Beer Ball Drinking Game

Hit their can with the ball, then chug until the catch is made.

Also known as: Beer Die (variant) · Can Ball

Be the first to rate this game

Your rating:

Players 4 (2v2)

You needA table, 4 full cans, a ping pong ball

DrinkBeer (cans)

Intensity

Time20-40 min

Beer Ball is beer pong stripped down to pure aim and speed: no cups, no rack, just a full can standing at each end of the table and a single ping pong ball whipping between two teams. You throw the ball on the fly to knock over or strike your opponents' can, and the instant you connect, your own team cracks open and chugs - drinking without pause until the other side chases down the ball and slams it back on the table.

It is fast, it is loud, and it rewards a flat, hard throw over the gentle arc of pong. Two players a side, everyone standing, and a rhythm of throw-miss-retrieve that suddenly explodes into a frantic chug-versus-retrieve race the moment a can gets tagged. Because you only drink when your own team scores, the game turns the usual logic on its head - a great throw is what puts the beer to your lips.

What you need & setup

Set up on a long table - a standard 8-foot pong or folding table is ideal, but any long, sturdy surface works.
Form two teams of two; each team stands at one end of the table.
Give every player a full, unopened can of beer and set one can from each team upright at that team's edge as the target.
Pick one ping pong ball to share between both teams for throwing.
Flip a coin or shoot for first throw, and agree on how many hits win the game.

How to play Beer Ball

Throw at the opponents' can

On your turn, throw the ping pong ball down the table and try to hit the full can standing at the other team's edge. Throws are on the fly - most house rules require a direct strike, though some allow a single bounce. You are aiming to knock the can over or clearly tag it, so a flat, hard throw beats the soft arc you would use in beer pong.

Score a hit, start chugging

The moment your throw connects with the opponents' can, your own team immediately opens their beers and starts drinking - and does not stop. Both teammates on the scoring side chug continuously. This is the whole hook of Beer Ball: you drink when you score, not when you get scored on, so a good arm is directly tied to how much beer you put away.

Retrieve to stop the chug

As soon as their can is hit, the defending team scrambles after the loose ball, and one of them must grab it and set (or slam) it back on the table to stop the drinking. Whatever the scoring team drank in those few seconds is theirs to keep down. A ball that rolls under the couch is a nightmare for defenders and a jackpot for chuggers.

Reset and pass the throw

Once the ball is back on the table, the chug ends and the target can is stood back upright. The throw passes to the other team (or alternates player by player - agree in advance), and play continues. Because rounds resolve in seconds, Beer Ball moves at a relentless pace with almost no downtime between throws.

Swap in fresh cans as they empty

When a target can gets drained through repeated chugs, crack a fresh one and stand it up as the new target. Keep spares within reach so the game never stalls. Some groups treat finishing a can as a mini-milestone; others just keep swapping until they hit the agreed number of scoring hits and end the game there.

Play to a set number of hits

Decide a win target before you start - first team to a set number of successful hits, or most hits over a fixed time. Since scoring is what makes you drink, the winning team is often the one that drank the most, which is a fun inversion. Keep the target modest so the total volume stays sensible.

The rules

Two teams of two, one at each end of a long table, with a full can as each team's target.
Throw the ball on the fly to hit the opposing team's can - direct hits only, unless your house allows one bounce.
When your throw hits their can, your own team starts chugging immediately and continuously.
The defending team must retrieve the ball and put it back on the table to stop the chug.
Whatever the scoring team drank before the ball is retrieved counts - no do-overs.
Stand the hit can back upright before the next throw.
The throw alternates between teams (or players) after each attempt.
Replace any target can that has been emptied with a fresh full one.
Only the throwing team may score; you never drink from getting hit, only from landing a hit.
Knocking over your own can or the ball leaving the play area on your throw is a dead throw - pass it on.
Set a win condition (first to X hits, or most hits in a time limit) before the first throw.
No blocking or catching an incoming throw at the target - let the ball reach the can.

Variations & house rules

Bounce-allowed Beer Ball

Let throws bounce once off the table before hitting the can. Bounces are easier to aim low and can be tougher for defenders to react to, which speeds up scoring and drinking. Some tables reward a bounce hit with a longer chug window - the defenders must retrieve the ball from wherever a ricochet sends it. Decide whether bounces count for more before you start.

