ACL Fair Play Rules for Cornhole Bags – Why Razor Cornhole Bags Are Tournament-Ready
Cornhole isn’t just a backyard game anymore—it’s a serious competitive sport. And if you’re playing in American Cornhole League (ACL) tournaments, the gear you use matters just as much as your throwing technique.
ACL’s Fair Play Rules ensure that every player competes on a level playing field. That includes strict regulations on the bags you bring to the boards. If your bags don’t meet ACL’s specs—even after they’ve been broken in—you could be disqualified on the spot or even lose tournament winnings.
At Razor Cornhole, we take these rules seriously. That’s why our bags are built to meet ACL standards from day one and maintain compliance throughout the season and beyond.
What Is ACL Fair Play and Why Does It Matter?
The ACL’s Bring Your Own Bags (BYOB)™ policy allows players to compete with bags they trust, but there’s a catch: only ACL-approved bags are allowed in sanctioned events.
Every ACL-approved bag must meet strict size, weight, and thickness requirements. Even if a bag starts within regulations, it can still become illegal if it changes too much after being broken in. And yes, players have had wins taken away because of this.
The bottom line? If you’re playing competitively, you need bags that will hold up over time—because ACL will check.
(Want to know more about ACL player rules? Check out our blog: Understanding the Basics of Cornhole.)
ACL Cornhole Bag Specifications – What You Need to Know
Not all cornhole bags are created equal. The ACL has exact specifications, and if your bags don’t meet them, you won’t be able to compete.
✅ Size: 6” x 6” (Accepted range: 5.75” - 6.25”)
✅ Weight: 16 ounces (Accepted range: 15.5 - 16.5 oz)
✅ Thickness: 1.3” (Accepted range: 1.1” - 1.5”)
✅ Diagonal measurement (corner to opposite corner):
- New bags: Must be at least 7.5”
- Broken-in bags: Must be at least 7.3”
These measurements ensure that every bag plays consistently across all ACL-sanctioned events. But just because a bag meets the standard when it’s new doesn’t mean it always will—and that’s where many players run into trouble.
Why Some Bags Fail ACL Testing
Many players don’t realize that bags change shape and size over time. With repeated throws, the fill compacts and the fabric loosens, which pulls the bag’s corners inward. This can cause the diagonal measurement to shrink past ACL’s minimum specs, making the bag illegal for tournament play.
If your bags shrink too much, you could lose a match without even throwing a single bag.
This is why ACL enforces strict testing protocols to ensure fairness:
🔍 Initial Testing at the Manufacturer Level
- The ACL maintains a list of approved bag manufacturers—if a bag isn’t on the list, it can’t be used in competition.
- Before approval, bags are submitted to ACL for testing on a laser-calibrated measurement machine to check length, weight, and thickness.
🔄 On-Site Bag Inspections at Tournaments
- Even ACL-approved bags can fail compliance checks over time.
- If a player’s bag no longer meets size or weight specs, officials will remove it from play.
- If the bag fails inspection after a tournament has ended, the player could lose their winnings—making compliance even more critical.
New vs. Broken-In Bag Testing – Meeting ACL Standards at All Times
The ACL has different size requirements for new vs. broken-in bags, and your bags must stay within these specs at all times—not just when they’re fresh out of the box.
✅ New bags: Must have a diagonal measurement of at least 7.5”
✅ Broken-in bags: Must stay above 7.3”
Over time, bag materials loosen, fill compacts, and corners pull in, which can cause the diagonal measurement to shrink. If a bag falls below the 7.3” minimum, it’s no longer legal for tournament play—no matter how well it throws.
That’s why Razor Cornhole Bags are engineered to stay compliant throughout the entire season and beyond. With our precision templates and durable materials, you can break in your bags without worrying about them shrinking past ACL limits.
Final Thoughts – Play With Confidence
If you’re putting in the work to compete at a high level, you need bags that won’t let you down. ACL’s fair play standards ensure that everyone plays on an even field, but not every bag holds up over time.
With Razor Cornhole Bags, you don’t have to second-guess your gear. Our bags are built to ACL specs from day one and designed to stay compliant for the entire season and beyond under normal playing conditions. That means you can focus on perfecting your game instead of worrying about bag inspections.
So go ahead—play hard, throw with confidence, and dominate the boards. Razor Cornhole Bags have you covered.
