Reference method
Tape
Hook the tape at the front edge of board A and stop at the front edge of board B.
27 ft front to frontSet the court, not a guess
Cornhole distance: 27 ft
27 ft / 8.23 m
Regulation board spacing · measure front edge to front edge.
ACA junior guidance. Recommended for youth and casual play — not adult regulation.
Current spacing27 ft
Official reference points
27 ft · front edge to front edge
The front edge is also the foul-line plane.
Fit result
Check your dimensions
- Length
- —
- Width
- Not checked
- Maximum spacing
- —
- Overhead
- About 12 ft for covered play
Three ways to lay it out
Measure the selected distance
Tape is the reference method. The other two are transparent estimates for casual setup.
Board-step estimate
Use the board
With a verified 48 in board, step it end over end. A 47.5–48 in board introduces a small cumulative difference.
6 flips + ¾ boardCasual estimate
Paces
≈10.8 pacesRules, kept separate
Official dimensions by organization
Small differences stay in separate columns. “Not frozen” means this model does not claim a value.
| Dimension | ACL | ACA | ACO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board distance | 27 ft ±0.5 in | 27 ft; tolerance not stated | 27 ft ±0.5 in |
| Board top | 23.75–24.25 in × 47.75–48.25 in | 23.5–24 in × 47.5–48 in | 23.5–24 in × 47.5–48 in |
| Hole | 6 in ±0.125 in diameter; center 9 in ±0.125 in from back | 6 in ±0.25 in diameter; center 9 in ±0.25 in from top | 6 in ±0.125 in diameter; center 9 in ±0.125 in from top |
| Front / back height | 2.5–3.5 in / 12 in ±0.5 in | 3–4 in / about 12 in ±0.25 in | 3–4 in / 12 in ±0.5 in |
| Bags | 6 in ±0.25 in; 15.5–16.5 oz; 1.1–1.5 in thick | 6.25 in cut squares; finished about 6 in; 14–16.25 oz | 15.75–16.25 oz; 1.125–1.5 in flat; ≥5.75 in side-to-side |
Swipe to compare organizations on a small screen.
How the larger numbers are derived
- Front edge ↔ front edge
- 27 ft / 8.23 m · official setup dimension
- Back edge ↔ back edge
- 35 ft / 10.67 m · regulation board spacing + two board lengths
- Hole center ↔ hole center
- 33 ft 6 in / 10.21 m · regulation board spacing + 78 in
- Foul line ↔ far hole
- 30 ft 3 in / 9.22 m · regulation board spacing + 39 in
cornhole-distance-model-v1
What is official, derived, or recommended
Official
Organization rules supply board spacing, equipment, pitcher's boxes, and foul-line definitions. The 27 ft adult distance is measured front edge to front edge.
Derived
Back-to-back, hole-to-hole, fit limits, and board-step counts are calculations. They are labeled as derived rather than quoted as rule text.
Recommended
The 40–45 ft court envelope and 12 ft covered clearance help plan a playable area; they are not blended into the board-spacing rule.
Why there is no 21 ft Juniors button: Special Olympics rules allow assessed 15 or 21 ft throwing distances, and an older ACA edition defined a 21 ft junior foul line from the far hole. Neither source calls 21 ft a front-to-front board gap. Current ACA consumer guidance separately recommends 12–15 ft board spacing for junior and casual play, which is why Youth is the shorter board-spacing mode here.
- ACL Official Rules & Regulations 2025/2026American Cornhole League (ACL) · reviewed 2026-07-17
- Official Cornhole RulesAmerican Cornhole Association (ACA) · reviewed 2026-07-17
- Official Sanctioned Cornhole Rules RevEAmerican Cornhole Association (ACA) · reviewed 2026-07-17
- ACO Rules for the Sport of CornholeAmerican Cornhole Organization (ACO) · reviewed 2026-07-17
- Special Olympics Doubles Cornhole Rules 2024Special Olympics North America · reviewed 2026-07-17
Independent reference tool. No affiliation with or endorsement by ACL, ACA, ACO, or Special Olympics.
Six setup questions
Cornhole distance FAQ
Is cornhole measured front-to-front or back-to-back?
The official adult board spacing is 27 ft from the front edge of one board to the front edge of the other. Back-to-back is 35 ft because it includes both 4 ft board tops.
Why do I also see a number around 30 feet?
The distance from one foul-line plane to the far hole center is 30 ft 3 in / 9.22 m. It uses different endpoints; it does not replace the 27 ft board-spacing rule.
What distance should kids or beginners use?
Current ACA junior guidance uses 12–15 ft. This tool defaults to 15 ft and always labels it youth/casual guidance, not adult regulation.
How much total space do I need, including indoors?
Two full-size boards make the regulation board footprint 35 ft before walking room. The fit checker reserves 3 ft as a minimal buffer; recommended court guidance reaches 45 ft long, with about 12 ft overhead under a cover.
How can I measure without a tape?
A verified 4 ft board can step off the distance: 27 ft is six board lengths plus three quarters of another. Because official board tolerances include lengths below or above exactly 48 in, treat this as an estimate unless you first measure the board.
Where do players stand in singles and doubles?
The pitcher's boxes are 4 × 3 ft beside each board, and the front edge is the foul-line plane. Singles players walk between ends; doubles partners split between opposite boards while using the same court distance.