Island Rule – Rules of Beer Pong #7

7. Island Rule

The island rule in a nutshell: when a cup isn’t touching any other cup, call “island” before you shoot. Sink it and the other team pulls the island cup plus one bonus cup of your choice.

Land ho! A cup off on its own is begging to be called. The island rule rewards calling your shot, and nothing feels better than pointing at a lone cup and draining it.

How the island rule works

1. Spot the island. An island is a cup left on its own because the cups that would touch it in the rack formation have been pulled.
2. Check for a mainland. At least two other cups must still be touching each other. No mainland, no island.
3. Call it before you shoot. Say “island” out loud and point at the cup before the ball leaves your hand. Calling it after the ball goes in doesn’t count.
4. Make it and take a bonus cup. The island cup is pulled, and you pick one more cup for the other team to pull and drink.
5. Miss and the call is spent. At most houses a missed island shot uses up your call for the game. If you hit a different cup instead, it counts as a normal cup with no bonus.

How many island calls do you get?

At most houses, each player gets one island call per game, so two per team. In a one-on-one game, each player still gets one. Some houses play one call per team; agree on it before the game.

Island in redemption: if you still have your call, you can use it during redemption.

When you can’t call island

• Bermuda triangle: when three cups are left and none touch, there’s no mainland, so there’s no island. See the Bermuda triangle rule.
• Fewer than three cups: you need an island plus a two-cup mainland, so the island rule can’t win the game.

Island combos

• Island + bounce: call island and bounce it in, and the defending team pulls the island cup plus 2 bonus cups.
• Island + same cup: if both shooters call island and sink the same cup, the defending team pulls 2 bonus cups and the shooting team gets balls back.

Common island rule disputes

• “That cup is just out of place!” Go by the rack formation, not a sloppy setup. If a cup would be touching its neighbors in a properly set rack and only drifted a little, it’s not an island; straighten the rack instead. When in doubt, the house decides.
• “You called it late.” The call has to come before the shot. A call mid-throw is the house’s call; most say it doesn’t count.
• Re-racking away an island. The defending team can use a re-rack before your turn to pull the lone cup back into the group.

Island rule FAQ

Can you call island with 2 cups left?
No. You need at least three cups on the table: the island plus a two-cup mainland.

How many times can you call island?
Once per player per game at most houses, so two per team. A missed island shot uses up your call.

Can you win beer pong with an island?
No. The rule needs at least three cups on the table, so it can’t take the last cup.

Do you have to call island?
Yes. Making a lone cup without calling it counts as one normal cup, with no bonus.

Who picks the bonus cup?
The shooting team picks the bonus cup, unless your house says otherwise.

Keep the arguments off the table. Write your island rule into your house rules and hang them where everyone can see: beer pong signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

See all the rules in the complete beer pong rules guide.

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