What you need
A long table, 20 plastic cups (ten per side), two ping pong balls and a cup of water at each end for rinsing the balls. Two teams of one to four players; two against two is the classic game. The World Series of Beer Pong, the largest tournament, plays on 8-foot tables with 16 oz cups and 40 mm balls, but any flat table works.
Beer pong is an adult drinking game. Play it only with people of legal drinking age (21 in the United States), never pressure anyone to drink, keep the amount in each cup small, have water on hand and drink some between games, and never drive afterwards. Many groups now fill the cups with water and take a sip from their own drink instead: it is more hygienic (wash cups can carry bacteria) and lets everyone control how much they drink. Root beer or any soft drink works just as well.
Setup
Each team arranges ten cups in a triangle at its end of the table, point facing the other team: a row of four at the back, then three, two and one. Pour a little drink (or water) into each cup. Some groups play with six cups (3-2-1) on a short table.
To decide who starts, one player from each team shoots at the same time while looking each other in the eye. The first to sink a ball starts; that cup stays in place.
How to play
Teams take turns. On a turn, each player on the shooting team throws one ball at the opposing triangle.
- A made cup (the ball lands in it and stays) is removed from the table, and the defending team drinks it, or takes a sip of its own drink if the cups hold water.
- Elbows. A common rule says your elbow (some groups say wrist) must stay behind the table edge when you release the ball. A shot that breaks it does not count.
- Balls back. If both players on a team make a cup in the same turn, they get the balls back and shoot again. Under World Series of Beer Pong rules, only one extra ball is given back, so a team can make at most three cups per turn.
- Bounce shots. In many house rules, a ball that bounces on the table before going in removes two cups, but the defenders may swat a bounced ball away.
- Spinning ball. If a ball spins round the inside of the rim, the defenders may flick it out with a finger or blow it out before it drops.
Re-racking
A re-rack is a request to move the remaining cups into a tighter shape, such as a small triangle or a line. House rules decide when: commonly when 6, 4, 3 or 2 cups are left, once or twice per team per game, and always at the start of your own turn.
Scoring and winning
The first team to remove all of the opponents’ cups wins. In most games the losing team then gets a rebuttal (or redemption): a last chance to sink all of its remaining cups, often one shot per player. If it succeeds, the game goes to overtime with three cups per side. Some groups play without a rebuttal.
Common variants
- 6-cup beer pong. A smaller triangle for short tables or quick games.
- Island. Once per game, a player may call a cup that touches no other cup. If they sink the called cup, an extra cup is removed; if the ball goes in another cup, nothing counts.
- Paddle beer pong. The original version, from Dartmouth College fraternities in the 1950s and 1960s, was played like table tennis with paddles and a net. In some regions “beer pong” still means that game and “Beirut” the throwing game.
- Alcohol-free. Water or soft drinks in the cups and points for each cup made. The rules do not change.
Tips for first games
- Agree the house rules (bounces, re-racks, elbows, rebuttal) before the first throw and write them down.
- Keep the amount in each cup to a sip. A game can mean drinking ten cups in a short time, which adds up quickly.
- Use a gentle arc shot: hold the ball between thumb and forefinger and throw from the elbow with the upper arm level.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups do you need for beer pong? Twenty for the game (ten per team) plus one water cup per team, 22 in all. A 6-cup game needs 14.
Do bounce shots count for two cups? Only if your group agrees. It is a popular house rule, but the defending team may then swat the ball away.
What is a re-rack? Rearranging the remaining cups into a tighter shape. Most groups allow it once or twice per game, at set cup counts.
Can you play beer pong without alcohol? Yes. Fill the cups with water and keep score, or drink soda. The game is the throwing, not the drink.
