It’s not just a tailgating or backyard game anymore. Cornhole has become a serious and competitive sport.

New gadgets, apps and lingo allow players to keep up on the latest trends and find games anywhere in the country. Yes that’s right, anyone traveling out of state who wants to play cornhole can just go to the “Scoreholio” app and find games nearby. Ongoing scores can be recorded there as well.

No voice needed to find out who is playing and which boards to play on. An electronic scoreboard at the end of each cornhole board can be set to randomly pair teams for a specific number of games. Just check out the scoreboard and see where to play the next game, who the partner is, and who the opponent will be. Players can even put their beverages in the cup holder on the score keeping stand.

Joe Loizzi of Albrightsville started playing six years ago and never played cornhole outdoors. He said he enjoys the game because, “You meet a lot of good people. You can play pretty much anywhere, and all ages can play.”

Lingo and merch

But of course before playing, make sure to know the lingo.

Airmail is an easy one, meaning the bag went right in the hole without touching anything. There’s also roll shots, cut shots and a bar of soap.

Speaking of the bags, players often bring their own set of four. Bags come in different designs, weights and squeezeability to suit every player’s needs.

A variety of accessories also are available, such as T-shirts sporting “cornhole wives matter,“ or a Zuca, which is a bag that has metal in it to make a seat or roll with the equipment.

There are bags to store bags that have Velcro on the outside where people can attach all of the many cornhole patches available.

Jamie Kresge of Albrightsville has been playing since she was a kid. Originally, she was playing at backyard barbecues. She said she likes cornhole because “It is fun and competitive, and anyone can play.”

She’s now learned the tricks of throwing with a spin.

Game specifics

Cornhole got its name as corn was used to fill the bags, nowadays they are filled with resin and come in suede, synthetic, hybrid and carpet. Although all bags weigh the same, they each have a fast and slow side and come in many decorative colors and styles.

Points are scored either by landing a bag on the board or in the hole. But don’t count the points quite yet, because the opponent can knock a bag off the board or get a higher scoring round, in which case the first player’s score is zero, as only the highest scoring team in each round earns points. Most games are played to 21.

The American Cornhole League is trying to make it an Olympic sport claiming it is profitable, because games are shown on ESPN and other networks

Locally, cornhole games are played on Wednesdays at Penn Forest Fire Company #2. There are also cornhole clubs with leagues that play in various locations including Pocono Cornhole, the Coal Crackers in Lehighton, and NEPA out of Scranton. Anyone can join, and there are no fees.

It’s time to go back inside and play. Check out the Scoreholio app to find games nearby.