Cups
Beer Pong
Ten cups, two balls, eternal glory - the classic table sport.
Beer Pong House Rules Card
Settle the arguments before they start. This printable **Beer Pong** house rules card puts the re-racks, rebuttals, bounces and elbow rule on one sheet, so both teams agree on the same game before the first throw.
Beer Pong - House Rules
Agree these before the first throw. Circle the rules you are playing; cross out the rest.
Rack10 cups per side in a 4-3-2-1 triangle, point facing out. Fill each with a shared amount.
ElbowKeep your elbow behind the edge of the table when you throw. Cross it and the shot does not count.
Re-rackEach team gets set re-racks (e.g. at 6, 3 and 1 cups) - ask for a new formation on your turn.
BounceA bounced shot counts as two cups, but the defense may swat a bouncing ball away.
RebuttalWhen the last cup is sunk, the other team shoots until they miss for a chance to force overtime.
Overtime3 cups each in a triangle, same rules, until someone wins.
Fingering / blowingHouse choice: allow (or ban) fingering out a spinning ball or blowing it out of the cup.
RedemptionBoth players sink the same turn ('balls back') and shoot again.
IslandCall 'island' on a lone cup; sink only that cup and the defense drinks an extra cup.
Death cupHouse choice: if you sink a ball into a cup still being drunk, the game ends instantly.
BestDrinkingGame.net · Please drink responsibly
Beer pong rules differ from house to house, so circle the ones you are playing and cross out the rest. For full setup, throwing technique and strategy, see our Beer Pong guide.
How to use this printable
- Set the card by the table and run through it with both teams before the first game.
- Circle the rules you are playing and cross out the ones you are not - especially the house-choice rules like bounces, redemption and death cup.
- Agree how many re-racks each team gets and at what cup counts (a common set is at 6, 3 and 1).
- Keep the card visible so any mid-game dispute is settled in seconds. Play with water in some cups if you want a longer, safer game.
FAQ
What are the standard beer pong rules?
Each team has 10 cups in a triangle. Teams take turns throwing ping pong balls; sink a ball and the other team drinks and removes that cup. Elbows stay behind the table edge. When one team's cups are all gone, the other gets a rebuttal to shoot back. This card lists these plus the common house rules.
What is a rebuttal in beer pong?
When a team sinks the other team's final cup, the losing team gets a 'rebuttal' - they shoot until they miss. If they clear all of the winning team's remaining cups, the game goes to overtime instead of ending. It gives the trailing team one last chance.
Do bounce shots count in beer pong?
In most house rules, yes - a bounced ball that lands in a cup counts as two cups. The trade-off is that the defending team is allowed to swat or grab a bouncing ball before it lands, so bounces are high risk. This is a house-choice rule, so agree it up front.
