INTRODUCTION ........................................2 WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS ......................3 CHAPTER 1 GETTING STARTED................4 GAME OBJECTIVES ....................................... 4 GAME SETUP ..............................................

. 4 CHAPTER 2 - HOW TO PLAY A GAME .........7 PRE-GAME ................................................. 7 GAME TIME................................................ 7 CHAPTER 3 RULES...................................9 BASIC RULES ............................................... 9 OFFICIAL WORLD SERIES OF BEER PONG RULES ............................................................. 11 HOUSE RULES ........................................... 17 CHAPTER 4 - TOURNAMENT PLAY ........... 19 SETTING UP YOUR OWN TOURNAMENT .......... 19 BEER PONG REFERENCES ............................. 21 CHAPTER 5 - CONFLICT RESOLUTION ....... 24 INDEX ..................................................... 27

Introduction
Beer Pong is a drinking game that is very popular among college students. It is played recreationally, as well as semi-professionally in tournaments across the nation, including the World Series of Beer Pong. Currently Beer Pong has no standardized rules; however, this guide will cover basic rules generally accepted by most players and organizations, including rules used in the World Series of Beer Pong. This guide will cover everything you need to know to get started playing Beer Pong with your friends, including: Setting up the game Basic game objectives General rules Official World Series of Beer Pong Rules House rules Beer Pong Tournaments Dispute Resolution (Troubleshooting)

Keep this guide as a useful reference manual when playing Beer Pong with your friends.

Warnings and Cautions

When played responsibly, Beer Pong can be a safe, entertaining game for all players. Beer Pong involves drinking alcohol. Players should be of the legal drinking age in their state. The writers of this guide do not condone underage drinking. Beer Pong may result in different individuals drinking from the same containers. Players should be aware of this and take all measures to prevent the spread of germs. Excessive consumption of alcohol while playing Beer Pong can lead to alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning can lead to severe injury or death. Do not drink and drive. Always choose a designated driver prior to playing Beer Pong. Drunk Driving can result in severe injury or death of yourself or others. Never use hard liquor or mixed drinks in place of beer. This may lead to alcohol poisoning. Ping-pong balls pose risk as a choking hazard. Always remove balls from cups before drinking.

Chapter 1 Getting Started

Game Objectives
Beer Pong is played by two teams composed of one or two players each. Each team stands at opposite ends of the playing table taking turns tossing or bouncing the ping-pong ball into the opposing teams cups. A ball in the cup of the opposing team means the opposing team must drink the beer in that cup and remove the cup from their pyramid. The first team to eliminate all of the opposing teams cups wins the game. The losing team must consume all remaining cups on the victors side of the table. To start playing Beer Pong, you will need the following materials: 22 plastic 16 ounce cups 2 or more standard ping-pong balls A large flat playing surface Minimum of 2 players Beer or other beverage of players choice Water Towels for cleanup

Game Setup
Beer Pong has several setup variations in table size and number of cups used. Setup used in the World Series of Beer Pong will be covered in this guide.

You may use any table and cup arrangement for recreational play, so long as both teams agree on the setup.

Official Table Size and Layout

8 feet

2 ft Figure 1.1 27.5 tall

Figure 1.1 illustrates the table dimensions specified by The World Series of Beer Pong. Cup Setup Figure 1.2 on the next page illustrates the layout of the 10 cup pyramid used in The World Series of Beer Pong. Step 1 Arrange cups in a 10 cup pyramid centered on each teams end of the table, as shown in Figure 1.2. Step 2 Fill the remaining 2 cups with water and place each cup 1 foot in front of the pyramid and along the side of the table. These cups will be used to rinse the balls between throws.

Figure 1.2

Front

1 inch or less

Note- each cup should be touching slightly, without tilting or leaning. Cup Contents Distribute 24-36 ounces of beer or the beverage of your choice evenly into the cups (about 4 oz. /cup or fill cups approximately 1/3 of the way up). For recreational play, you may vary the amounts used, so long as both teams agree upon the amount.

