Beer pong (also called Beirut, Ruit, Lob pong and other names) is a drinking game in which players throw a ping pong ball across a table with the intent of landing the ball in one of several cups of beer on the other end. The game typically consists of two two-player teams, one on each side of a table, and a number of cups set up on each side. There are no official rules, so rules may vary widely, though usually there are six, ten or 15 plastic cups arranged in a triangle on each side. The number of players on a team can vary as well, from one to three or more.
When a ball lands in a cup, the defending team must consume that cup’s beer. The game is won by eliminating all the other team’s cups before one’s own cups are eliminated. The losing team must then consume all the beer remaining in the winning team’s cups. The order of play varies – both players on one team shoot followed by both players on the other team, or players on opposite teams can alternate back and forth.
Today, beer pong is played at a multitude of North American colleges and universities and elsewhere. The game is also played by high school students, despite the fact that furnishing alcohol to persons under the age of 21 is illegal in the United States.
Although the preceding guidelines are common, the rules may be subject to a wide variety of modifications and additions that often vary based on the area of the country, the state, or even the house in which a particular game is played.
Origin
The game is a spin-off of a similar game, also called pong, which uses ping pong paddles and was said to have been created at Dartmouth College.
The most common modern version of the game is played without paddles and has a murkier beginning. The Daily Princetonian, the student newspaper of Princeton University, attributed the naming of the paddle-less game where balls are thrown into cups to the early 1980s at Bucknell University or Lehigh University.[7] Many students at Lafayette College, rivals of Lehigh, insist modern, paddle-less Beirut was invented at their school, but The Lafayette, the college’s student newspaper, says there is no proof to back up the assertion.
Nomenclature
The meaning of the terms Beer pong and Beirut may vary depending on where the game is played. Beer pong is the more common name of the game, with a CollegeHumor survey showing that 77% of respondents called it “Beer pong,” versus 23% for “Beirut”. However, Beirut is unambiguously accepted to be the version of the game in which players throw the balls, while in some locations beer pong can mean either the same game as Beirut, or the version with paddles.
The naming of “Beirut” is disputed. The Daily Princetonian suggests that the name was coined at Bucknell or Lehigh around the time of the Lebanese Civil War, Beirut being the capital of Lebanon and scene of much fighting.
Setup
Players and teams
Beer pong is usually played with two teams of two persons each. Each team begins the game standing at either end of the table behind their rack of cups.
According to the World Series of Beer Pong, the regulation table size is 8 × 2 feet (2.44 × 0.61 meters), and it stands 27.5 inches (69.8 centimeters) above the ground.
The most common place to play beer pong is on a ping pong table, however the game can be played on any flat surface with enough space to hold the two formations of cups, such as a board or a door taken from its hinges. A folding banquet table is also a common playing surface.
Beer pong enthusiasts may create a personalized table for use by friends and visitors. In general, this will be a plywood board cut to proper size, painted with sports, school or fraternity symbols, and then given a liquid-proof coating.
Cups
The most common and preferred cups used are Solo or Dixie 16 ounce cups. These cups have ridge-lines which can be used precisely to measure the amount of beer to be poured.
On each side of the table, teams assemble equilateral triangles, with the convergence point focusing on the other team. Games typically use either six or ten cups, but any higher number may be used. The cups forming the base of the triangle are aligned with the edge of the table, unless the tabletop has a bevel which would make such an arrangement unstable. In this case, the thumb is used as an impromptu measuring device, with the cups set back from the edge of the table the distance from the tip of the thumb to its first knuckle.
Also on each side are one or two cups filled with water used to rinse balls which have fallen on the floor, often called a “rinse”, “courtesy cup”, “douche cup” or “water cup”.
In one variation, for sanitary reasons each cup may be filled with water instead of alcohol, with participants drinking from their own beer when a ball is sunk. This prevents players from sharing cups and from germs or dirt getting into the beer they drink.
Balls
38 mm or 40 mm table tennis balls are used. At some universities, a quarter is instead used for game play. If a quarter is being used then it’s no longer beer pong, but rather the game called “quarters”.
Alcohol
Usually an inexpensive pale lager or light beer of 3.2-5% abv (for example, Bud Light, Keystone Light, Coors Light) is used since large quantities may be consumed during the course of several games. Typically, approximately 4 ounces of beer is poured into each cup in the formation, which is equivalent to the first or second ridgeline up from the bottom in a 16 ounce cup. This works out to be two 12 ounce cans of beer per team in a regular six cup game. However, more or less liquid can be used. Sometimes, teams may decide to fill one cup of their choice to the brim, which is called the “Money Cup”, “Death Cup”, or “The Punisher”. Also, strong ale may be used by one team and not the other as a means of handicapping. The game is not limited to beer. Hard alcohol mixes, shots, or wine can be substituted by choice or when beer is not available.
