The Game
Beer Pong is a growing tradition around the world also the most-played game on this site. The fact that you can buy retail beer pong sets and beer pong regulation tables speaks for itself. This game tests your tolerance, your hand eye coordination, and your performance under pressure. The rules listed here are our own house rules, and may not correspond exactly with official beer pong rules. For these rules, please see the external link, Official Rules. Enjoy safely. And make sure to record videos.
Equipment
Pong Balls, Plastic Party Cups, Long Table
How to Play
1.
Setup: Split up into two teams, one team at each long end of the table. Each team takes 10 cups and arranges them in triangle formation at their end of the table. Fill up two extra Wash Cups with water and place them at the corner of each end of the table.
2.
Face-off: Both teams face off to determine who goes first. Select a representative from each team. Each player lines up on their end of the table and shoots the ball, while staring at the other representative, in an attempt to make the ball into one of the cups on the opposing side. If both players make, repeat. If both players miss, repeat with different representatives until only one side makes a shot. That side goes first.
3.
Gameplay: Teams take turns attempting to shoot pong balls into the opposing cups. Every player on each team gets 1 shot normally (special conditions may apply). Players take shots by standing on their end of the table and shooting the ball without any part of their elbow crossing over the table (if the elbow crosses the table, the player shooting is punished by selecting one of their cups and drinking it, and their shot is invalidated). If the player makes the shot, the opposing team must remove the cup from the table and consume the drink.
4.
When a team makes a shot in their opponent's final cup, a Rebuttal phase ensues unless one or more team members also make the same shot on their turn. In the Rebuttal phase, each opposing player gets to shoot until they miss. If the opposing team is able to make all of the cups, the Tiebreaker phase ensues. If not, they lose and must consume all of the remaining game cups on the table.
5.
Tiebreaker: Both team setup a triangle of 6 cups and begin play again from Step 2 until a victor is declared.
Special Rules
| Wash | This is an option that is highly recommended because the surfaces that the pong balls touch can be highly unsanitary and dangerous for your health! Wash your balls in between cups and change out the cup water when it gets too dirty! |  |
| Bounce Shot | During an offensive player's turn, he/she may elect to take their shot by bouncing the ball on the table in an attempt to make it into one of the opponent cups. If successful, the defensive team must drink the cup made as well as another cup from their cups that they choose. However the bounce shot carries its risks - the defensive team has the option of slapping the ball away at any point after the ball bounces on the table. |  |
| Re-Rack | Each team gets 2 re-racks per game to use at any time. Re-racking allows an offensive team to arrange their opponent's cups so that they are easier to make. Please see the Beer Pong Formations link for examples of re-racks. |  |
| Rim Shot | Defensive players have the option of attempting to flick the offensive shot out of their cups if the offensive ball is circling along the rim of the cup and hasn't touched the drink yet. To do this, they may use one finger to quickly flick the ball out. | |
| Spills | There is no penalty for knocking over your own cups, but you will have to drink any remaining drink inside of the cup knocked over. | |
| Deflections | Just as in the bounce shot rule, once a shot ball touches any surface, it becomes fair game for the defense to deflect it. This is especially useful when the ball bounces off the lip of one of the cups. If a player touches the ball before it hits any surface within the playing field of the table, then they must drink one of their own cups. | |
| Bomb | This special rule applies when two or more players on the offensive team make the same cup in a turn. When two players make the same cup, the defensive team must drink the made cup and 2 additional cups for a total of 3 cups. When three players are involved, the total increases to 5 cups, etc. | |
| Fireball | As an alternate rule to the Bomb rule, during the fireball rule if an offensive team makes 2 or more shots in the same cup, the defensive team must drink that cup and all adjacent cups to the made cup. | |
| On Fire | A player goes On Fire if they make 3 consecutive shots on successive turns. If this happens, they get to continue shooting (exceeding the one shot per turn rule) as long as they keep making shots. | |