It's the single most-asked cornhole question — and the one most often answered wrong. Here's the regulation number, how it's actually measured, and when it's fine to move the boards closer.
Regulation cornhole boards are placed 27 feet apart, measured from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other. The front edge of each board is also the foul line you throw from behind. Because each hole sits 9 inches from the back of a 4-foot board, that same setup works out to roughly 33½ feet from hole to hole. For kids and casual backyard games, 12 to 21 feet is common.
| Regulation distance | 27 ft, front edge to front edge |
| Measured between | The two front edges (foul lines) |
| Hole to hole | About 33 ft 6 in |
| Kids (under ~10) | 12–15 ft |
| Teens & casual play | 18–21 ft |
| Space to allow | ~40 ft long, ~10 ft wide |
Set both boards on flat ground facing each other, holes aligned. Run a tape measure from the front edge of one board — the low end, 3 to 4 inches off the ground — straight to the front edge of the other. That gap is 27 feet.
Do not measure hole to hole and do not measure from the back of the boards. Because a regulation board is 4 feet long and the hole is centered 9 inches from the top edge, each hole sits 39 inches behind its own front edge. Measuring hole to hole on a correct court gives about 33 feet 6 inches, which is why so many setups end up several feet too short when people measure the wrong reference point.
The front edge does double duty: it's the measurement point and it's the foul line. You have to release the bag before your foot passes it, so the distance that actually matters for a throw is the distance between those two edges — not between the holes.
Using the front edge also keeps the court honest across board styles. Any regulation board is 4 feet long, but if someone shows up with a shorter tailgate board, lining up the front edges keeps the throwing distance identical for both sides.
Nothing about 27 feet is sacred in a backyard. The distance exists so that a well-thrown bag is rewarded and a lazy one isn't — and for a seven-year-old, 27 feet just means every bag lands in the grass.
A good rule: move the boards in until players are landing roughly half their bags on the board. For young kids that's usually 12 to 15 feet, for tweens and teens 18 to 21 feet, and for mixed adult groups who just want a fun game, 21 to 24 feet plays well. Move them back as people improve.
If you're mixing skill levels, a handicap works better than one compromise distance: let newer players throw from a line a few feet ahead while everyone else stays at regulation.
The boards themselves take up 35 feet end to end — 27 feet of gap plus 4 feet of board on each side. Add a little room to stand and move, and you want about 40 feet of clear length.
For width, players stand in a box alongside their own board, so roughly 10 feet across is comfortable. A standard driveway or a modest stretch of lawn handles it; check for low branches, since a good throw arcs 8 to 12 feet up.
Front edge to front edge. The official ACO and ACL rules place the boards 27 feet apart measured between the two front edges, and the front edge of each board is the foul line. Measured hole to hole, the same court is about 33 feet 6 inches.
For young children, 12 to 15 feet works well; tweens and teens usually do fine at 18 to 21 feet. Move the boards until players land about half their bags on the board, then push the distance back as they improve.
Allow roughly 40 feet of length and 10 feet of width. The boards occupy 35 feet end to end at regulation distance, and you need a bit of room to stand and throw on either end.
No. The distance is the same for singles and doubles. In doubles, one teammate stands at each board and throws from that end all game, so nobody walks between throws.
Solo cornhole practice that actually transfers to games: four drills with scoring, how many bags to throw, and what to work on when your throw stops improving.
Learn the right way to throw a cornhole bag: the flat grip, a square stance, a smooth pendulum swing, and a flat release with gentle arc — plus the mistakes that cause bounces and slides.
This page answers one question. The setup & equipment guide covers the whole subject end to end.