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.

Death Cup – Rules of Beer Pong #12

12. Death Cup

In a nutshell: if a made cup never gets pulled and the other team hits it again, it’s death cup and the game is over.

Beware! Late in a long night, somebody always forgets to pull a cup. Nobody has to remind you, and if it gets hit again, the game is over. Pull your cups.

Death Cup Beer Pong Rule

Beware!

How death cup works

  1. A cup gets made but not pulled. It happens late in the night.
  2. No warning required. The shooting team doesn’t have to point out the forgotten cup.
  3. Hit it again and it’s over. A second make in the same cup is death cup, and the game ends.

Death cup and redemption

You can’t win with ring of fire during redemption, but you can win with a death cup.

Another version

At some houses, death cup means sinking a ball into the drink someone is holding. Agree on which version you play.

FAQ

How do you avoid a death cup?
Pull and drink every made cup right away.

Does a death cup skip redemption?
Yes. The game ends immediately.

Keep the arguments off the table. Put death cup on the sign so nobody claims they didn’t know: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #11 Traveling  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #13 Eye to Eye →

Traveling – Rules of Beer Pong #11

11. Traveling

In a nutshell: if your shot touches one cup and drops into another, you earn bonus cups. We don’t play it at Beer Pong All-Stars, but plenty of houses do.

Want a bonus cup for a lucky bounce? Some houses give you one. Ours doesn’t, and here’s why.

Traveling Beer Pong Rule

What do you mean “travel?”

How traveling works

  1. The ball hits a cup and keeps going. It rolls off one cup’s rim and drops into another.
  2. Bonus cups. Depending on the house, you pull every cup the ball touched, or the made cup plus one bonus cup.

Why we don’t play it

Traveling rewards lucky shots, so rookies collect cups they didn’t earn and games end faster. If you want a bonus rule, island and bounce shots reward skill instead.

FAQ

What if the ball bounces off one cup and into another?
At our house it counts as one cup: the one it landed in. Houses that play traveling give you bonus cups for it.

Do you have to call traveling?
No. It’s decided by where the ball goes, not by a call.

Is traveling the same as same cup?
No. Same cup is when both teammates make the same cup.

Keep the arguments off the table. Playing with or without traveling? Post it: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #10 Beaming / Randy Johnson Rule  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #12 Death Cup →

Beaming / Randy Johnson Rule – Rules of Beer Pong #10

10. Beaming / Randy Johnson Rule

In a nutshell: when the other team is down to one cup, you can drill it with a hard throw. Knock it over or off the table and you win.

That’s got some heat on it. Beaming has started more fights than any other rule in beer pong, so get everyone to agree before you start drilling cups.

Beaming / Randy Johnson Beer Pong Rule

That’s got some heat on it

How beaming works

  1. Last cup only. You can only beam when the defending team has one cup left.
  2. Throw hard. Aim to spill the cup or knock it off the table.
  3. Spilled or knocked off is a win. The game is over.

Why many houses ban it

Beaming has started more fights than any other rule. Nobody likes beer thrown on them, so use discretion and make sure everyone agrees to it first. It’s named after pitcher Randy Johnson, known for his fastball.

Beaming and spilled cups

Without the beaming rule, a last cup knocked over by the shooting team is just refilled. See the spilled cup rule.

FAQ

Can you beam a cup that isn’t the last one?
No. Beaming is a last-cup rule.

Do the defenders get redemption after a beam?
Agree on it first. Most houses that allow beaming treat it like a made last cup, so redemption still applies.

Keep the arguments off the table. If your house allows beaming, say so on the sign: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #9 Bermuda Triangle Rule  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #11 Traveling →

Bermuda Triangle Rule – Rules of Beer Pong #9

9. Bermuda Triangle Rule

In a nutshell: three cups left and none of them touching is a Bermuda triangle: no re-rack and no island until one of them is made.

Danger! Three cups, none touching, and suddenly nobody can hit anything. The Bermuda triangle is where good games go to die.

