Hole In One: The History Of Cornhole

October 14, 2014 | South Tampa Magazine | Categories: Culture, Editorial, History | Tags: baggo, corn toss, cornhole rules, history of cornhole, how to play cornhole

Call it bean toss, call it cornhole. Just don’t call this tailgating staple corny
As ridiculous as it may sound, there’s a certain aesthetic that comes from tossing a canvas bag full of beans onto slab of plywood. Maybe it’s the heat or the fact that after six beers, everything is hilarious and fun, but cornhole—the pastime that is gracing backyards and stadium parking lots everywhere—is more popular that ever.
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Equipment:
Two cornhole platforms
8 beanbags (ideally filled with whole kernel corn feed)
HOW TO PLAY: Think horseshoes with beanbags
•      Just like tennis, you can play with either singles or doubles
•      Players throw up to four beanbags per inning onto their opponent’s cornhole platform
•      Three points are awarded to those who put the bag through the target, or cornhole
•      One point is awarded if your cornhole lands on the platform
•      The first team that reaches 21 points wins
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So where did this cornhole game – also known as bean bag toss, baggo or corn toss – come from? The American Cornhole Association (not making this up, people) says there are many theories explaining where the pseudo-sport originated:
1) Some say Cincinnati isn’t just home to the Bengals; it’s also the birthplace of cornhole, at least that’s what the natives are telling people.
2) Others point to Bavaria, Germany, where in 1325, a guy named Matthias Kuepermann got the idea after watching young boys throwing rocks into a hole they dug in the ground. Reportedly, Kuepermann used small canvas bags of corn to throw into 6-inch holes. When a large portion of Germans immigrated to America, they supposedly brought their drinking game with them.
3) Lastly, we have Midwestern farmer Jebediah Magillicutty, or Magillicuddy depending on where you search. Jebediah apparently invented the game in his barn during the 1800s and shared it with friends and family.