Category: Rules of Beer Pong

Beer pong rules change from house to house, but the core game is the same everywhere: two teams of two, 10 cups each, and the first team to sink all of the other side’s cups wins. Everything else, from bounce shots to re-racks to whether you’re running a naked lap, is up to the house.

We’ve been playing (and arguing about) these rules since 2014. This guide covers the standard game first, then all 25 house rules you’ll run into at parties, bars and tournaments, with how we play each one. Pick yours before the first shot and you’ll skip the fight halfway through game three.

Jump to: Setup · How to play · Who shoots first · Re-racks · Ending the game · House vs. tournament rules · All 25 house rules · Rack formations · FAQ · Quick rulings

Beer pong setup

• Table: the standard tournament table is 8 feet long, 2 feet wide and 27.5 inches tall. Any long table works for a house game.
• Cups: 10 cups per side (16 oz plastic cups), set in a 4-3-2-1 triangle with the point facing the other team. Center the back row on the table edge.
• Fill: a couple of ounces in each cup. Lots of players fill the game cups with water and drink from a separate cup.
• Balls: two 40 mm ping pong balls, plus a cup of water to rinse them.
• Teams: two players per side. One-on-one works too, with the adjustments noted below.

Need gear? See our beer pong kit buyer’s guide and official beer pong rack.

How to play

1. Each turn, both players on a team shoot once. Shots are thrown on the fly from behind the table edge, with elbows behind the edge (see the elbow rule).
2. A made cup is pulled from the table, and the defending team drinks it.
3. Both players make it? You get the balls back and shoot again.
4. Bounce shots count for two cups, but the defense can swat a ball once it hits the table. See bounce shot and defense.
5. No defense on a ball in the air. Blocking a shot before it bounces counts as a made cup.
6. Knock over your own cup and it counts as made (see spilled cup).

Who shoots first

For the first game, settle it with eye to eye: one player from each team shoots while keeping eye contact with the other. The first team to make it while the other misses shoots first. After that, the team holding the table shoots first.

Re-racks

Most houses allow two re-racks per game, called before your turn starts. One-on-one players get one each. The last cup can always be pulled back to the center. No re-racks during redemption or overtime, and none when the last three cups form a Bermuda triangle. See the rack formations below for the common shapes.

How a game ends

• Redemption: when a team sinks the last cup, the other team gets a rebuttal. Each player shoots until they miss. Clear every remaining cup and the game goes to overtime.
• Overtime: each side sets up 3 cups in a triangle for a sudden-death overtime. No re-racks.
• Instant wins (house rules): ring of fire and death cup end the game on the spot.

House rules vs. tournament rules

Party games and tournaments play noticeably differently. The left column is how we play at Beer Pong All-Stars (and how most houses do). The right column is the official World Series of Beer Pong rule set (version v2018-03-001), which most organized tournaments follow. Tell everyone which one you’re playing before the first shot.

Rule	House rules (Beer Pong All-Stars)	Tournament rules (World Series of Beer Pong)
Cups and fill	10 cups in a 4-3-2-1 triangle. Beer, any drink or water.	10 cups in a tight triangle held by a rack. Water only, ⅓ to ½ full; nobody has to drink.
Who shoots first	Eye to eye; after that, the team holding the table.	Decided by an agreed method like a coin flip or rock-paper-scissors. The first team takes only one shot on its first turn.
Elbow / leaning	Elbows behind the table edge or the shot doesn’t count.	Leaning is allowed within limits: no body part on the table, feet stay planted, no hand on the table after release. Break it and the shot doesn’t count.
Bounce shots	Count for two cups.	Count for two cups; the defense picks the second cup.
Defense	Swat a bounced ball, never one in the air.	Swat or catch a bounce after it touches the table. Grabbing a ball before it touches a cup costs the defense a cup.
Fingering / blowing	Allowed to get a spinning ball out before it hits the drink.	Not allowed: you can’t touch a ball inside a cup.
Both players make it	Balls back: both players shoot again.	One rollback shot (not two). The same player can’t take more than two in a row.
Re-racks	Two per game, called before your turn, in the formation you choose.	Automatic at 6 cups (pyramid), 3 cups (triangle) and 1 cup (pulled back and centered). No calling shapes.
Bonus rules	Island, heating up / on fire, same cup, traveling, trick shot, celeb shot, sniper.	None of these are in the official rules.
Instant wins	Ring of fire and death cup end the game.	No instant wins. Every game goes to the last cup.
Redemption	Each player shoots until they miss.	The ball is rolled back after every make until a miss, and the two players alternate on multiple makes.
Overtime	Three-cup triangle, sudden death, no re-racks.	Three-cup triangle; the team that would have won gets the first two shots.
Time limit	None.	45 seconds for both shots in a turn, 15 seconds for a rollback.