Cans-on-cups target

Stand each target can on top of an empty cup or small stack at the table edge, so a hit sends the can clattering and makes a clear, satisfying miss-or-make signal. It also raises the target slightly, changing the ideal throw height. This version removes any argument about whether a can was really struck - if it falls off its perch, it counts.

Water-can Beer Ball

Use sealed water cans (or keep beer to the side and sip your own) so the throwing and retrieving stays intense while each player controls their alcohol intake. On a hit, the scoring team sips their own drink for a fixed count instead of open-ended chugging. You keep the frantic ball-chase energy without the heavy continuous drinking of the classic rules.

Solo cans

Give every one of the four players their own target can instead of one shared can per team. A throw can target any single can on the far side, and only the scorer drinks. It spreads the drinking around more evenly and adds a layer of choice - do you go for the shakier can or the one the weaker defender is guarding?

Pro tips

Throw flat and hard, not high - a fast, low line is much harder for defenders to react to than a slow arc.

Aim to knock the can clean over, not just graze it, so there is no argument about whether it counted.

Position your quicker teammate closer to your own can so retrievals are fast and chugs stay short.

Keep the table clear behind the target cans; a ball that rolls into open space gives chuggers extra seconds.

Pace your chug so you can actually keep it down - a hit you throw up doesn't win anything.

Stage a couple of spare cans within arm's reach so a drained target never stalls the game.

Where Beer Ball fits on the shelf

Beer Ball is one of the gentler picks on the shelf - 12th 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 4.
A typical session runs 20-40 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

Beer Ball is widely described as an American college drinking game, often framed as a simpler, cup-free alternative to beer pong that spread through dorms and backyards in the 2000s. Its exact origin is not well documented, and the name is shared by several loosely related throwing games, so details differ by region. The core idea - throw a ball to hit a can and chug while the other team retrieves it - is the version most commonly played and the one described here.

Drink responsibly: Beer Ball's open-ended chug can add up quickly, so cap how long a chug can run - many groups sip for a fixed count instead of drinking until the ball is retrieved. Use lighter beers, keep water on hand, and never chug so hard you risk bringing it back up. Swapping in water cans and sipping your own drink keeps all the throwing fun with none of the pressure. See our safety guide for pacing tips and alcohol-free versions.

Beer Ball FAQ

How is Beer Ball different from beer pong?

Beer pong uses racks of cups and a soft arc, and you drink when your opponents score on you. Beer Ball uses no cups at all - just one full can per team as a target - and you throw hard, on the fly, to hit it. The biggest flip is who drinks: in Beer Ball, your own team chugs when you land a hit, not when you get hit. It is faster, simpler and needs almost no gear.

Do you drink when you hit or when you get hit?

You drink when your team lands a hit. This surprises people, because it is the opposite of beer pong. The logic is a chug-versus-retrieve race: the second you tag the other team's can, you start drinking, and you keep going until they chase down the loose ball and put it back on the table. So a strong, accurate arm directly determines how much your team drinks.

How many players do you need?

Beer Ball is built for exactly four - two players per team, one team at each end of the table. You can improvise a 1v1 version, but the retrieve-and-slam scramble that defines the game works best with a partner covering the floor while the other guards the can. For more than four, run multiple tables or rotate winners, rather than crowding one end.

What counts as a hit?

The standard call is any clear strike that knocks the target can over or visibly tags it on the fly. To avoid arguments, many groups play that the can must actually fall or move off its spot to count, especially in the cans-on-cups variant. Decide before the first throw whether a mere graze counts and whether a single bounce is legal, and stick with that call all game.

Can you play Beer Ball without heavy chugging?

Yes. The cleanest option is to sip your own drink for a fixed count instead of chugging open-ended, or to use sealed water cans as targets and keep your real drink to the side. You still get the fast throws and the frantic ball-retrieval race, which are the actual fun of the game, without the continuous drinking. Cap the win target low to keep the total volume reasonable.

Beer Ball Drinking Game

What you need & setup