Bermuda Triangle Rule

Danger!

How the Bermuda triangle works

  1. Spot it. Exactly three cups left, spread so none of them touch.
  2. No re-rack. You can’t request a re-rack while the cups sit in a Bermuda triangle.
  3. No island. An island needs a mainland of touching cups, and there isn’t one.
  4. Shoot your way out. The formation stays until someone sinks one of the cups.

Why it matters

Three spread-out cups are the hardest targets on the table. Expect a few misses in the triangle.

FAQ

Is a Bermuda triangle the same as an island?
No. An island is one lone cup next to a mainland; a Bermuda triangle has no mainland at all.

Can you re-rack before it becomes a triangle?
Yes. If you still have a re-rack, use it before your cups end up spread out.

Keep the arguments off the table. Add the Bermuda triangle 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.

← #8 Sniper Rule  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #10 Beaming / Randy Johnson Rule →

Sniper Rule – Rules of Beer Pong #8

8. Sniper Rule

In a nutshell: catch a shot that bounces off your cups and, in one motion, hit the shooter in the head with it. The sniped player drinks a cup.

Heads up! Add the sniper rule and your games will get rowdy fast. Catch a rebound off your cups and you get one throw at the shooter’s head. Aim for the head, not the face.

Sniper Rule

Sniped

How the sniper rule works

  1. Catch the rebound. The shot has to bounce off the rims of your cups, and you catch it in the air.
  2. Throw in one motion. No winding up; catch and fire.
  3. Hit them in the head. A snipe to the head means they drink a cup from their rack.
  4. Counter-snipe. If the target catches your throw, they can fire it right back.

Slap cup variation

Some houses play slap cup instead: when a shot bounces off a rim, a defender can open-hand slap the ball back at the shooters. A hit anywhere on the body means they drink a cup.

Keep it friendly

It’s a ping pong ball, but aim for heads, not faces, and skip it with anyone who isn’t in on the rule.

FAQ

Does a snipe remove a cup?
Yes. The sniped player drinks a cup from their own rack.

Can you snipe off a bounce shot?
Only off a rebound from your cups. A ball that bounces off the table is covered by defense.

Keep the arguments off the table. Make sure everyone knows the snipe is legal: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #7 Island Rule  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #9 Bermuda Triangle Rule →

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.

Beer pong island rule: a lone cup separated from the rest of the rack

Land ho!

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.

← #6 NBA Jam / Heating Up / On Fire  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #8 Sniper Rule →

NBA Jam / Heating Up / On Fire – Rules of Beer Pong #6

6. NBA Jam / Heating Up / On Fire

In a nutshell: make two in a row and call “heating up.” Make the third and you’re on fire: keep shooting until you miss.

He’s heating up! Make two in a row, call it, and drain the third, and you’re on fire until you miss. It’s the rule that turns one hot shooter into a highlight reel.

NBA JAM Beer Pong Rule

“He’s on fire!”

How heating up and on fire work

  1. Make two straight shots. Your own shots, back to back.
  2. Call “heating up.” You have to say it after the second make; no call, no fire.
  3. Make the third to go on fire. You keep shooting until you miss.
  4. Fire ends on a miss. Then the turn continues as normal.

On fire and balls back

If your team earns balls back during a fire streak, you get the balls back once the fire goes out. That starts a new turn with a chance at a second balls-back run.

Why it’s called NBA Jam

The rule comes from Midway’s classic arcade game, where a player who hit three in a row was “on fire” until the other team scored.

FAQ

Do bounce shots count toward heating up?
Yes at most houses. A make is a make.

Does the streak carry over to the next turn?
Usually yes, as long as you haven’t missed. Agree on it before the game.

Keep the arguments off the table. Add on fire 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.

← #5 Naked Lap / Skunk Lap  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #7 Island Rule →

Naked Lap / Skunk Lap – Rules of Beer Pong #5

5. Naked Lap / Skunk Lap

In a nutshell: if a team wins before the other side hits a single cup, the losers take a lap around the house in their underwear (or less).

