Beer pong: rules, setup and a cup tracker

How to play the beer pong game

1. Set up the table

   Put 10 cups in a tight triangle (4-3-2-1) at each end of a long table, point towards the middle, back row about 2 inches from the edge. Pour a little drink in each cup. Keep a cup of water on each side to rinse the balls.

2. Decide who shoots first

   One player from each team shoots at the same time while looking each other in the eye (“eye-to-eye”). First to sink one wins the first turn. Or just flip a coin.

3. Take turns

   Each team gets one turn of two throws: one per player in 2v2, both balls in 1v1. Your elbow must stay behind the table edge when you release the ball.

4. Sink it, drink it

   When a ball lands in a cup, the defending team drinks that cup and removes it from the table. A cup knocked over by the ball also counts as hit.

5. Re-rack

   Each team may ask for a set number of re-racks per game (two is common), moving their remaining cups into a tighter formation. Ask at the start of the other team’s turn.

6. Redemption and the win

   When a team sinks the last cup, the losing team gets redemption: they keep shooting until they miss. If they sink every cup they have left to hit, the game goes to overtime with 3 cups each. Otherwise, game over.

Beer pong set up: table, cups and balls

A beer pong table is usually an 8-foot folding table (about 2.4 m by 60–76 cm). A ping-pong table works, and so does any long, flat surface; shorter tables just make the game easier. Official tournaments use a table 8 feet long and 2 feet wide.

You need 20 party cups (16 oz or 18 oz plastic cups), two 40 mm ping-pong balls and two extra cups of water for rinsing the balls between shots. Balls end up on the floor a lot, so rinse them every time.

Choosing a table, cups and balls, or building a set for a tournament? See the beer pong table guide with a party planner. With about 2 fl oz (60 ml) in each cup, a full rack holds roughly 20 fl oz (600 ml), about two cans shared by two players over a whole game. The cleaner and lighter way many groups play: water in the game cups, and a sip of your own drink for every cup you lose.

Beer pong house rules (agree on these first)

Almost every argument at a beer pong table is about one of these. Settle them before the first shot.

Re-racks and formations

A re-rack (also called a reform or rerack) is when a team moves its remaining cups into a new tight shape so they are easier to hit. Most groups allow two re-racks per team per game, called at the start of the other team’s turn. Some tournaments allow re-racks only at 6, 4, 3 and 2 cups.

Our cup tracker offers the formations below whenever you tap Re-rack, and counts how many each team has left.

How to run a beer pong tournament

1. Pair everyone up into teams of two (use the team maker on our large-group games page for fair random teams).
2. Open the Tournament bracket tab above, paste the team names and tap Make the bracket. It handles byes for any number of teams from 3 to 32.
3. Play 6-cup games to keep things moving with lots of teams, and allow one re-rack each.
4. Tap the winner of each match; the bracket moves them on and crowns the champions.
5. Give every eliminated team a job: refereeing, filling water cups, or running the playlist.

How to play beer pong without drinking too much

A full 10-cup game can add up quickly if you’re on a winning streak of tournament games. Use less per cup (a splash, not a pour), play 6-cup games, or play “water pong”: water in the game cups and one sip of your own drink for each cup you lose. Water pong is also cleaner, since the balls hit the floor.

Switch the tracker to Any drink or No alcohol and it will say “sips of anything” or penalty points instead. More ways to pace yourselves are on our drink responsibly page.

Beer pong variations: giant, pool, prosecco and more

Full rules for every variation

Giant beer pong, pool beer pong, prosecco pong, paddle pong and more are on the beer pong variations page.

Giant beer pong (yard pong)

Buckets or trash cans instead of cups and a volleyball or playground ball, played on a lawn or beach. Throw from about 15 ft; a bucket hit means a sip for the defending team.

Pool beer pong (floating)

An inflatable floating beer pong table in the pool. Same rules; keep glass away from the pool and use plastic cups only.

Inflatable beer pong

The same inflatable table on a lawn or a beach, or inflatable rings as giant cups. Easy to set up where there’s no table.

Mini beer pong

Tiny cups (shot-glass size) on a coffee table, with a sip of your own drink per hit. Great for small rooms.

Prosecco pong

Plastic coupes or flutes of prosecco instead of beer cups: popular at bachelorette parties. Use 6 glasses per side and sip, don’t down.

Light-up beer pong

LED cups or a light-up table for night games. Pure show; same rules.

Cut-throat (3 players)

Three racks of 6 cups at the points of a triangle table layout. Shoot at either opponent; last player with cups wins.

Death cup

A variant where hitting a cup the other team is still holding (drinking from) ends the game on the spot.

Tips for a good game

• Arc your shot: a high, soft arc goes in more often than a fastball.
• Rinse balls in the water cup every time they touch the floor.
• Agree on bounce shots, re-racks and redemption before the first throw.
• Keep a pitcher of water on the side table and take a break between games.

Beer Pong: FAQ