Most people know the standard cornhole bags that come with their sets of boards, standard duck cloth and filled with corn. When seeing professional cornhole players, like you do on ESPN, they are using ACL approved cornhole bags. The ACL (American Cornhole League) is the governing body of professional cornhole and places restrictions on which bags can be used in tournament play.
There are over fifty cornhole bag manufacturers that have ACL approved bags with many different variations from each manufacturer. ACL certified bags will feature a stamp on them that show they are ACL approved for tournament play. The stamp will say ACL Pro with the calendar year like the picture below.
Check out our selection of ACL approved bags here.
What Is An Official ACL Cornhole Bag Filled With?
Some maybe wondering what seperates a standard corn-filled bag from an ACL dual sided approved bag? One of the main differences is that ACL certified bags are filled with resin pellets. Resin pellets are small plastic granuals that take the place of corn in a cornhole bag.
Most cornhole players prefer resin-filled bags, like the ones that are ACL approved, because they do not have to worry about resin breaking down over time like they would with a traditional corn-filled bag.
Resin filled bags will also allow players to manipulate the fill inside of the bag in order to throw the bag a certain way. Players are constantly throwing the bag in a different form or fashion in order to get a different result. It is similar to how a golfer will manipulate the golf ball in order to hit certain shots at distinct times.
Checkout this video from the American Cornhole League that showcases some of the best shots.
This really provides an insight into how professional cornhole players or extremely skilled amateurs', can manipulate the bag in order to pull off certain shots during different times in competition.
What Bags Do ACL Pros Use?
One key feature of whichever brand a player chooses to use, is that ACL certified bags with have two different materials on bag. This is another way in which the player can manipulate the bag for how they would like to play. Keep in mind that some two-side pro bags are not ACL approved but still a great option,
Check out our video here featuring those bags.
There is such a wide range of available ACL certified cornhole bags and with the monetization of the professional cornhole circuit, there are plenty of different options for the players to use. Some players simply play the bags like to use. While other players have sponsorship deals with certain ACL approved cornhole bag manufacturers.
Here at Slick Woody’s we have a great relationship with Jeff Reynolds, and Reynolds bags have been a prominent figure in the cornhole industry for many years and we are proud to carry the best cornhole bags in the industry.
Reynolds Bags are one of the most played ACL certified bags on the professional circuit. This is in large part due to their incredible reputation and continued excellence in the space. However, it is also because Reynolds bags offers thirteen different ACL approved cornhole bags for the 2022-2023 season. Therefore, the product line has a wide range of different options for players to pick from when making a decision on what they would like to throw. Different players are going to want their bags to perform differently, some players are going to want a true stick and slick bag like the Pro Touch. While other players will want something that is going to play faster on one side of the bag to be able to slide up the board more frequently like a Victory. Checkout our full offering of Reynolds bags here.
How Do Cornhole Bags Become ACL Approved?
There is a testing process that takes place in order for a cornhole bag to because ACL approved and be deemed legal for competition use. The testing protocol highlights three key factors: speed friction factor, push friction factor, and bag flex factor. Let’s take a deeper look into what each of these three factors actually mean for someone who may not be as familiar with cornhole on the professional level.
Speed friction factor is essentially the measure of speed of the cornhole bag. The speed scale is a range of 0-100. Each side of the bag, since it is two different materials, will have a different speed rating based on the 0-100 scale.
The next key factor, push friction factor, is scale that ranges from 1-10. The lower the number corresponds with how hard it is to push that bag up the board when it is on a certain side of the bag.
The final factor in determining how a cornhole bag becomes ACL approved is the flex factor. Flex factor may seem like a pretty self-explanatory term and that would be correct. The flex factor is another scale that ranges from 1-10. The higher the number on the flex scale means that the bag is more flexible on that side prior to breaking in the bag during competition or practice use.
What Are the Best ACL Cornhole Bags?
There is such a wide variety and different styles of ACL certified cornhole bags that it can be a bit overwhelming when looking into which bags are right for you. If you are going to be wanting to enter into local, state, or region tournaments, more often than not you will be required to have ACL approved bags in order to participate. With over fifty cornhole bag manufacturers and each manufacturer offering a minimum of one style of ACL cornhole bags, there is a long list to pick from when deciding which ACL cornhole bags could be right for you. The ACL has an updated list of approved cornhole bags for the 2022-2023 calendar year to make sure that you are compliant with regulations in order to participate in competition.
Do You Really Need ACL Cornhole Bags?
The short answer to this question is no, most people do not. However, it depends on how serious you can plan on getting with cornhole or the level of playing experience you are trying to achieve. For example, if you are someone who just enjoys playing every once in a while at the family barbeque or tailgate then the standard cornhole bags that come with most boards will work just fine for you.
If you are someone who wants to improve their cornhole game, practice, or are considering joining leagues or tournaments then it would be a great investment to get a set of ACL certified cornhole bags so that you can get familiar with them in order to be playing at your best at the right time!
If you are interested in looking into some ACL approved cornhole bag options for regular or tournament play.
Check out this video from Cornhole Network that breaks down there top 10 cornhole bags of the 2021 season.
Whether you are looking to casually enjoy cornhole with family or friends or take your game to the next and make a career out of cornhole, ACL cornhole bags provide a unique and interesting challenge or test to cornhole. Some players prefer to play what the pros do or are aspiring professional players themselves. No matter what you are looking for when it comes to your cornhole bags, Slick Woody’s has plenty of options.
Be sure to stay tuned to our website and follow us on social media for other updates and important information!
