Beer Pong: Official Rules

Sink a ball in every one of the other team's cups before they sink one in every one of yours.

Two teams of one or two players stand at opposite ends of an 8-foot table. Each team arranges 10 cups in a triangle of four, three, two and one, with the point aimed at the other team and the back row even with its own end of the table. Cups touch.

Pour beer into each game cup, about a third full, or as the table agrees at the Pre-Game Rules Meeting. Keep a rinse cup of water at each end for the balls.

Rule 1. Starting the game

Rule 1.1. To decide which team shoots first, one player from each team shoots at the same time while looking each other in the eye. The first to make a cup shoots first. That cup is not removed.

Rule 1.2. Teams take turns. On its turn, a team shoots both balls: one per player for a team of two, both by the player for a team of one.

Rule 2. Shooting

Rule 2.1. A shooter shoots from behind their own end of the table. Their elbow must stay behind the edge of the table until the ball is released (the elbow rule). Their body may lean as far as they like.

Rule 2.2. A ball that lands in a cup sinks that cup. The defending team removes it and drinks it. Teams of two decide between themselves who drinks; the Commission does not get involved.

Rule 2.3. A bounce shot, a ball that strikes the table before landing in a cup, sinks that cup plus one more of the shooting team's choice. Once a ball has touched the table, the defending team may swat it away.

Rule 2.4. The defending team may not touch a ball before it strikes the table or a cup. If it does, the shooting team chooses one cup to remove.

Rule 2.5. If both players on a team sink cups on the same turn, that team gets balls back and shoots again. A team of one gets balls back by sinking both of its shots.

Rule 2.6. If both balls on a turn land in the same cup, that cup and two more of the shooting team's choice are removed.

Rule 2.7. If a ball spins around inside a cup without settling, the defending team may blow it out. It may not use fingers.

Rule 2.8. A cup knocked over by the defending team is removed as if sunk. A cup knocked over by a shot is set back up.

Rule 3. Re-racks

Rule 3.1. Each team may request two re-racks per game. A re-rack is requested by the shooting team before it shoots, and rearranges the cups it is shooting at.

Rule 3.2. The defending team performs the re-rack. Cups in any formation must touch, and must stay within the area of the original triangle.

Rule 3.3. When one cup remains, it is moved to the center of the back row, if it is not already there. This does not count as a re-rack.

Rule 4. Winning

Rule 4.1. When a team's last cup is sunk, that team shoots for redemption. Its players shoot one ball at a time, taking turns, until one misses. A bounce shot during redemption sinks only the cup it lands in. No re-racks are allowed during redemption.

Rule 4.2. If the team in redemption sinks every remaining cup, the game goes to overtime. Each team sets up three cups in a triangle, and the team that forced overtime shoots second. No re-racks are allowed. Redemption applies again.

Rule 4.3. If the team in redemption misses, the other team wins. The losing team finishes any cups still standing on the winning team's side, then racks the next game.

• Water in the game cups. Game cups hold water; when a cup is sunk, the defending team drinks from their own drinks. Approved. The Commission has examined a beer pong ball after it has been on the floor, and understands the appeal.
• Island. A team may call "island" before shooting at a cup that touches no other cup. If the shot sinks that cup, one more cup is removed. Approved.
• Heating up and on fire. A player who sinks two cups in a row is heating up; after three, they are on fire and keep shooting until they miss. Commissioner's Discretion. The Commission notes that this rule makes a good shooter better, which is the opposite of what a rule is for.
• Fingering a spinning ball out of the cup. Prohibited. Rule 2.7 applies. The fingers in question have usually been on the floor.
• Unlimited re-racks, or re-racks only at certain cup counts. Approved, if declared.

Does a bounce shot count for two cups? Yes: the cup it lands in, plus one of the shooting team's choice, unless the defending team swats it away first. See the full ruling in Part 6.

How far over the table can a shooter lean? As far as they like, as long as their elbow stays behind the edge of the table until release. See the full ruling in Part 6.

When can a team re-rack, and into what shapes? Twice per game, before its own turn, into any formation where the cups touch. See the full ruling in Part 6.

Does the losing team get a redemption round? Yes, always. See the full ruling in Part 6.

A ball lands in a cup, and the cup is then knocked over by the defending team trying to remove it. Is that one cup or two? One cup. The cup was already sunk. The defending team should be more careful with it.

• Elbow violation. Penalty: the shot does not count. If it sank a cup, the cup is returned. The defending team must call the violation before the cup is removed. Signal: the Official taps their own elbow twice.
• Interference (touching a ball before it strikes the table or a cup). Penalty: the shooting team chooses one cup to remove. Signal: the Official crosses their forearms above their head.
• Bounce shot. Signal: the Official dribbles an imaginary ball once, then holds up two fingers.
• Balls back. Signal: the Official points both thumbs back over their shoulders.
• Re-rack. Signal: the Official draws a triangle in the air.
• Redemption. Signal: the Official raises one finger, then circles it.

Beer pong began in the 1950s and 1960s as a paddle game, played much like table tennis, and is usually credited to students at Dartmouth College. Players eventually put the paddles down. In parts of the Northeast, the paddleless game is still called Beirut.

Archive No. 0031, issued in 1966, held that a paddle is an extension of the hand. It has not been cited since.

Fill the game cups with water or any non-alcoholic drink. Everything else plays as written.