Beer Pong Rules
The classic party game where teams throw ping pong balls into cups of beer on the opposite side of a table.
Standard 10-cup triangle formation
What You'll Need:
- Plastic cups (20+ recommended)
- Ping pong balls (2+ recommended)
- Beer or other beverage
- Long table (8ft is standard)
Setup:
- Arrange 10 cups in a triangle formation at each end of the table
- Fill each cup with about 1/3 to 1/2 with beer (or your drink of choice)
- Divide into two teams of 1-3 players each
- Teams stand at opposite ends of the table
Special Rules:
Bounce Shot: If a player bounces the ball into a cup (rather than throwing directly), the defending team must drink two cups (the made cup plus one additional).
Elbows Rule: When throwing, your elbow must not cross the edge of the table.
Gameplay:
- Teams take turns throwing one ball each
- If a ball lands in a cup, the defending team drinks that cup's contents and removes the cup from the table
- If both players on a team make their shots, they get the balls back for an additional turn ("rollback" or "rebuttal")
- The game continues until one team eliminates all of the opponent's cups
- The losing team must drink the remaining cups in the winning team's formation
House Rules:
- Island Rule: Any cup that becomes separated from the main group becomes an "island" and is worth 2 cups if made
- Death Cup: If a made cup still has a ball in it from the previous throw, the game ends immediately and the defending team loses
- Fingering: Players may try to flick the ball out of a cup with their finger before it stops moving
Score Tracker
Team 1
10
Team 2
10
Variations
Civil War
3 vs 3 version where all players shoot simultaneously and continue shooting until all balls are missed.
Baseball
Play through 9 "innings" with different cup formations each inning.
Gauntlet
Cups are arranged in a straight line and must be made in order.