Chapter 2 - How to Play A Game

This chapter will cover step by step instructions on how to play a game of Beer Pong. Before we get started, follow to instructions in Chapter 1 for laying out the playing field and arranging the cups.

Pre-Game
Prior to beginning the game, both teams must agree on a set of rules to be used during the game. See Chapter 3 for different rule variations you may use. Determine which team will toss their balls first. The player or players who are hosting the game usually go first, or you may flip a coin.

Game Time
Step 1 Player 1 of Team A will toss or bounce a ball at the cups of Team B, and then player 2of Team A will toss or bounce a ball.
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Step 2 Cups made must be consumed and removed by Team B in accordance with rules set forth in Step 1. Step 3 Team B will rinse the balls in the water cup. Step 4 Player 1 of Team B will toss or bounce a ball at the cups of Team A, and then player 2 of Team B will toss or bounce a ball. Step 5 Cups made must be consumed and removed by Team A in accordance with rules set forth in Step 1. Step 6 A repeat step 1 through 5 until all cups of either team has been eliminated. The team with no cups remaining loses the game, unless a rebuttal rule was in place in Step 1, in this instance continue to Step 7 Step 7 When the last cup is made, refer to Rebuttals in Chapter 3. Determine the rebuttal rules and proceed accordingly.
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Chapter 3 Rules
This chapter will cover standard rules accepted by most players and associations, official World Series of Beer Pong rules and a brief overview of what is commonly referred to as House Rules.

Basic Rules
Most recreational players of Beer Pong accept the following rules. Official and House rules will be covered later in this chapter. Players may toss or bounce their ball into the opposing teams cups. o A toss made into a cup requires that cup be consumed and removed from the playing area. o A bounce made into a cup requires that cup plus an additional cup be consumed and removed from the playing area. Players may swat or grab balls that have been bounced off of the table only. If both players of Team A make their balls: o In different cups: Both cups must be consumed and removed. Team A gets the balls back and may toss again. o In the same cup: The cup that was made plus two additional cups must be consumed and removed. Team A gets the balls back and may toss again.
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Re-racking o Re-racking involves reforming cups back into a tight formation. For recreational play, both teams may request an unlimited number of re-racks throughout the game. Typical re-racks are shown in Figure 2.1.

10 cup start

2.1 6 cup Figure 4 cup

3 cup

1 cup

Rebuttal o In many game variations, a rebuttal occurs when a teams final cup has been made. This losing team has one final chance to save themselves from losing. o For recreational Beer Pong, this rule need only apply if all players agree upon the terms of the rebuttal. o See Official World Series of Beer Pong Rules for more details on rebuttals.

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Official World Series of Beer Pong Rules

The following rules are used in all tournament style play which occurs at World Series of Beer Pong events. You may refer back to Chapter 1 for table layout and cup formation used in the World Series of Beer Pong Tournaments. Content of Cups Distribute 24 ounces of beer or water per team evenly in the 6 front cups. Fill the back 4 cups 1/3 with water. o The back 4 water cups are not for consumption--they are to be reused every round. See Figure 2.2. In official World Series of Beer Pong Satellite Tournaments, all 10 cups are to be filled 1/3 with water.

Figure 2.2

Beer

Water

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Grabbing Players may grab the ball in play, only after it has made contact with a cup, but not while the ball is in the cup. Players may not grab a ball before it has hit a cup. A players interference prior to the ball making contact with a cup will result in a one-cup penalty. The thrower who had his or her shot interfered with may choose the cup to be removed. Figure 2.3

Bounce Shots (see Figure 2.3) A made bounce shot counts for one cup. Players may bounce their shot off of the table before making it to the cup. Do not interfere with a bounced shot until the ball has made contact with a cup.

