Anchorman Drinking Game

Land the coin in the pitcher and the other team drinks the lot.

Also known as: Pitchers · Bounce Pong

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Players 4-8 (2 teams)

You needA pitcher, cups, a coin, beer

DrinkBeer

Intensity

Time15-30 min

Anchorman is the loud, high-stakes cousin of Quarters: two teams line up on opposite sides of a table with one big pitcher of beer between them, and take turns bouncing a coin off the table into it. Land the coin and the entire other team has to drink the whole pitcher before the coin comes back. The twist that gives the game its name - every team names an anchor, the closer who drinks last and has to finish whatever is left.

It plays fast and it plays personal. One clean bounce can bury a team under a full pitcher, so every throw comes with a wall of trash talk and a table full of people willing it to miss. Because the drinking is shared down a line and the anchor cleans up, the pressure lands squarely on whoever the team trusts most. It is part carnival game, part relay, and completely built for a rowdy crowd.

What you need & setup

Split into two even teams and sit or stand on opposite long sides of a sturdy table.
Place one large pitcher in the center and fill it to an agreed line - half full is plenty to start, and safer than brimming.
Give each team a coin (a quarter or any similar coin) and set out a cup of water for rinsing if you like.
Each team names an anchor - traditionally the strongest drinker, since they finish the pitcher.
Decide the throw order within each team and which side shoots first.

How to play Anchorman

Bounce the coin at the pitcher

On your turn, bounce the coin once off the tabletop and try to land it inside the center pitcher. It has to hit the table first, not go in on the fly - a direct throw does not count. Miss and the coin passes to the next thrower on the other team. It is Quarters aimed at one shared target, so a soft, high bounce works best.

A make means the other team drinks

When your coin lands in the pitcher, the entire opposing team has to drink it dry before the pitcher can come back into play. They drink in a set order, one player at a time, passing the pitcher down their line. Nobody can start until the person before them has swallowed and handed it over, so the whole team is on the clock together.

Anchor cleans up the pitcher

The anchor drinks last and has to finish whatever beer is left when the pitcher reaches them. Teams stack the order so lighter drinkers take smaller pulls and the anchor closes it out. Choosing your anchor is real strategy: pick someone who can reliably empty a half-full pitcher, because a make against you is a guaranteed team-wide drink.

Refill and keep the volleys going

Once a pitcher is drained, refill it to the agreed line and play continues - the coin goes to the next thrower. Rounds move quickly because a single made shot resolves in seconds, and the tension resets every time a coin clatters on the table. Keep the pours modest so a run of makes does not bury one team.

Play to a target or a timer

There is no universal win condition, so pick one before you start. Common options: first team to land a set number of coins, most makes over a fixed number of rounds, or simply play until a pitcher or two is gone and call it. A timer keeps the volume of beer predictable, which matters in a chugging game.

Enforce the reset between makes

After a team finishes a pitcher, give a beat before the next throw - it stops the game from snowballing into back-to-back chugs on a tired team. Rotate who throws so the same person is not carrying the aim all night, and let anyone tap the anchor role to a teammate if they have had enough.

The rules

Two teams sit on opposite sides of the table with one shared pitcher in the middle.
The coin must bounce off the table once before going in - a direct, no-bounce shot does not count.
When your coin lands in the pitcher, the entire other team has to drink it empty.
The opposing team drinks in a fixed order, one player at a time, passing the pitcher down the line.
The anchor drinks last and finishes whatever beer remains in the pitcher.
No one can start drinking until the previous player has finished and handed the pitcher over.
The coin passes to the other team after a miss; teams alternate throwers.
Refill the pitcher to the agreed line after every make before the next throw.
Fish the coin out of the pitcher before the team drinks (or after - agree in advance) so nobody swallows it.
Set a win condition before you start: first to X makes, most makes over set rounds, or a time limit.
Anyone can hand off the anchor role to a willing teammate if they have had enough.
Slopping, table-leaning or a coin that skips off the table entirely is a dead throw - reshoot or pass by house rule.

Variations & house rules

Water anchorman

Fill the pitcher with water and keep everyone's real drink to the side; when your team loses a pitcher, each player takes an equivalent sip of their own beer instead of chugging shared water. Same aim, same anchor drama, but every player controls exactly how much alcohol they take on. It is the cleanest and most inclusive way to run the game at a big party.

