BEER PONG

The Basics
Overtime
Situations
The Table
The Cups
The Balls
Partners
Trash Talking
Rule Variations

The Game

The game is played on one table, with two ping pong balls, and 20 cups (10 per team). The beverage of choice is beer(in the United States, the legal drinking age is 21).

The game is setup by placing 10 cups in front of your team at one far end of the table. The cups are set up into a triangle.

Both teams begin with three cups already filled with beer. Players may arbitrarily decide how to disperse those three cups of beer between the triangulated ten. However, every cup must have at least enough beer to prevent the ball from bouncing out after it has already gone in. Failure to do this results in penalty of that cup as well as another cup, of the other teams choice to be removed from the field of play.

Both teams begin with one ball on their side. The winner from the previous game chooses who will shoot first. Play then proceeds by one player from the team shooting first placing his ball into play by attempting to place his ball into one of the cups on the opposite side of the table. Any method of shooting is acceptable as long as the shooter stands behind their side of the table.

If a shooter misses a shot, a player from the opposing team then holds on to that ball until his team has possesion of both balls. Once they have possesion of both balls, they begin their offensive turn. Both players will shoot before the other team gets a shot.

If a player makes a shot. The other team will choose an alternating order between their team as to who will drink the contents of the cup. Teams must alternate in their drinking responsibility. The only exception being that if the opposing team allows one player to drink more, usually for junk talking reasons.

After a made shot, and the ensuing drinking of the contents of the cup, the cup is then removed from field of play (usually to a stack on the side of the table)and the team who was scored on must check to see if the cups can be configured to create a smaller triangle. Triangulations are at 10 cups, 6 cups, and 3 cups. If any of these number of cups are left teams must configure to a new triangle. However, if a team makes a shot with seven cups, and make their second shot taking the cup count down to five before the team being scored on can reconfigure their cups. The shooting team is at fault, and the team that was scored on is under no responsibilty to align their cups in any non-triangular shape.

Balls in play may not be interefered with until it is clear that they have absolutley no chance of going into any cups in the field of play. Interfering with a ball still in play results in a second shot. Interference includes touching a ball, moving the table, moving a cup, or blowing a ball off course.

Play continues until one team has made a ball in every one of their opponents ten cups.

Any cups that the losing team did not make are then handed to them for consumption.

If a team makes the final cup on the second of their shot attempts, the opposing team may still take one more shot in an attempt to lessen there drinking burden, or to make a final cup and create an overtime situation.

The three cup method is popular with keg parties, if using cans, two 12 ounce cans should suffice. Total amounts of beer per team should never excede 36 ounces. But both teams beer levels MUST be equal

Overtime

Overtime will occur when any team makes the final cup on the second of their teams two shots, and the opposing team makes their final shot on their single last attempt.

Teams may concede overtime before they begin to avoid drinking the overtime beer.

the overtime begins by setting up three cups in a triangle. The amount of beer used is one full cup dispensed between the three cups.

If a ball bounces out of an empty cup in overtime, the team who failed to place beer in the cup is immediately disqualified from play and the win is awarded to the team who's ball bounced out of the empty cup. If a cup is left empty, the opposing team must have a ball bounce out of it, for it to be a disqualification. Simply making a ball into an empty cup is not grounds for an immediate forfeit.

Situations

If A Cup Is Knocked Over...
The cup is considered a made cup and removed from the field of play unless..
It is the last cup in which case the cup is returned to it's spot on the table and refilled with beer. A team can not win by the other teams complete lack of coordination.

If A Player Moves A Cup On His Side... If he/she is not configuring to a triangle, that beer becomes a made cup, it's contents consumed, and the cup removed from play. (the exception to this rule being that the team moving the cup does so to either prevent the cup from falling off the table, or moves the cup to a more convienent place for the opposing team.

The Table

The table is normally any ping pong or beat up pool table. However any table with the same dimensions will suffice.

If the table is home made, the table should have good support and the board should be solid enough to hold the weight of many cups and many beers.

The Cups

Just don't be stupid. Regular keg cups or plastic 12 oz cups. Don't use Dixie cups or McDonalds supersize cups.

The Balls

Your pushing your luck if you use anything other than ping pong balls.

Balls with indentations in them from being stepped on may be used.

Any player in a game where a ball has been stepped on may examine the ball before play resumes. If there are no other balls available any player may decide if the indented ball should not be used.

If a player decides that the ball is unfit for play, then play resumes with one ball and the teams begin trading shot for shot as opposed to the normal 2 shot per team method. the ball is not returned to the same team after a shot.

Partners

The game is usally played with a partner, but one on one competition is quite usual.
Normal Beer Pong etiquette would dictate that you should keep the same partner as long as you are winning, but circumstances arrise that can force someone to end their play. There are no rules against changing partners after losing.

Partners are required to share the drinking responsibilities. Situations occur where one player might accidentally drink more than the other, but this should not be done on purpose.

Choosing a partner is an important event. It can bond friendships, inspire love relationships, and reunite old friends. It can also ruin friendships, destroy marriages, and resurect bad feelings. Choose wisely.
In partners dressing alike can be very affective. It gives the partners a sense of teamness and identity. Dressing alike can also give your team a mental advantage over the opposition. Team uniforms are always encouraged

Trash Talking

Trash talking is acceptable, but should only be practiced to the extreme at your own risk. Trash talking raises tempatures and often leads to arguments.
Trash talking is an important part of many players strategies. Gag orders can not be placed on players who speak too much trash. It is a tradtional part of the game (like fighting in hockey).

Variations
These variations are all recognized as acceptable rules for Beer Pong. Only rule variations that have not already been sugested are placed on this sight.
If you have any other variations you would like me to post send them to me @ acidbbg@aol.com

- Play begins by a shooter on either team shooting their balls simultaneously with their eyes closed. This continues until one player makes it. His/her team then takes control of both balls and play begins again from there. This rule is super gay.
- Some people play this game with one cup of beer and a couple of ping pong paddles. I'm not even gonna' go there. That game is terrible. I'd rather play badmitton...naked...alone...in the rain...in New Jersey (ah, memories).
- When one team makes both of their shots, both balls are returned to them. This isn't a bad idea, but you have very few "good" games with this rule.
- If a ball is spinning around the inside of the cup, before it falls into the beer, the opposing team can stick their faces into the cup in an attempt to blow the ball out. Terrible, just terrible.

Back To Main Page