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Do not interfere with a ball while it is inside a cup. Re-racking Reform cups when 6, 3, and 1 cup remain, according to Figure 2.4. Align re-racked cups to the center of the table. When one cup is remaining, pull the cup back to within 1 inch of the end of the table, and place it centered on the table. Throwers may request re-racking of cups that drift out of position. Re-rack as soon as applicable, even in the middle of a turn (i.e. mid-turn re-racks). Figure 2.4

10 cup start

6 cup

3 cup

1 cup

Pulling Cups Remove cups as soon as they are made, even when a re-rack is not warranted. The shooting team is responsible for waiting until a made cup is removed to take their next shot. Players who shoot while the opposing team is re-racking or in the process of removing a cup from the table, will count their shot as an automatic miss, even if it goes in a cup.
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Rollbacks When both players on a team sink their shots on the same turn, they will get one additional rollback shot, not two. Either player may take the rollback shot. See Rebuttals for exceptions to this rule. "Miracles" If a players shot lands and stays on top of the cups, that shot will count as a miss. See Figure 2.5.
Ball balanced on top of cups

Figure 2.5

Leaning Leaning is permitted as long as: o Additional reach and or leverage are not gained by placing any body part on the table. o Cups are not moved to gain a leaning advantage. Cups moved as result of contact with the body while shooting, must be
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returned to their original spot before the opposing team shoots. o Spilled cups as the result of excessive leaning will count as a made shot for the opposing team. Distractions Players may not cross the plane of play (See Figure 2.6) with any part of their bodies, clothing, or other objects, while the other team is shooting. Players may not fan, blow, or otherwise intentionally create an air current surrounding the cups in play. Distractions should not violate any local, state or federal laws. Violation of the above distraction rules results in a one cup penalty. Figure 2.6 Field of Play

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Rebuttal (A.K.A. Redemption) Two scenarios for a rebuttal are possible, they are as follows: The winning team has more than one cup remaining when they make the winning shot. The losing team is granted "Unlimited 1-ball Redemption". This means the ball is returned to that team until a player misses. Either player from the losing team may take the first shot. o During Unlimited 1-ball Redemption, players must alternate throwers; one player may NOT take all the redemption shots.

Note- The only exception to this rule occurs when there are three cups remaining on the winning teams side when redemption begins. o Alternate the first two shots (i.e., the player who shoots first shot cannot shoot second), either play may shoot the final shot. Both teams have only one cup per side remaining when the winning shot is made. o The losing team may shoot as many balls as it took the winning team to make their last cup. o If the winning team makes the last cup in one shot, the losing team has one shot to use in the rebuttal.

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o If the winning team makes the last cup in two shots, the losing team has two shots to use in the rebuttal. o If the winning team makes the last 3+ cups in 1 turn, the losing team has 2 shots to use in the rebuttal.

House Rules
Sometimes a game host will introduce their own version of a certain rule, generally called a House rule. House rules are non-standard rules which may be enforced only if all players agree to the rule. These rules are generally applied in combination with the basic rules listed earlier in this chapter. Some examples of House rules are listed below: Blowing o When a ball is spinning around the rim of a cup and has not yet touched the liquid, players may attempt to blow the ball out of the cup with their mouth. o This rule generally applies to female players only. Flicking o When a ball is spinning around the rim of a cup and has not yet touched the liquid, players may attempt to flick the ball out with their fingers. o This rule generally applies to male players only.

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Chicken Wing or Rodeo o If a player shoots a ball and the ball bounces or rolls back to shooters side of the playing field, that player may shoot again, however the shot must be a behind-the-back shot. Death Cup o If a player shoots a ball into a cup which has been pulled but not yet completely consumed by the opposing team, the result is an automatic win for the shooters team. Air balls o Any shot that fails to contact the table or a cup will result in a one cup penalty to the shooters team. Called Shots o If a player calls a cup which they will make the ball into and the ball goes into the called cup, the shot shall count as 2 cups. o If the player misses the cup which they called, a one cup penalty shall be imposed on the shooters team.

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Chapter 4 - Tournament Play

Beer Pong tournaments are growing in popularity across the nation. Tournaments may be found at local bars or you may construct your own tournament with your friends for recreational play. Tournaments may be constructed using as many teams as you like. The basic tournament setup is the same whether you have 8 teams or 120 teams.

