'BagGate' cheating scandal rocks professional cornhole world
Officials within the professional cornhole world are seeking to implement regulations that would prevent the use of illegally sized bags in the wake of a cheating scandal.
A cheating scandal dubbed "BagGate" has sent shock waves across the professional cornhole world.
The controversy sparked in August at the 2022 American Cornhole League World Championships in South Carolina.
Devon Harbaugh filed a formal complaint against cornhole players Mark Richards and Philip Lopez, claiming the No. 1 ranked doubles team used illegal beanbags.
"I thought the bags were too thin, Harbaugh asserted.
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Mark Richards has his picture taken after winning the final match of the American Cornhole League Pro Singles World Championship finals at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Aug. 6, 2022. (Photo by Logan Cyrus for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
A $15,000 purse was on the line in the game where competitors toss bags filled with resin beads into a hole on slanted boards, which are approximately 27 feet apart.
After the complaint was lodged, officials performed a bag inspection. However, Lopez and Richards also wanted their opponents' bags to be inspected as well. Turns out none of the players competing were using regulation size bags.
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Officials ultimately determined the violations were not intentional and allowed the content to continue.
An ACL spokesperson allude to the fact that some form of cheating may have taken place. "It’s possible, but I’m pretty confident that it wasn’t intentional," spokesman Trey Ryder said.
Meanwhile, Lopez claimed, "I don’t know how they became illegal-sized. We did not boil the bags."
The infamous incident, now known as "BagGate," has sparked conversations about implementing more strict regulations to prevent the use of non-complaint bags.
"I think it’s funny that anyone believed it would be all friendships and rose petals forever in cornhole," wrote one commenter on the Addicted to Cornhole Facebook page, which has 85,000 members. "Now the dirty underbelly is being exposed."
Matt Guy (center) makes his throw against Mark Richards (right) during the final match of the American Cornhole League Pro Singles World Championship finals at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Aug. 6, 2022. Richards eventually get the better of Guy, taking top honors in the final competition. (Photo by Logan Cyrus for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Cornhole is a fast-growing sport and has attracted big-name sponsors.
The ACL boasts about 155,000 members, up from 125,000 in 2021, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Top ACL players can earn around $250,000 from annual winnings, endorsements and sponsorship agreements.
A lighter or thinner bag does allow for a competitive advantage. Some players have been suspected of participating in a variety of methods to create the lighter bags.
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ACL regulations stipulate cornhole bags must be six by six inches when laying on a flat surface. The bags weight is expected to be 16 ounces.
The league now plans to implement more regulations and structures into the sport.
Jamie Graham tosses a bag during his semi-final match with Mark Richards during the American Cornhole League Pro Singles World Championship finals at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Aug. 6, 2022. Graham, who was ranked third going into the competition would not move on past the semi-finals after being beaten by Richards. (Photo by Logan Cyrus for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The ACL announced its intention to check bags at random at tournaments. Ryder noted that the league is even "exploring infrastructure for automated bag testing."
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The American Cornhole Association is known as the Official Governing Body of Cornhole. ACA officials have previously compared the growth of the sport to that of pickleball.
Team rules and regulations are expected to be updated by the end of the year, according to the ACA.
