Cornhole Etiquette
Pinky’s up folks. Let’s chat about a little cornhole etiquette!
Now, if you’re new to the game, you might be thinking, “don’t we just throw the bag towards the hole? How could you mess that up?” Well Karen, in our little community, there are things that you do….and things you don’t do. Let’s go over some of these points!
· You’re playing in a doubles event, whether it’s a BYOB (bring your own partner) or blind draw, it’s only proper to offer to buy your partner a drink. This act of kindness should be reciprocated once those drinks are empty. “But what if they drink more than me?” Well Sally Sue, buckle up and keep up! Kidding of course (kind of)! In all seriousness though, offer to buy your partner a drink..it goes a long way in this community.
· In Singles, the winner of the round should adjust the score. The loser gathers the bags. That’s right, if you don’t want to break your back bending over to pick up the bags, then score more points. It’s that simple.
· Don’t talk to your opponent while he is throwing. Seems obvious enough right?
· If your opponent is wearing headphones it is only right to talk in a volume that forces them to take an ear piece out…you may resume speaking as soon as they place the ear piece back in their ear
· If you think your opponent is breaking a rule (foot foul, taking too long to throw, etc) warn them before you call them on it. This is especially true in charity events, local blind draws and leagues. I’d say it were true for all events, but if BIG money is on the line…and you really wanted to win….I guess you have the right to make that call in the act.
· If an opponent throws out of turn (they throw first, but you scored last), give them the bag back. At the very least, give them that bag back for the first offense. If it happens repeatedly, and you want to send a subtle reminder, then by all means, take the points. A few caveats: against new players, always give them the bag back (mistakes happen); in charity events, always give them the bag back.
· Shit talk is acceptable, but don’t take it to the point where your opponent will want to fight after. If you talk shit…and LOSE…buy that opponent a beer.
· Don’t walk up the board and tell the opponent “I have been throwing like shit all day” then suddenly start playing like Matt Guy and sink 60 in a row. No one cares how you had been playing.
· Embrace your blind draw partner like you just got paired with Jamie Graham. Ultimately, 99% of us are competing for $20-200. We aren’t getting rich off of it. It’s OK to want to win, but don’t be the dick who ruins someone’s experience because you think you are “too good”. Grab a few extra beers, make a new friend and enjoy the time you are spending with your cornhole family
· Don’t give your directors, or person putting on an event, a hard time. These people are taking time out of their lives to put on an event where you can go and have fun. Show some respect, be on time and go with the flow!
· If you show up to an event early and are warming up, don’t monopolize a set of boards. Invite players to warm up with you. This isn’t your personal practice session time…no one needs to watch you throw that sweet round of 6-8 points over and over again
· In a blind draw, it’s OK to let your partner know if you prefer to throw a particular series of bag, but don’t demand it. If you agree to throw your partners bags, and you lose, don’t complain to them after and blame it on the bag. Buy them a drink to make up for throwing like Donald McPhee
· Fashion is obviously a top priority for cornhole players…so be prepared. Jerseys, Hats, slides (with socks of course, this isn’t 2015), Crocs, Hey Dude, sleeveless shirts, no shirts, barefeet extremely short shorts (for males) and gloves (only cornhole gloves with the ring and pinky cut out of course) are all accepted.
· To improve your cornhole skills, it is customary to avoid practice at all cost to get better. Simply continue to purchase bags at an alarming rate until you make the pro division…if you over pay for bags, the rumor is that you get better even faster!
The cornhole community is made up of some of the best people in the world. 99.999% of the time we all get along and events are awesome! As a general rule of thumb, just have a good time, have a few beers and don’t be an asshole! if you liked this article, check out our “people of cornhole” article….you can find out how not to act!
As always, I hope you throw it straight and it’s nothing but four baggers from here on out!
-Sean
