By Griffin Ryden
For a long time, there has been a game that has never gotten the attention it formally deserves.
You can find people playing it at parties; you can find people playing it at outdoor bars. It goes by several different titles, and may even be something you’ve played before.
Most call it “cornhole,” while some dub it “Bean Bag Toss.” Regardless of its title, it does not take away from the novelty of the game. With that said, Shoreline Intramurals is proud to present and invite all to join the Intramural cornhole team!
Cornhole is quite simple if you’ve never played before. You can play one-on-one, or you can play in teams of two. You need two cornhole boards, and four bean bags per person for each differently colored team.
For example, if you and your partner were team blue, then each of you would use four bean bags per turn. The opposing team would then have four red bags per person.
The objective of the game is to throw your bean bags into the opposing team’s cornhole board. The cornhole board is a wooden board with a hole in the top center of the board on a raised platform. Due to the slope of the platform, your bean bag is subject to sliding down the board.
So, you should be wary of how you throw your bag and how it lands.This presents a challenge, as you ideally want to throw it in a way that it will hit the top and slide down into the cornhole.
In terms of gameplay, you and your partner are on opposite sides, with the other team divided up as well. You and your opponent on the same side alternately throwing the four bean bags until you both have used up both of them.
Then you switch sides with your partner and other opponent up to throw. The goal is to get 21 points, while sometimes people will play winning by two points.
So, let’s talk about the points. If you throw a bag and land one anywhere on the board, then that is one point. If you land one that falls into the hole, that is worth three points. Some people also play by the rule that a bag hanging on the edge of the cornhole is worth two points, however it’s optional.
If you throw over or anywhere outside of the board, then there are no points awarded. Your opponent also can cancel out your points as well. If you land two bags on the board for example, your opponent can negate your points by throwing two of their own bags onto the board.
This engages another challenge and makes it a little bit harder to score points, encouraging you to score more into the cornhole. However, if you’re not the best at scoring in the hole, then you can at least cancel out the other team’s points and help your partner out!
That’s another thing that makes this game enjoyable. You don’t have to be athletic or extremely good at sports to be good at this game. This game is universal to all and doesn’t require any specific skills. It makes it easy for someone to start and pick up, and easy for someone to quickly excel in. All in all, it’s a well-rounded party game that’s fun for everyone!
So if you’re interested, come check it out over in the gym! It’s a brand-new intramural to Shoreline this Fall and is proudly governed by the intramurals adviser, Stacie Attridge.
She is enthusiastic about the game and took it upon herself to build the boards and buy the fabric necessary for the bean bags. With such genuine dedication and motivation to popularize this underrated activity, it’s hard not to give it a shot.
I’m sure that if you care in the slightest, just engaging yourself in at least one game would mean a lot to her, and to the developing community. I, too, share her vision for a devoted cornhole team, so together, we can make it happen!
Cornhole is planned to meet on Fridays, around 10-12 p.m. for all those interested. We plan to try and set up other various games and meets around campus throughout the week to increase exposure and familiarity as well. So come join us, invite your friends, play a game, and most importantly, have fun!