Small-cup anchorman

Swap the single big pitcher for a smaller jug or a large cup so a made shot means a modest amount of beer, not a face-full. Ideal for lighter groups or long sessions where nobody wants to chug a full pitcher every couple of minutes. The game plays identically - just with far gentler consequences on every make.

Sudden-death anchors

When the game is tied at the end, both anchors face off one on one: each bounces at a fresh, lightly filled pitcher, and the first to land a coin wins it for their team - with the losing anchor finishing the pitcher solo. It turns the whole night into a build-up toward a single dramatic duel between the two closers.

Relay chug timing

Add a stopwatch: time how long each team takes to empty the pitcher after a make, and award the round to whichever team was quicker across the night's makes. It rewards a tight, well-drilled drinking order and gives the non-throwers something to compete over, since aim is not the only skill that decides it.

Pro tips

Aim for a soft, high bounce that drops almost straight down - a flat, fast throw skips right off the rim.

Stack your drinking order so the lightest drinkers go early and the anchor closes a smaller pour.

Keep the pitcher only half full; a brimming pitcher turns one make into a genuinely rough chug.

Rinse or wipe the coin now and then - it lives in beer, and a sticky coin bounces unpredictably.

Rotate throwers so aiming pressure and fatigue are shared, not dumped on your best shot all night.

Call your anchor before the first throw, not after a make - deciding under pressure never ends well.

Where Anchorman fits on the shelf

Anchorman is one of the gentler picks on the shelf - 11th of 14 cups games by intensity, rated 3 out of 5.
It is one of the few games here that genuinely works with just 2 players, and it stays fun up to 8.
A typical session runs 15-30 min - a solid middle act for the evening.
Browse the full pong & cup games shelf to compare all 14 games side by side.

A little history

Anchorman appears to be a North American college and house-party invention, most often described as a team spin on Quarters that spread through fraternity circles in the late 1900s. Reliable documentation is thin, and the name, the number of players and the exact pitcher rules vary widely from campus to campus. The one constant everyone agrees on is the anchor - the designated last drinker who finishes the pitcher - which is almost certainly where the game got its name.

Drink responsibly: Anchorman can put a lot of beer in front of one team fast, so keep the pitcher half full at most and share the drinking down the whole line rather than dumping it on one person. Better yet, use water in the pitcher and sip your own drink on a make. Eat first, keep water nearby, and let anyone pass the anchor role - chugging a full pitcher is always optional. See our safety guide for pacing tips and alcohol-free versions.

Anchorman FAQ

Does the coin have to bounce before it goes in?

Yes, in the standard game the coin must hit the tabletop once and bounce up into the pitcher - a direct throw on the fly does not count. This is what ties Anchorman to Quarters and keeps it a genuine skill shot rather than a lucky lob. Some casual tables allow direct shots to speed things up, so agree on it before the first round if your group prefers that.

What exactly does the anchor do?

The anchor is each team's designated last drinker. When the other team lands a coin, your team drinks the pitcher down the line in order, and the anchor drinks last - finishing whatever beer is left. Teams usually pick their strongest drinker as anchor and arrange the order so lighter drinkers take small pulls, leaving a manageable amount for the closer. It is the role the whole game is named after.

How much beer ends up in the pitcher?

That is entirely up to you, and it is the single most important safety decision in the game. A brimming pitcher means a made shot buries a whole team in beer, which gets dangerous fast. Most sensible tables keep the pitcher half full or less, and many use the water version so players sip their own drinks instead of chugging shared beer. Start low; you can always top up.

How many people do you need for Anchorman?

It works with two teams of two at a minimum, but it shines with three or four per side - six to eight players total. Bigger teams spread the pitcher across more drinkers, so each player takes a smaller pull on a make, which is generally safer and more fun. Any more than about five a side and the drinking order gets slow, so split into more tables instead.

Can you play Anchorman without chugging a whole pitcher?

Absolutely, and it is the version we recommend for most groups. Fill the pitcher with water and have each player sip their own drink on a make, or use a small cup instead of a full pitcher so the volume stays modest. You keep all the bounce-shot skill and the anchor showdown while cutting the heavy chugging entirely. Same game, far more control.

Published 2026-07-13 · Last updated 2026-07-13 · How we research games

Anchorman Drinking Game

What you need & setup