  • 1 point – a “Woody” is any bag that remains on the board at the end of the frame.
  • 3 points – a “Cornhole” is any bag that was pitched or knocked through the hole at any time during the frame.
  • 0 points – a “Foul Bag” is a bag that:
    • Is pitched by a person who stepped past the front edge of the board.
    • Touched the ground or another object before resting on the board.
    • Is touching the ground and the board.
    • Is thrown out of order.
  • If a foul bag makes contact with any bag on the board, the foul bag is removed and the opposing team decides if the bags that were moved are returned to their original position or left where they lie.
  • A foul bag must be removed from the board before the next bag is thrown.

Play continues until one team reaches or exceeds 21 points at the end of an inning/frame (* Win By Two Rule)

Win by Two Rule

The win-by-two rule in Cornholemeans that a team must score 21 or more points and be at least two points ahead of their opponents to win. If both teams reach or exceed 21 points in the same inning/frame, the team with the higher score wins. If the two teams are still tied, they keep playing until a team is ahead by two or more points at the conclusion of an inning/frame. Both teams get the opportunity to throw all their bags in an inning/frame.

Score Reporting

The winning team is responsible for emailing and sending in the final scores.

Email: membership@clubroma.ca

At the end of the hour, both teams are to verify with each other and send in the score for that evening in the following format:

Example: Email title – Tuesday Evening Cornhole

Team A – 3
Team B – 2

Team Rosters and Player Eligibilty

Teams can have up to 10 players on their roster.

All players must be registered with Roma Sports in order to play.

All players must register online and sign the online waiver in order to be eligible to play in the league.

Once registration is complete (fully), the name of the registrant will appear under the team name on the roster section of the website. Only people that are on the roster can play for the team.

If teams are caught playing with unregistered (illegal) players, they will lose their existing game and the next.

Team captains are responsible to ensure all players are eligible to play, registered with Roma Sports, and names are displayed on the website on their specific team’s roster.

Substitutes

In each game up to 21, only four players can play at a time *

Substitutions are allowed after the conclusion of a game. You must have the same 4 players playing for the entire game (to 21), once the game is complete you can rotate in the subs for the 4 players playing in the next game.

*In case of injury or emergency, a player may substitute in for another player during the game.

What if my team only has 3 players at a scheduled game?

If teams are short, they can borrow players from another team ONLY if the opposing team captain agrees to it BEFORE the game begins. Borrowed players must be registered with another team in the Roma Sports league. Outside players are not allowed and must fully register with the team before playing.

If a team only has 3 players – The player that tosses the extra bags must rotate after each game to allow each player on team to be the player with the extra tosses. This way, each player on the team has the opportunity to toss the extra bags.  This rule is in place to prevent the best player from always tossing the extra bags.

What if my team only has 2 players at a scheduled game?

If teams are short, they can borrow players from another team ONLY if the opposing team captain agrees to it BEFORE the game begins. Borrowed players must be registered with another team in the Roma Sports league. Outside players are not allowed and must fully register with the team before playing.

If a team only has 2 players – Each player will be placed at opposite ends.  Only 1 player will be allowed to toss from each end.  That one player is allowed to toss a maximum of 2 bags out of 4.  The other 2 bags will considered “Dirty Bags” and not be permitted to be tossed.

What if my team only has 1 player at a scheduled game?

Unfortunately, the team with only 1 player must forfeit the game to their opponent.

Forfeit

If a team for any reason is not able to start or complete a match they shall forfeit. The opposing team will receive 1 point for the forfeited victory.

Five Minute Warm-Up

There is a 5-minute warm-up that begins at the scheduled game time. Example: 6:00 scheduled game time, 6:05 warm-up is over, and the first game or match begins.

Late Penalties – 15 Minute Rule

After 15 minutes from the official start time, if a team does not have a minimum of two players from their active and registered roster on the court and ready to play, the match will be awarded to their opponent.

General

OVERALL STANDINGS TIE BREAKERS

If there is a tie in the standings based on points, the following will be used as a tie breaker:

  1. Total Most Overall Points (1 point for a match win)
  2. Plus-minus
  3. Points for
  4. Points against
  5. Head to Head (if applicable)
  6. If everything is equal, a coin toss

CODE OF CONDUCT

  • Understand, appreciate, and abide by the rules of the game.
  • Respect the integrity and judgment of game officials and Roma Sports staff. The convenor or league official has final say in all calls.
  • Respect your opponent and congratulate them in a courteous manner following each match, whether in victory or defeat.
  • Be responsible for your actions and maintain self-control.
  • Refrain from using foul or abusive language.
  • Any player/team deemed in violation of the code of conduct can be removed from the league.
  • We want you to have fun and socialize!

Roma Sports reserves the right to remove or disallow any player from the league at any time throughout the year. No refunds will be given if/when players are removed from the league.

Roma Sports reserves the right to add, alter, or remove rules either verbally or on any rules page at any time as we deem fit. Any rule changes will be effective immediately. Rules discussed at the team captains meeting are to be considered part of the league rules.

For other league rules, visit this page.