Category: Rules of Beer Pong

The complete Rules of Beer Pong: all 25 house rules, from the island and death cup to re-racks, redemption and overtime, written the way they’re played at real parties, with the common variations and how to settle the argument. Start with the full rules guide.

Celeb Shot – Rules of Beer Pong #22

22. Celeb Shot

In a nutshell: once per game, each player can hand the ball to anyone in the room and have them shoot for you.

Having a rough night at the table? Hand the ball to someone who isn’t. The celeb shot is your one lifeline per game, so choose wisely.

Celeb Shot

You don’t see that everyday!

How the celeb shot works

  1. Call it before the shot. Say “celeb shot” and pick your shooter.
  2. Anyone in the room. Pick wisely.
  3. Once per player per game.
  4. No bonus cups. A celeb shot can only make a regular cup.

FAQ

Can the celeb shot win the game?
At most houses, yes, but it can’t earn bonus cups.

Can you pick a player from another team?
The house decides. Most say anyone not on the other team.

Keep the arguments off the table. Add the celeb shot to your house rules: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #21 Spilled Cup  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #23 Bounce Shot →

Spilled Cup – Rules of Beer Pong #21

21. Spilled Cup

In a nutshell: knock over your own cup and it counts as made: pull it.

Every rowdy game has a spilled cup eventually, usually when someone dives at a bounce shot. Your cup, your fault: it comes off the table. Keep a towel handy.

Spilled Cup

Oops

How the spilled cup rule works

  1. Your cup, your fault. If you or your partner knock over one of your own cups, it counts as made and comes off the table.
  2. It happens a lot on defense. Swatting at bounce shots is the most common way to spill.
  3. Spilling a made cup costs a drink. If the defending team knocks over a cup that was already made, they drink an extra; no extra cups are pulled.

Spilled last cups

  • If the defending team spills its own last cup, it loses.
  • If the shooting team spills the defenders’ last cup, refill it, unless your house plays beaming.

Prevent spills

A beer pong mat keeps cups in place, and a towel by the table saves the floor.

FAQ

If you knock over a cup in beer pong, does it count?
If it’s your own cup, yes: it counts as made, so pull it. If the other team knocks one of your cups over, refill it and keep playing.

Does a spilled cup count toward ring of fire?
No. Only made cups count toward the ring.

What if the shooters knock over a cup that isn’t the last one?
Refill it and keep playing.

Keep the arguments off the table. Post the spilled cup rule to settle it fast: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #20 Overtime  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #22 Celeb Shot →

Overtime – Rules of Beer Pong #20

20. Overtime

In a nutshell: when redemption succeeds, both teams set up three cups in a triangle. Sudden death: the first team to clear its three wins.

It’s crunch time. If you have a clutch mode, turn it on. Overtime is three cups, sudden death, and nobody remembers who was up 6–1.

Overtime

Sudden Death

How overtime works

  1. It starts after a successful redemption.
  2. Three cups per side, set in a triangle.
  3. The team that cleared its cups first shoots first.
  4. No re-racks. The triangle stays as is.
  5. First to make all three wins.

Winning without the other team shooting

Get balls back on your first turn and make the last cup, and the other team never gets a shot in overtime.

FAQ

Is there redemption in overtime?
No. It’s sudden death.

Can you call island in overtime?
No. Three cups in a triangle can never leave an island.

Keep the arguments off the table. Post your overtime rules before the clutch moments: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #19 Redemption / Rebuttal  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #21 Spilled Cup →

Redemption / Rebuttal – Rules of Beer Pong #19

19. Redemption / Rebuttal

In a nutshell: after the last cup falls, the losing team gets one last chance: make every remaining cup and the game goes to overtime.

It’s not over until it’s over. The losing team always gets one last shot at glory, and a hot redemption run is the loudest moment of any party.

Beer Pong Redemption

When you make redemption

How redemption works

  1. The last cup is made. The losing team gets its rebuttal.
  2. Each player shoots until they miss. Make, shoot again; miss, you’re done.
  3. No re-racks. The cups stay where they are.
  4. Clear every cup to survive. If cups remain after both players miss, the game is over.
  5. Clear them all and go to overtime. See the overtime rule.

