Should We Play With The Bust Rule? Can you Bust in Cornhole?
TLDR: No, you shouldn’t play with the bust rule. You cannot bust in cornhole. It’s perfectly ok to win by scoring more than 21.
What’s the cornhole bust rule?
The bust rule is a popular one in backyard games, tailgates, and church picnics. It requires the winning to to get 21 points exactly, and if they go over it takes them down to a lower score (usually 15 but varies.)
No professional cornhole organization uses the bust rule.
The simple reason for not using the bust rule is that it makes games take longer, and we all want faster tournaments or more chances to play in the backyard game.
When playing with good opponents, the bust rule can often create a situation whereby the ONLY way a team can win is by waiting for (and hoping) their opponents to miss the board. We’ve all played in that backyard game where you hit 21, then end up throwing 3 of your bags on the ground on purpose to avoid going over only to let your opponent steal points with their last bag. That’s not fun for anybody.
Scoring should be rewarded, not penalized – so please stop playing with the bust rule.
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