Source: Official Rules of the World Series of Beer Pong (BPONG). Running your own event? See how to host a beer pong tournament.

All 25 beer pong house rules

The house makes the rules. Agree on these before the game starts and post them where everyone can see. Trust us, it’s easier than settling a bounce-shot argument after a few rounds.

Bonus shots and extra cups

• #16 Balls Back: both teammates hit, both get to shoot again.
• #6 NBA Jam / Heating Up / On Fire: call “heating up” after two straight makes, and a third make puts you on fire until you miss.
• #24 Same Cup: both balls in one cup means balls back plus two extra cups.
• #23 Bounce Shot: bounce it in for two cups.
• #7 Island Rule: call “island” on a lone cup and sink it for a bonus cup.
• #11 Traveling: a shot that rolls off one cup into another earns a bonus cup.
• #18 Trick Shot: a ball that comes back to your side without touching the floor earns a trick shot.
• #22 Celeb Shot: once a game, pick anyone in the room to shoot for you.
• #8 Sniper Rule: catch a shot off your own cups and hit the shooter for an extra cup.

Defense

• #25 Defense / Shot Blocking: swat bounced shots, never shots in the air.
• #17 Fingering / Blowing: get a spinning ball out of a cup before it hits the drink.
• #10 Beaming / Randy Johnson: drill a cup off the table, if your house allows it.

Rack and cup rules

• #15 Re-racks: two per game, called before your turn.
• #9 Bermuda Triangle: three cups, none touching, means no re-rack and no island.
• #2 Bitch Cup (Center Cup): if a guy hits the center cup first, it doesn’t count.
• #21 Spilled Cup: knock over your own cup and it counts as made.
• #12 Death Cup: hit a made cup nobody pulled and the game is over.

Starting and finishing

• #1 House Rules: the home team settles disputes.
• #13 Eye to Eye: decides who shoots first.
• #14 Elbow Rule: elbows behind the table edge or the shot doesn’t count.
• #19 Redemption / Rebuttal: the losing side’s last chance.
• #20 Overtime: three cups, sudden death.
• #3 Ring of Fire / Ring of Death: sink the front, center and two back-corner cups before any others for an instant win.

Penalties for losing badly

• #4 Troll Rule: lose without making a cup and you spend the next game under the table.
• #5 Naked Lap / Skunk Lap: get shut out and take a lap.

Beer pong rack formations

These are the shapes you’ll start in or call for when you re-rack. Every one has a diagram in our beer pong rack formations guide.

• Full rack (10): the starting 4-3-2-1 triangle.
• Cut the eye out of the pyramid (9): the front cup is gone.
• Honeycomb (7): a hexagon with all three corners gone.
• Wall (7): the front three cups are gone.
• Six cup / high school (6): a 3-2-1 pyramid.
• Zipper (6): two staggered lines.
• Diamond (4): 1-2-1.
• Three-cup triangle and stoplight (3).
• Gentleman’s re-rack (2): two cups in a line, our house rule.

Beer pong rules FAQ

How many cups do you use in beer pong?

Twenty in total: 10 per side in a 4-3-2-1 triangle. A quick game uses six cups per side in a 3-2-1 triangle.

Do bounce shots count for two cups?

Under most house rules, yes, but the defending team can swat a bounced ball away. Agree on it before the game.

How many re-racks do you get?

Two per team per game is the most common rule, called before your turn starts. One-on-one games usually allow one per player.

Can you win on the first turn?

Only with an instant-win house rule like ring of fire. Otherwise the other team always gets a turn, and after the last cup, a redemption shot.

Can your elbow go past the table?

Not under the elbow rule, which most houses play. If your elbow crosses the edge, the shot doesn’t count.

Do you have to play with beer?

No. Plenty of players and most tournaments fill the game cups with water and drink from their own cup, which keeps the game cleaner and lets everyone pace themselves. Play responsibly, 21+ only.

Beyond the basics: quick rulings for mid-game arguments, 1v1, 3-person, 3v3 and 6 cup rules, the bracket generator, beer pong history, submit your house rule, reglas en español, build and print your own house rules, the beer pong glossary, beer pong vs. Beirut, how to throw a beer pong ball, beer pong strategy, practice drills, beer pong variations and more party games.

Make your house rules official. Pick the rules you play by and hang them by the table: grab a Beer Pong All-Stars sign.