A cornhole referee plays a crucial role in ensuring that matches and tournaments are conducted fairly. This guide explains all the official guidelines for referees: recognizing fouls, confirming scores, applying the shot clock, determining tiebreakers, and dealing with violations. For the complete rule set, you can go back to Official Cornhole Rules & Scoring or keep learning in the Cornhole Knowledge Center. New to the game? Start at What Is Cornhole?.
Role of the referee in cornhole
The referee is responsible for enforcing the official rules, safeguarding fair play, resolving conflicts, and judging fouls and scores. Although cornhole may seem relaxed, an official match requires clear enforcement.
The referee must:
- make decisions objectively and consistently
- know the rules well
- not be influenced by players or spectators
- communicate all decisions clearly
Pre-match checks
Before the match, a referee must check several things to ensure that the game can take place correctly:
- Board setup: 8.23 meters between the boards, straight alignment
- Surface: level, no loose obstacles
- Boards & bags: no damage or irregularities
- Score sheet or scoreboard: present and working
- Player positions: both teams choose their pitcher’s box
Board positions are covered in detail in Board Setup & Player Position.
Start of the match
The referee determines who throws first by:
- coin flip
- one test throw per team (shootout)
- tournament arrangements
From that moment on, the winner of each round decides who starts the next round. See How Turn Order Works.
Enforcing throwing rules
The referee ensures that every throw is performed legally. This includes:
- position in the pitcher’s box
- no crossing of the foul line
- correct throwing technique (underhand, smooth motion)
- the throw within the turn order
A complete explanation of legal throws can be found in Legal Throws.
Recognizing foot faults
An important part of refereeing is closely monitoring foot faults:
- foot over the foul line during release
- stepping outside the pitcher’s box
- leaning forward beyond the board
Decision: throw invalid → bag is a foul bag.
More on this is described in Foul Rules.
Judging interference & obstruction
The referee must carefully assess whether players are obstructing each other. Interference can directly affect the outcome of the game.
Interference includes:
- touching a bag that is still in the air
- moving the board during an active round
- intentional distraction (shouting, moving)
- hindering players in their stance
Penalties:
- removing or repositioning bags
- point deduction
- loss of round
- disqualification in serious cases
These penalties are fully explained in Tournament Penalties.
Shot clock & time violations
In official competitions, referees manage a shot clock, usually set at 20 seconds per throw.
- 1st violation = warning
- 2nd violation = foul bag
- repeated violation = point deduction or loss of round
An overly slow player can affect the pace of a match — time violations are therefore strictly enforced.
Scoring & score corrections
The referee confirms the round result and corrects errors in the score.
Important:
- apply cancellation scoring correctly
- count bags that are on the board
- check whether bags were thrown legally
- restore bags that were moved due to interference
For scoring, see Cornhole Scoring Explained and Cancellation Scoring.
Tiebreakers & deciding rounds
The referee is responsible for executing tiebreaker rules when teams end in a tie or when matches must be decided.
- playing extra rounds
- applying win-by-2
- sudden death procedure
- shortened shootout for time-limited events
Full tiebreaker variants are listed in Cornhole Tiebreakers.
Dealing with protests & disputes
Referees must communicate decisions clearly and calmly. When players protest, the following principles apply:
- no discussion during an active throw
- players may ask one brief question
- persistent protesting leads to a warning
- unnecessary discussion can cause a penalty
Recognizing unsportsmanlike conduct
The referee must be alert to unsportsmanlike behavior such as:
- swearing or provocation
- deliberately stalling for time
- intimidating the opponent
- tampering with boards or bags
Depending on severity, this can lead to:
- warning
- point deduction
- loss of round
- disqualification
When does the referee intervene?
Referees may and must intervene when:
- interference occurs
- foot faults occur
- time violations are observed
- the score is unclear
- unsportsmanlike behavior is shown
- boards move during an active round
Frequently asked questions about refereeing
Does every cornhole match need a referee?
Not always. In casual play this is not necessary, but in official tournaments it is.
Is a referee allowed to move bags?
Yes, when bags have been moved due to interference or incorrect throws.
What if teams disagree about the score?
The referee determines the final score based on bag positions and rules.
Can a referee disqualify someone?
Yes, in cases of serious violations or unsportsmanlike conduct.
Who decides in the case of a foot fault?
The referee decides whether the fault occurred and whether the throw is invalid.
Next steps
Now that you know how referees judge matches, you can better understand as both player and official how cornhole is played fairly and professionally. Continue with Tournament Penalties, learn more about fouls via Foul Rules or return to Official Cornhole Rules & Scoring for all information.
