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Cornhole Board Dimensions

The regulation cornhole board is 24 × 48 inches with a 6-inch hole 9 inches from the top, 12 inches high at the back and 3 to 4 inches at the front — the same numbers in the ACL and ACO rulebooks. This page has that board as a printable plan, the materials and cut list to build a pair, the leg detail, and the tailgate and mini sizes people actually build when a full board will not fit.

Build it · cornhole board plans (DIY)

Four sheets: the board, the plans, two smaller boards.

The board plan is the drawing; the plans sheet is the shopping list, cut list and build order. Tailgate and mini boards are drawn to the same conventions.

Regulation cornhole board plan in top and side view — 24 by 48 in board, 6-in hole centred 12 in from each side and 9 in from the top, 12-in back edge and 3–4 in front edge
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Regulation Board Plan — 24 × 48 in

The ACL / ACO board in top and side view: 24 × 48 in, 6-in hole centred 12 in from the sides and 9 in from the top, back edge 12 in high, front 3–4 in. The sheet to take to the workshop.
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Cornhole board plans sheet — materials list, cut list, leg detail drawing, frame drawing and a seven-step build order for a regulation pair
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Board Plans — Materials, Cut List & Legs

Everything the board plan leaves out: the materials for a pair, the cut list per board, the 11½-in leg with its 1¾-in pivot, the 21-in frame ends, and the build order from frame to final coat.
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Tailgate cornhole board plan — 24 by 36 in board with the same 6-in hole 9 in from the top, 12-in back edge
PDF

Tailgate Board Plan — 24 × 36 in

The 2 × 3 ft board that fits a trunk: regulation width, hole and heights on a shorter top. Not league-legal, but three tops come out of one sheet of plywood.
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Mini tabletop cornhole board plan — 12 by 24 in board with a 3-in hole 4.5 in from the top, 6-in back edge
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Mini / Tabletop Board Plan — 12 × 24 in

A half-scale board for a table or a kids' game: 12 × 24 in, 3-in hole 4½ in from the top, 6-in back edge. The proportions most mini kits use.
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Regulation board, measurement by measurement

ACL and ACO agree on every one of these; the legs and frame are the standard way to get there, not a rule.

MeasurementValue
Length48 in (ACL / ACO tolerance 47½–48 in)
Width24 in (23½–24 in)
Playing surface½-in plywood with cross bracing, or ¾-in without; sanded smooth and finished gloss so bags slide
Hole6 in diameter, centred 9 in from the top edge and 12 in from each side
Back edge height12 in off the ground
Front edge height3–4 in off the ground
SlopeAbout 10° (rise of 8–9 in over 48 in)
Frame2 × 4 (or 1 × 4 for a lighter board); 48-in sides, 21-in ends
Legs2 × 4, about 11½ in with a 1¾-in rounded pivot end — common practice, trimmed so the back edge reaches 12 in
Metric610 × 1220 mm; 152 mm hole, centre 229 mm from the top; back 305 mm, front 76–102 mm

Regulation, tailgate and mini boards

Only the first row is legal in a league. The other two are what people build for a truck bed or a tabletop, drawn to the same proportions.

BoardSizeHoleHeightsNotes
Regulation24 × 48 in6 in, 9 in from the top12 in back, 3–4 in frontACL, ACO and every sanctioned league
Tailgate (2 × 3)24 × 36 in6 in, 9 in from the top12 in back, 3–4 in frontFits a trunk; steeper slope; not league-legal
Mini / tabletop12 × 24 in3 in, 4½ in from the top6 in back, 1½–2 in frontHalf scale; no official standard; 3-in bags

Why the board is shaped the way it is

The hole sits 9 inches from the top so a bag that lands on the front half has 30 inches of board to slide up before it drops, and the 12-inch back edge gives the top its 10° slope — the number that decides whether a bag slides or sticks. Move the hole lower or flatten the board and the game changes: short bags stop dead and blockers stop working. That is also why the finish matters as much as the cut. Sand to 220, seal, and use a gloss polyurethane or a hard latex; rubbery or chalky paints grab the bag.

