Cornhole bracket generator

How to run a cornhole tournament in six steps

1. Collect the teams. Cornhole tournaments are usually played in teams of two, so a team is two people. Write each team on one line, "Anna & Ben", and paste the list into the tool above.
2. Decide how you draw. At backyard events and charity tournaments a random draw is the fairest choice, and it is the preset here. If you have a ranking from earlier events, choose standard seeding instead.
3. Pick the format. Double elimination is the default on this page, see the next section. A single elimination bracket is faster, and a round robin works for up to six teams on one afternoon (15 games).
4. Count your boards. Every board pair that you can set up is a court. The number of courts tells you how many games run at the same time and how long the first round lasts.
5. Score at the table. One person with the edit link, at the scorekeeper’s table, enters each result. The bracket advances the winner by itself, and the players can watch on their phones through the live link.
6. Print a backup. Print the bracket before you start. If the wifi at the venue fails, you can continue on paper.

Why double elimination suits cornhole

Players come to a cornhole tournament to throw, not to watch. In a single elimination bracket, half of the teams are out after one game, and a single bad frame can end the day. Double elimination gives every team a second chance: you leave the tournament after your second loss. For 16 teams that is 30 or 31 games instead of 15, which is a lot more throwing for everybody. See the 16 team bracket for the numbers, and the 8 team bracket if your field is smaller.

The schedule is the price. With the loser bracket running next to the winner bracket, plan for a long day and let the tool tell you which games are ready. Open games are marked in the bracket, so the scoring table always knows which pairing is next. If time is short, switch the preset to a single elimination bracket, or to groups with a knockout stage.

When there are very many teams, a common approach is to run a pool stage first and take the best teams into a bracket. The Groups format of the tool does exactly that.

Tips for the scoring table

• Enter the score of every game, not only the winner. The final scores make a good record of the day, and players like to see them.
• If you made a mistake, open the game again and correct it. The tool tells you which later results would be affected before you save.
• Use the "Share live" button and write the link on a sign next to the boards, or let people scan it.
• Time the first few games and plan the rest with your own average. Games to the target score can end quickly or run long, so do not trust a fixed number.

The rules this page relies on

We only state rule numbers that we checked against the published rules of the American Cornhole Organization. Your league or venue may use house rules, so confirm them before the first throw.

• The game is played to a set number of points, and the standard game is 21. American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Official Rules for the Sport of Cornhole (opens in a new tab)
• A player or team wins by reaching or exceeding that number at the end of a frame, so exactly 21 is not required. American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Official Rules for the Sport of Cornhole (opens in a new tab)
• There is no two-point margin to win. ACO Official Rules for the Sport of Cornhole (opens in a new tab)
• A bag that stays on the board scores 1 point. American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Official Rules for the Sport of Cornhole (opens in a new tab)
• A bag through the hole scores 3 points. American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Official Rules for the Sport of Cornhole (opens in a new tab)
• With cancellation scoring, the points of one side cancel the points of the other, so only one side scores in each frame. American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Official Rules for the Sport of Cornhole (opens in a new tab)
• In doubles, a team is made up of two people. American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Official Rules for the Sport of Cornhole (opens in a new tab)
• Each player pitches four bags per frame. American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Official Rules for the Sport of Cornhole (opens in a new tab)
• The boards stand 27 feet apart, measured front edge to front edge. American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Official Rules for the Sport of Cornhole (opens in a new tab)
• A match can be played as best two out of three games. American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Official Rules for the Sport of Cornhole (opens in a new tab)