Special cases

  • You can’t win with ring of fire during redemption.
  • You can win with a death cup during redemption.
  • If you still have your island call, you can use it during redemption.
  • The winning team can deny redemption with balls back: make the last cups, get the balls back, and make one more.

FAQ

What are the last cup rules in beer pong?
Sink the last cup and the other team gets redemption. Before that, the last cup can always be pulled back and centered without using a re-rack, knocking over your own last cup loses the game, and island can never be called on it. All of it in one place on our quick rulings page.

Is rebuttal the same as redemption?
Yes. Different houses, same rule.

Do you get redemption in overtime?
Not at most houses. Overtime is sudden death.

Keep the arguments off the table. Make sure everyone knows the game isn’t over until redemption: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #18 Trick Shot  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #20 Overtime →

Trick Shot – Rules of Beer Pong #18

18. Trick Shot

In a nutshell: if your shot comes back to your side without touching the floor, grab it and take an extra shot, but it has to be a trick shot.

This one adds some style to your game. Get the ball back without it hitting the floor and you’ve earned a bonus shot, as long as you make it look good. Behind the back, off the ceiling, eyes closed: show off.

How the trick shot rule works

  1. The ball comes back to you. It bounces or rolls back to the shooter’s side.
  2. No floor. If the ball hits the floor first, there’s no extra shot.
  3. The shooter gets one extra shot. Only the player who shot it.
  4. It has to be a trick shot. Behind the back, off the wall or ceiling, eyes closed: get creative.

Defending a trick shot

Once a trick shot bounces off the table, the defending team can block it under the defense rule.

FAQ

Can you shoot a normal shot instead?
No. The extra shot has to be a trick shot.

Does a made trick shot earn bonus cups?
Not by itself. If it bounces off the table first, the bounce shot rule applies.

Watch: beer pong trick shots

Keep the arguments off the table. Add trick shots to your house rules: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #17 Fingering / Blowing  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #19 Redemption / Rebuttal →

Fingering / Blowing – Rules of Beer Pong #17

17. Fingering / Blowing

In a nutshell: if a ball is spinning around inside your cup, you can get it out before it hits the drink: guys with a finger, girls by blowing.

The last line of defense. If a ball is spinning around inside your cup and hasn’t touched the drink yet, you still have a chance to fish it out. Hesitate and it’s a cup.

Beer Pong fingering / blowing

Dudes don’t blow

How it works

  1. The ball is still spinning. It has to be circling the inside of the cup, not sitting in the drink.
  2. Get it out. Traditionally, guys flick it out with a finger and girls blow it out.
  3. Touch the drink and it counts. If your finger or the ball touches the liquid, the cup is made and you drink.

Variations

  • Many houses let anyone finger or blow.
  • Some houses don’t allow either; any ball that goes in counts.

FAQ

Can you blow the ball out of the cup in beer pong?
Yes, as long as the ball is still spinning and hasn’t touched the drink. Traditionally guys use a finger and girls blow, and many houses let anyone do either. Official tournament rules don’t allow it.

Is this defense?
Yes, the last chance at it. Bounced shots can also be swatted under the defense rule.

What if the ball is already in the drink?
Too late. The cup counts.

Keep the arguments off the table. Decide who can finger and who can blow, then post it: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #16 Balls Back  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #18 Trick Shot →

Balls Back – Rules of Beer Pong #16

16. Balls Back

In a nutshell: if both players on a team make their shots, they get the balls back and shoot again.

Both teammates make it? Balls back. This is where big combos happen and momentum flips, and it’s the reason you pick a partner who can actually shoot.

Balls Back Shake and Bake

How balls back works

  1. Both teammates make it. Each player sinks a cup on the same turn.
  2. Shoot again. The team gets both balls back for two more shots.
  3. No limit. A team can earn balls back several times in a row.

Balls back and on fire

If one shooter goes on fire, they keep shooting until they miss. If their partner also makes a cup, the team still gets balls back once the fire goes out. It doesn’t matter who shot first.

Balls back on the last two cups

If each player makes one of the last two cups, the team gets one more shot each at a single cup. Make that cup and the defending team doesn’t get redemption.