Game play
There are very few universal beer pong rules, and specific rules should be agreed upon before play begins. Typically, players abide by a uniform set of “house rules”, which are often consistent within one university or region of the country (e.g., “Ivy League rules” or “West Coast rules”), or may vary on a house-by-house basis. Number of cups, bouncing, amount of alcohol, the distance shots must be taken from, etc, all may vary. The following rules should all be considered general and may or may not apply to specific games.
Initial possession
The team who won the previous game is often given possession of both balls first, enabling that team to set a scoring precedent.
In tournaments, where no upper hand is established prior to a matchup, many other techniques are often employed in determining the initial possession. Among these are shooting normally to see who can make a cup first, alternating possession, making shots from a long distance, playing rock, paper, scissors or doing a face off, which is done when a player from each team holds eye contact (known as “eye to eye”) with each other and will simultaneously shoot the ball with their opponent. The player who shoots the ball into the cup closest to the front of the formation wins possession for his team. If both players either miss or make it on the same shot, the face off repeats with the other players. As a variation on initial possession, rather than giving the initial team two balls to start, the disadvantaged team will sometimes receive a single ball to shoot with and begin the game.
Shot techniques
There are four major ways to shoot in beer pong:
* Arc – The most common throwing technique is to grasp the ping pong ball with the tips of the thumb and forefinger of the player’s dominant hand, and hold the arm at an angle with the ball upwards, then throw by using gentle elbow motion, holding the upper arm parallel with the table. The arc motion allows one to put enough force on the ball to get it to the other side of the table, while conserving velocity and slowing it down so that it is not as likely to bounce off the rim of the cup but gently roll into the cup.
* Fastball – Some players throw “fastball” style, also known as “throwing darts”, “laser beam,” or other names, which uses more of a hard chopping motion to send the ball in a more direct line to the intended target cup. This can be done with the hand in the usual “pistol grip” orientation or in an overhand “slam-dunk” orientation. The fastball is especially favored by taller players, as it is easier to throw from a higher position. Due to the straighter path the ball will follow, the player may feel more confident in hitting using the fastball. Fastballs are also much more likely to knock down a cup, which may have positive or negative consequences depending on house rules. As noted above, the higher horizontal velocity of the ball will also cause less-precise shots to bounce off the rim rather than gently bounce into a cup. In some house rules, the fastball shot is not allowed.
* Bounce – A bounce is performed by bouncing the ball toward the cups. Since the other team has the opportunity to swat away a bounced ball, a bounce is usually worth two cups. The “muck” bounce is a low trajectory shot achieved by bouncing the ball in a sideways motion as opposed to overhand. This shot is particularly effective because in addition to being difficult to block, it leaves the opportunity for the other team to knock cups over. The “popfly” bounce is a hard bounce near the shooting team that flies high and looks like a normal shot, which can confuse people who are not paying attention into thinking it is a normal shot and failing to swat it away. In some house rules, the bounce shot is not allowed.
* Underhand – This technique is best when there are still many cups left on the table, because it is hard to control the left to right movement, but is very good for achieving the desired distance. Use of this technique is often against house rules.
Reracking
Reracking, rearranging or consolidation are terms for the one or two rearrangements of cups into different formations, which is an optional rule. It is normally used in order to keep the game progressing at a steady pace, thus giving other hopeful players an opportunity to play. The various rerack formations have different names depending on house rules. Players may either be required to ask for a rerack at the beginning of a turn; alternatively reracking is done automatically, depending on house rules. Reracks are not allowed during the middle of ones turn and must be announced before the first player shoots the ball. Common reracks are performed when six, four, three, two, or one cup remains to be made. In some places, reracking with five cups is considered a faux pas, despite how disjointed the current pattern may be.
Another variation played in some circles involves leaving all empty cups in their positions on the table. If a player of the opposing team accidentally sinks a ball into an empty cup on one’s side, they have to drink the corresponding cup on their own side. If that cup is empty, another in the same row is used. If none are available, then move back a row, and continue until a cup is found. If there is only a single cup remaining on their side, then the team drinks that cup, and the game is over. At any time, players from either team can request to know which cups are empty/full on the other side of the table.
Roll back
If both players on a team make their shots for a turn, the balls are sent back to that team, called “roll back”, “bring back”, “balls back” and other names. The team is given the opportunity to shoot for another turn. This is analogous to pool, where a successful shot will provide the team with an additional shot, and allows for the possibility of one team eliminating all cups and shutting out an opponent before they are given a chance to play.
If both players make their shots into the same cup on a given turn, one of several things can happen depending on the local rules. Generally, both cups are consumed and the balls are “rolled back.” Other variations include drinking multiple cups or the game ending.
Defense
There are three ways that a team can defend their cups:
* Psychological – A major element of defense is “trash talking” to psyche out the other team. The defending players will hurl insults or use distracting visual cues to disorient the other team. These include waving of the arms, grotesque expressions, or even suggestive gyrations by one or both team members. Such behaviors are especially common when a team is defending their last remaining cup.
* Blowing/fingering – If the ball is spinning inside of a cup, players may either blow into the cup or put a finger in the cup in an attempt to make the ball fly out before it touches the liquid. Once the ball stops spinning, it is considered “dead”, and no further defensive actions will count. Frequently, only females are allowed to blow, while men are allowed to finger in a sexual reference (namely to fellatio and fingering). Note that some rules disallow such actions and count them as goaltending.
