How To Play Beer Pong

How To Play Beer Pong

Beer pong is an American drinking game that’s wildly popular amongst college students and young adults. Players can showcase just how talented they by shooting a ping pong ball into a plastic cup. It’s surprisingly fun and exciting, and will definitely leave feeling tipsy by the end of the game.


How to play beer pong

If you’re wondering the rules of beer pong, you’re not alone. There are a few slight variations of the game, but the general goal of beer pong is to eliminate the other teams beer-filled cups by throwing a ping pong ball into each one. Each team lines up plastic cups in a pyramid shape at either end of a rectangular table. The players take turns aiming the ping pong ball at the opposing team’s cups. If the ball makes it in, the player on such team must remove the cup and drink the beer that’s inside. Each team takes turns until the other team’s cups are eliminated.


How To Play Beer Pong

How do you play beer pong? A step by step guide


You’ll need a few supplies to play beer pong:

-22 solo cups (or plastic cups)

-8 ft long rectangular table

-2 or more ping pong balls

-Lots of beer such as Bud Light, Corona, Stella, or Modelo, but you can use any beer you'd like!


Step 1: Pick a team

The first step of beer pong is to pick a winning team. Usually, beer pong is played with 2 teams consisting of 2 players each, but you can have as many people on a team as you’d like. You'll just have to take turns at throwing the ball.


Step 2: Arrange the cups

Each team should arrange 10 cups in a pyramid shape on either end of the table. Put the top of the pyramid facing the inside of the table, so each top point of the pyramid is pointing to each other.



Step 3: Fill your cups

Use the beer of your choice and pour a bit of beer into each cup. Typically, 2 cans of beer are used to fill 10 cups. Place two empty cups on each side of the table and fill them with water.


Step 4: Decide which team will go first

Instead of flipping a coin or rolling dice, there is a special way to determine which team goes first in beer pong. To decide, a player from each team will shoot the ball while maintaining eye contact with the other player. If both players miss the shot, the next player tries their luck. This continues until one person makes it in. Whichever team makes it in first will begin the game.


Step 5: Play

Now that it’s been determined which team will go first, it’s time to get your beer pong on. Each team gets two shots each. When the ball makes it into the opposing team’s cup, a member of that opposing team must remove the cup and drink the beer inside. Set the cup aside until the next round. Each time the ball drops to the floor, use the cups filled with water to wash off the ball. Play until one team’s cups are eliminated from the table.


Beer Pong



Beer pong rules

It might seem like all fun and games, but there are some serious rules when it comes to beer pong. Each team might play a bit differently, and there could be some grey areas depending on where you learned how to play, but in general, follow these rules.


No elbows

When you’re shooting the ball, your elbows have to stay behind the edge of the table. This is to prevent players from being able to reach over the table to shoot and getting an unfair advantage. If someone breaks this rule and makes the shot, it doesn’t count.



Re-formation of cups

Since you’re going to be eliminating cups as the game goes on, there will obviously be some blank spots in your pyramid. Each team is allowed 2 re-formations of cups through out the game. These reformation shapes include:

-Small pyramid

-Diamond shape

-Triangle shape


-House shape


Bounce shots & swatting

If you choose to do a bounce shot and bounce your ball on the table before it goes into a cup, then 2 cups are removed. The one that the ball entered, and one of the defending teams choice. This is the rule if there are more than 2 cups left. If there are only 2 cups left, the bounce ball only omits 1 cup. Swatting the ball away from the cup is allowed only on a bounce shot. If a player swats the ball away on a non-bounce shot, the other team gets both balls back and can shoot again.


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Fingering and blowing

In the case that a ball is thrown and is spinning inside of the cup before touching the beer, the defending team can try to either blow it out of the cup or flick it out with one finger.



This is when both team members have shot their ball into the same cup. Along with that cup, all cups touching it should be removed from the table.


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If a player shoots, misses, and the ball rolls back towards them on the table, they may grab the ball and reshoot ONLY with their non-dominant hand.


Death cup

If a player on the opposing team is holding a cup with beer in it, another player may shoot the ball into their cup. If it makes it in, their team automatically wins the game and the opposing team must drink all the beer left on the table.

To stock up for the next time you play beer pong, shop our vast selection of premium beer!

Overall, beer pong is a fun and friendly drinking game. The most important part is to have fun and hang out with friends. The next time you and some buddies are hanging out, why not try your hand at a game? Beer and friends, what could be better than that?


Interested in learning more about beer, wine, and liquor? Check out our other blogs here:

What is beer lacing?

What to pair with scotch

How is wine made?



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