Don’t get skunked. It’s beer pong’s skunk rule, it’s brutal in the winter, and skipping it is worse than losing. If you’re lucky enough to witness one, enjoy the show.

Naked Lap

Don’t Get Skunked

How the naked lap works

  1. It’s beer pong’s skunk rule. The losing team made zero cups the entire game.
  2. Both players run. The whole team takes the lap.
  3. One lap, right away. Around the house, the yard, or the dorm floor.
  4. No chickening out. Skipping your lap is worse than losing.

Keep it legal

Underwear is the standard version for a reason. Keep the lap on private property; running naked down a public street can get you a ticket or worse.

Naked lap vs. troll rule

One player shut out is a troll. A whole team shut out is a naked lap.

FAQ

Does a cup made in redemption avoid the lap?
Yes at most houses. If you hit any cup, you weren’t skunked.

Is the naked lap common?
Not very, which is what makes it worth watching.

Keep the arguments off the table. Post the skunk rule where everyone can see it: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #4 Troll Rule / Trolling  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #6 NBA Jam / Heating Up / On Fire →

Troll Rule / Trolling – Rules of Beer Pong #4

4. Troll Rule / Trolling

In a nutshell: lose a game without making a single cup and you sit under the table, drink in hand, for the entire next game.

Suck at beer pong? You’ve probably heard of the troll rule. Go a whole game without a cup and you’re spending the next one under the table, grabbing ankles.

Beer Pong Troll Rule / Trolling

Beer Pong Troll

How the troll rule works

  1. It applies to the losing team. Only players on the losing side can be trolled.
  2. Zero cups means troll. Any player who didn’t make a cup all game goes under the table.
  3. Stay down for a full game. The troll stays under the table until the next game ends.
  4. Trolls make noise. Grabbing ankles and heckling the next game is part of the tradition.

Troll rule vs. naked lap

The troll rule is for a single player who gets shut out. If the whole team gets skunked, meaning neither player makes a cup, it’s a naked lap instead.

Troll rule variations

  • Some houses let the troll swat at shooters’ legs; others say hands off.
  • Some houses only troll if the team also loses by a lot.

FAQ

What if my partner made cups and I didn’t?
You’re the troll; your partner stays up.

Does a cup made in redemption save you?
It does at most houses. A made cup is a made cup.

Keep the arguments off the table. Warn the rookies before game one: house rules signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #3 Ring of Fire / Ring of Death  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #5 Naked Lap / Skunk Lap →

House Rules – Rules of Beer Pong #1

1. House Rules

In a nutshell: the house makes the rules and settles disputes. Write them down and post them by the table before the first game.

Every house plays a little differently, and the house always wins the argument. Write your rules down, hang them by the table, and save yourself the mid-game debate.

Make yours in a minute: pick your rules and print a sheet for the wall with our house rules builder.

How house rules work

  1. The home team decides. Whoever owns the table, or the host of the party or bar, sets the rules.
  2. Agree before the first shot. Go over the rules before game one, not in the middle of an argument.
  3. Post them. A sign, whiteboard or chalkboard by the table settles most disputes before they start.
  4. The house has the final word. When something isn’t covered, the house makes the call.

Rules every house should decide

Hosting at a bar?

If you run beer pong nights or tournaments, the rules have to be advertised before teams sign up. Different venues play differently, and posted rules are the only fair way to run it. See our tournament hosting guide for a printable rules card.

FAQ

Who settles a dispute in beer pong?
The house. Whoever owns the table or hosts the game makes the final call.

Are there official beer pong rules?
Tournaments publish their own rules, but most games run on house rules. Start with our complete rules guide and pick what fits your table.

Keep the arguments off the table. Make your house rules official with a sign by the table: beer pong signs from the Beer Pong All-Stars shop.

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

← #25 Defense / Shot Blocking  ·  All 25 rules  ·  Quick rulings  ·  Next: #2 Bitch Cup →

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