Setting Up Your Own Tournament

To start your own Beer Pong tournament you will need the following items: All of the items listed in Chapter 1 for playing a game of Beer Pong Minimum of 8 teams, consisting of 2 players each A tournament bracket. You may find it easier to use a large dry erase board or poster board. Two blank copies of 16 team tournament brackets are on the following pages for your convenience. Setting up a Bracket Once you have collected all the materials, you are ready to lay out the bracket. Establish and agree on rules to govern the tournament. Create team names for each team playing in the tournament. Write the names of all the teams who will be playing the tournament on lines 1 16
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1 2

Figure 4.1
Winner Winner

9 10

Winner

Winner

3 4 5

Winner Winner

Winner

11 12 13

Winner Winner Winner

6
Winner Winner

14 15
Winner Winner

7 8 Playing the Tournament After organizing the bracket you are ready to start playing the tournament. Proceed as following: Team 1 will play Team 2, Team 3 will play Team 4 and Team 5 will play Team 6 and so on. Write the name of the winning team on the line to the right of their team names. Eliminate losing teams from the tournament. Continue to write the winning teams names on the line to the right of their names, thus specifying that they will play in the next round of games. Continue playing in this fashion until a tournament winner is named in the final game.

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Beer Pong References

More information on the World Series of Beer Pong tournament and other large Beer Pong tournaments and associations can be found at the following websites: World Series of Beer Pong o www.bpong.com World Beer Pong Tour o www.worldpongtour.com Beer Pong Leagues o www.beerpongleagues.com Beer Pong Tables and Equipment o www.beerpong.com Traveling Beer Pong Tournaments o www.travelingbeerpongtourney.com

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Chapter 5 - Conflict Resolution

All objects sitting on the table are considered part of the table. If a shot bounces off any object and the shot goes into a live cup, the shot counts. The table should be kept clear at all times.

Conflict
Team A knocks over its own cup

Resolution
Team A loses that cup, only if Team B sees the spill and enforces the rule No penalty if it is that players turn to throw the ball If the other team member comes into contact with the ball and it drops into a cup the team loses that cup. The thrower may choose a cup to be removed.

Dropped ball into own cup (player has possession) Dropped a ball in your own cup (Player does not have possession)

Interference (Player) If an opposing player prematurely touches the ball Interference (NonPlayers)

If a spectator interferes with a shot the shot is replayed.

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Conflict
Shots During ReRacking (Made attempt)

Resolution
If a shot is attempted during re-racking and the shot is made, the cup does not count and the opposing team gets possession. If a shot is attempted during re-racking and the shot is missed, the cup does not count and the opposing team gets possession. If a player moves a cup unintentionally by request of the other team the cup(s) can be placed back into formation. In the event that a cup drifts out of place while a ball attempting to sink the cup the shot is retossed only if it is not an air-ball.

Shots During ReRacking (Missed attempt)

Cups moved by Player

Drifters

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Conflict
Cup Adjustment

Resolution
Cups may not be moved or adjusted while a ball is mid-flight. Doing so incurs a one-cup penalty.

Balls knocking over cups

Cups should be filled to a point to where a ball cannot tip it over. In the event a ball does knock over a cup, the cup is reset and the shot is considered a miss.

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Index
Air balls, 18 Basic Rules, 9 Blowing, 17 Bounce Shots, 12 Called Shots, 18 Chicken Wing or Rodeo, 18 Conflict Resolution, 24 Cup Contents, 6 Cup Setup, 5 Death Cup, 18 Distractions, 15 Flicking, 17 Game Objectives, 4 Game Setup, 4 Grabbing, 12 House Rules, 17 Leaning, 14 "Miracles", 14 More information, 21 Playing the Tournament, 20 Pre-Game, 7 Pulling Cups, 13 Rebuttal, 10 Redemption. See Rebuttal Re-racking, 10 Rollbacks, 14 Rules, 9 Setting up a Bracket, 19 Setting Up Your Own Tournament, 19 Tournament Play, 19

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