Build the frame first and square, then the top, then the hole. Two carriage bolts hold the legs, and the last job is trimming the feet until a tape held at the back edge reads 12 inches on level ground. A pair built this way weighs about 25 pounds each and lasts for years outdoors if you seal the underside too.

Boards built — now set them up
Cornhole distance and dimensions: the regulation setup
27 ft between the boards, 21 ft for juniors, the pitcher’s boxes, the 8 × 40 ft playing area and the bags.
Open
Then play it properly
Cornhole rules and scoring
Cancellation scoring to 21, foul lines and what counts as in the hole, per the ACL and ACO.
Open
What are the regulation cornhole board dimensions?
24 inches wide by 48 inches long — a 2 × 4 ft board — with a 6-inch hole whose centre is 9 inches from the top edge and 12 inches from each side. The back edge sits 12 inches off the ground and the front edge 3 to 4 inches. The American Cornhole League and American Cornhole Organization both allow a half-inch of tolerance: 47½–48 in long and 23½–24 in wide.
Are ACL and ACO board dimensions different?
No — both use the 24 × 48 in board, 6-in hole 9 in from the top, 12-in back and 3–4 in front. Where they differ is the small print: the ACO specifies a ½-in plywood surface with cross bracing (or ¾ in without) and a gloss finish, and the two bodies set slightly different bag weights — 15.5–16.5 oz for the ACL, 15.75–16.25 oz for the ACO. Build to the numbers above and your boards are legal in either.
How big is the hole on a cornhole board, and why do some plans say 4 inches?
Six inches in diameter, centred 9 in from the top and 12 in from the sides. Older plans, kids' sets and some drinking-game and 'washer board' variants used 4- or 5-inch holes, and mini boards use 3 inches, which is where the confusion comes from. A 6-in hole saw makes the cut in one pass; a jigsaw around a traced circle works too.
What angle is a cornhole board?
About 10 degrees. That is not written in the rules — the rules give heights, 12 in at the back and 3–4 in at the front — but over a 48-in board an 8–9 in rise works out to a 9.5–10.6° slope. The slope is what makes a bag landing short slide up toward the hole, so keep the front edge at 4 in if you want a slightly faster board and 3 in for a gentler one.
How long should the legs be?
About 11½ inches from the pivot bolt to the foot, on a 2 × 4 frame with a ½-in top — but cut them a little long and trim the feet until the back edge measures 12 in with the board on level ground. Round the top of each leg to a 1¾-in radius so it folds inside the frame, and drill the bolt hole 1¾ in from that end. The plans sheet has the detail drawing.
What plywood do I use, and how many boards come out of a sheet?
½-in plywood for the top if the frame has a cross brace, ¾-in if it does not; hardwood-faced (birch) plywood takes paint and polyurethane best. A 4 × 8 ft sheet yields exactly two 24 × 48 in regulation tops, or three 24 × 36 in tailgate tops. Four 8-ft 2 × 4s make both frames and all four legs.
Are 2 × 3 tailgate boards legal?
Not for league or tournament play — the ACL and ACO require 48-in boards. A 24 × 36 in tailgate board keeps the regulation width, hole and heights on a shorter top, which is fine for a parking lot or a small yard; the slope is steeper, so some builders drop the back edge to 10 in.
What size is a mini or tabletop cornhole board?
There is no official size, but nearly every kit is a half-scale board: 12 × 24 in with a 3-in hole 4½ in from the top and 6 in from each side, a 6-in back edge and 1½–2 in front. Bags are 3 × 3 in at about 4 oz, and the boards sit 8–10 ft apart.
What are cornhole board dimensions in mm?
610 × 1220 mm, with a 152 mm hole whose centre is 229 mm from the top edge and 305 mm from each side. The back edge is 305 mm off the ground and the front 76–102 mm. The ACL and ACO write their rules in inches, so those are conversions of 24 × 48 in and 6 in.
How far apart do the boards go once they are built?
27 feet from front edge to front edge for regulation play — which puts the holes 33 feet apart — and 21 feet for juniors and tight spaces. The distance, pitcher's boxes and playing area are on the cornhole distance and dimensions page.

Board figures from the American Cornhole League and American Cornhole Organization rules; frame, leg and finish details are common builders’ practice. Updated through September 2026.