FAQ

Can you re-rack after balls back?
No. Balls back is still the same turn.

Does same cup give balls back?
Yes, plus bonus cups. See same cup.

Keep the arguments off the table. Add balls back to your posted rules: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #15 Reracks  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #17 Fingering / Blowing →

Reracks – Rules of Beer Pong #15

15. Re-racks

In a nutshell: most houses allow two re-racks per game, called before your turn, to rearrange the cups you’re shooting at.

Re-racks are the most underused weapon in beer pong. Call them before your turn, ask for the shape you want, and stop shooting at scattered cups like a noob.

Beer Pong Reracks

How re-racks work

  1. Two per team per game in a standard 10-cup game. One per player in one-on-one.
  2. Call it before your turn. Ask for the formation you want before anyone shoots.
  3. Not mid-turn. If you get balls back, you can’t re-rack until your next turn.
  4. Last cup is free. You can always ask for the last cup to be pulled back and centered, and it doesn’t use a re-rack.

The gentleman’s re-rack

At Beer Pong All-Stars, two cups can be put in a line as a gentleman’s re-rack.

When you can’t re-rack

Common re-rack formations

See every shape you can call, with diagrams, on our beer pong racks page.

FAQ

How many re-racks do you get in beer pong?
Two per team per game in a standard 10-cup game, and one per player in one-on-one.

Who asks for the re-rack?
The shooting team asks, and the defending team sets it up.

Can a re-rack get rid of an island?
Yes. Re-racking before the shooters’ turn can pull a lone cup back into the group.

Keep the arguments off the table. Put your re-rack limit on the wall: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #14 Elbow Rule  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #16 Balls Back →

Elbow Rule – Rules of Beer Pong #14

14. Elbow Rule

In a nutshell: your elbow can’t cross the edge of the table while you shoot. If it does, the shot doesn’t count.

Watch those elbows! It’s the unspoken rule at nearly every house party, and the most argued-about rule in the game. Take a good step back from the table and you’ll never have to worry about it.

Elbow Rule

Watch those elbows!

How the elbow rule works

  1. Elbow behind the edge. Your elbow stays behind the table edge until the ball leaves your hand.
  2. Leaning is fine. Your body can lean over; your elbow can’t.
  3. Cross it and the shot is void. A made cup goes back on the table.

Avoiding elbow arguments

  • Take a step back from the table and it never comes up.
  • The best view is from the side, not the other end. Have someone on the side call it.
  • It matters most on short tables, where leaning makes shots much easier.

Elbow rule on regulation tables

Some competitive players skip the elbow rule on an official 8-foot table, since the length makes leaning less of an advantage. At house parties it’s nearly universal.

FAQ

Who calls an elbow?
The defending team, and the house settles disputes.

Does it apply to bounce shots?
Yes. Every shot follows the elbow rule.

Keep the arguments off the table. Post the elbow rule and end the arguments: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #13 Eye to Eye  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #15 Reracks →

Eye to Eye – Rules of Beer Pong #13

13. Eye to Eye

In a nutshell: to decide who shoots first, one player from each team shoots while holding eye contact. The team that makes it while the other misses goes first.

First game of the night? Settle who shoots first the old-fashioned way: stare your opponent down and shoot without looking at the cups. It’s harder than it sounds.

Eye to Eye

“Eye to Eye”

How eye to eye works

  1. One shooter per team. Players face each other at opposite ends.
  2. Keep eye contact. Shoot without looking at the cups.
  3. One makes, one misses: done. The team that made it shoots first.
  4. Tie? Next pair. If both make or both miss, the partners shoot. Keep going until only one team makes it.
  5. No cups come off. Cups made during eye to eye go back and aren’t pulled; roll the ball to the winners and start.

When to shoot eye to eye

  • Before the first game of the night.
  • After that, the team holding the table shoots first.
  • If the winning team leaves the table, do eye to eye again.

FAQ

Do you drink cups made in eye to eye?
No. Nothing is pulled before the game starts.

Can you look at the cups?
No. Break eye contact and the shot doesn’t count.

Keep the arguments off the table. Settle who goes first before the arguing starts: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #12 Death Cup  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #14 Elbow Rule →

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