* Ball blocking – Players may be allowed to “swat” (bat away with the hand) at balls that the other team has bounced. Generally the ball may be swatted after the first bounce, although some house rules do not allow the swat until the ball has bounced twice. If a ball is swatted back into the cups of the team who bounced it, a severe penalty is called for. However, if a player knocks over his own teams’ cups in an attempt to block or swat, then each cup that was knocked over must be consumed and removed from the game. It is illegal for a defending player to touch a shot ball before it has touched the table or a cup. If the defender breaks this rule, he or she must drink one of his or her own cups as a penalty.
Shutout Rule
A shutout rule is a house rule usually stated before a game or during the game in the midst of a shutout. If the shutout does occur the losing team must do whatever the two teams decided on before the game or during the game. The rule is not a set rule and can change from location to location or from game to game. Some common shutout rules are that the losing team must streak or do a beer bong.
Winning the game
If the opposing team makes the last cup, the other team must make all remaining cups, or the opposing team wins. However, if the team makes both shots in the final cup, the game is over, with no chance for a rebuttal. A second, less common rebuttal method is “shoot ’til you miss”, where the losing team tries to hit all of the opposing team’s cups, until they miss a shot. If a tie occurs, either it cancels out and both teams keep playing or an overtime ensues.
Other rules may result in a win, such as both balls going in the same cup, or a ball getting stuck between cups without going in.
Rebuttal Rule
A team who is on the verge of defeat has a last ditch effort to keep the game going. This is called “Rebuttal.” If both players are successful in their final chance, the game continues and 3 new cups are set up for both sides, extending the game (3-cup overtime). Or both players of the losing team just take turns shooting until they miss. Both players must make their shots for the game to continue.
Drinking speed
In some house rules, players must immediately drink any cup that has been hit. Failure to do so incurs a penalty, such as drinking more beer or losing the game. In most cases this is called “drink before you sink”. In other words, you must finish drinking the cup that has been made before you take your next shot. In other house rules, cups that are hit and unconsumed are “Death Cups” and if a ball is shot into one, the game is over immediately with no redemption.
Legal restrictions
Some municipalities and states have attempted to ban beer pong, either from bars or in general. In Oxford, Ohio, where Miami University is located, the city council tried to ban the game from being played outdoors, and in Arlington, Virginia, bar owners were told to stop allowing the game to be played in their establishments. In some cases, parents have been arrested for allowing the game to be played by underage participants. Also, some schools in North Carolina have tried to ban the game, citing laws that all drinking games are illegal in the state. In the fall of 2007, Georgetown University officially banned all beer pong paraphernalia, such as custom-built tables and the possession of many ping-pong balls. Some writers have mentioned beer pong as contributing to “out of control” college drinking.
Tournaments and leagues
National Beer pong tournaments are held in the United States. Since the drinking age in the United States is currently 21 in all states, entry into most tournaments is restricted to players who meet this age requirement. Some, however, have held tournaments with other liquids legal to minors, such as milk or water.
A more common and decentralized organization of Beer pong games is small leagues. Ordinarily, a group of college students or other pong enthusiasts will create teams (partnerships) and play weekly against each other, such as at the University of California, Santa Barbara, with the “Isla Vista Beer Pong League”, and New York University.
San Diego seems to have taken the league play into the next dimension with the San Diego Beer Pong League. It is a big deal out there. They have been in many of the local papers.
The game also appears in the Nintendo Wii game Game Party.
Bud Pong
Bud Pong was the branded version of beer pong that brewer Anheuser-Busch said involved the drinking of water, not Budweiser or any other beer. In the summer of 2005, the company began marketing “Bud Pong” kits to its distributors. Francine I. Katz, vice president for communications and consumer affairs, was reported in The New York Times as saying that Bud Pong was not intended for underage drinkers because promotions were held in bars, not on campuses. And it did not promote binge drinking, she said, because official rules call for water to be used, not beer.
The New York Times quoted a bartender at a club near Clemson University as saying she had worked at several Bud Pong events and had “never seen anyone playing with water. It’s always beer. It’s just like any other beer pong.”
Some expressed incredulity at Anheuser-Busch’s public statements. Henry Wechsler, director of the College Alcohol Study at the Harvard School of Public Health, said: “Why would alcohol companies promote games that involve drinking water? It’s preposterous,” while advertising news site Adjab opined that “someone playing Bud Pong with water is about as likely as a teenage kid using the rolling paper he bought at the convenience store to smoke tobacco.”
On October 19, 2005, the company professed surprise that some players were using beer instead of water, and withdrew the game in response to criticism. Katz stated that “Despite our explicit guidelines, there may have been instances where this promotion was not carried out in the manner it was intended.” However, on many campuses this water rule has been adopted to promote cleanliness. Players then keep a beer in a can or cup and must finish it by the end of the game.
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