Leagues‎ > ‎

ACO Season 16

After a hiatus of a couple of years, Boston Cornhole is back again as a Certified Official for the American Cornhole Organization (ACO).  Why?  I would like to get back into competitive cornhole and with a very limited presence in the area, I see the greatest opportunity for growth and influence with the ACO.  And while Boston Cornhole will lead this effort, it is by no means a solo effort.  Chantha Luk representing Northshore ACO is on board and we are working on building a positive cornhole experience for players in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.  Anyway, on to the deets...

ACO Season 16

ACO Season 16 is a national, competitive cornhole league that begins in September with Regional and Major Tournaments and culminates with the World Championships in July.  Players earn points (and cash) by participating in Regionals (hosted locally) and Majors (need to travel).  Initially, Boston Cornhole will offer a full season Worlds Singles, Worlds Doubles, and Blind Draw Doubles for Regional events.  The format of these tournaments will be double-elimination.  If the interest is there for other divisions (e.g. Women's Doubles, Coed), we would be happy to offer that.  For further information, please refer to the Player's Guide (only Season 15 currently available).

Membership

New this year, membership to participate in ACO events is optional, BUT we really want you to become a member.  Therefore, Boston Cornhole is offering a promotion with the following advantages; must purchase membership via Boston Cornhole!  Purchase yours today!
  • $35 if purchased via PayPal Button; reduced from $50 on the ACO website
  • The first 20 memberships get a FREE ACO/Boston Cornhole T-Shirt.  In the PayPal "Notes to Seller" Field indicate size and color (Black, Red or Blue).  Production begins when we reach 20 memberships; local pickup only.
  • All memberships purchased prior to October are automatically entered for a raffle.  Raffle winners get a choice between Ultra USA Widows or original ACO 450 bags (the patch bags).
  • Early online registration options (COVID-19 could limit the size of the playing fields)

Or Venmo $35 to @Michael-Rielly-5 (be careful of the spelling).  If using Vemo, include your email address and mailing address in the transaction.

Disadvantages of not being a member
  • Cannot earn ACO points; must be a member PRIOR to the start of a tournament to earn points
  • Tournament payouts reduced 50%; remaining 50% redistributed.  For example, if you win a tournament and the advertised payout is $100, you would only be eligible for a $50 payout.
Entry Fees and Payouts

Boston Cornhole will follow the following format (subject to change):

Entry Fees
  • World Singles - $20 per player
  • World Doubles - $40 per team
  • Blind Draw Doubles - $10 per player
Payouts

Each tournament will carry a 70% purse of the entry fees.  Of that 70% purse, payouts will be as follows:

Place6-10 Eligible Players
or Teams		11-14 Eligible Players
or Teams		15-20 Eligible Players
or Teams		21-30 Eligible Players
or Teams		31+ Eligible Players
or Teams
 1st65%50% 40%37.5% 35%
 2nd 35%35% 30%27.5%  25%
 3rd 15% 20%17.5%  15%
 4th 
 10%7.5%  10%
 5th-6th   5% Each  5% Each
 7th-8th    2.5% Each

Note, non-members would have payouts reduced by 50%.  The remaining 50% would be redistributed.

Scoreholio

Scoreholio is partnering with American Cornhole for Season 16.  Not mandatory, but having a Scoreholio account is highly recommended!

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 Pandemic will affect the amount of participants at each tournament.  The guidelines are subject to change, but here is the current situation.

Massachusetts

Please find the recreational sport guidelines for MA Phase 3, Step 1 here.  For tournaments to be in play, cornhole must be a low-risk activity.  We will implement the following rules to keep cornhole low-risk:
  • Tournament must be outdoors
  • We are limited to 50 participants (25 teams)
  • Only 25 participants can play simultaneously (6 court limit for doubles, 12 for singles)
  • ALL participants must wear masks
  • Following a toss, players must step out of the pitcher's box to keep a minimum distance of six feet
  • Only touch your own bags
  • If at a public park, no alcohol...sorry
Rhode Island

Information on Rhode Island's Phase III can be found here.  We will probably be hosting regional tournaments at the Boundary in Pawtucket.  Ocean State Cornhole will be releasing the COVID-19 protocol in the near future.  We will follow that protocol and I assume that it will be similar to Massachusetts.  Note, that Massachusetts visitors to Rhode Island are expected to quarantine 14 days upon return to Massachusetts.  Let's hope the Ocean State numbers improve and this regulation is lifted soon!

New Hampshire

The Granite State's new normal is probably the closest to the normal we all know and love.  We will follow the guidelines of hosting venues.  Let's hope we can find somewhere to play in NH because that is by far the most cornhole-friendly state in New England right now!

Tournaments

Regional dates will be listed on the Tournaments page.
Subpages (1): Tournaments