SETUP · CASUAL RULES · HOUSE RULES
Beer Pong rules: setup and how to play
Arrange cups at opposite ends of a table, take turns throwing a table-tennis ball and remove every cup you hit. The first team to clear the opposing rack wins.
These are practical casual rules, not a claim of one universal or tournament ruleset. For adults aged 18+; alcohol is optional.
How to play Beer Pong
Split into two teams and place a triangular rack of ten cups at each end of the table. Teams alternate throwing towards the opposing rack. When a ball lands and stays in a cup, remove that cup and apply the drink or alcohol-free consequence you agreed before starting. A miss removes nothing.
Keep alternating until one team has no target cups left. That team loses unless your group agreed a redemption rule before play.
QUICK RULES
1. Set ten cups in a triangle at each end.
2. Teams throw at the opposing rack.
3. Remove a cup after a successful shot.
4. Clear every opposing cup to win.
What you need
20
playing cups
Ten targets per team. Keep separate drinking cups if using the cleaner water-rack setup.
1–2
table-tennis balls
One is enough for alternating single throws; two suit teams giving each player a shot per turn.
1
suitable table
For casual play, use a stable table and a throwing distance that safely fits the available space.
Beer Pong setup
At each end, arrange ten cups in four rows: four at the back, then three, two and one pointing towards the centre. Keep both racks within the table edges and decide on a throwing line that nobody may cross while releasing the ball.
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POINT TOWARDS THE OTHER TEAM
For more hygienic play, fill the target cups with clean water and let players drink separately from their own labelled glasses. This avoids drinking from cups repeatedly contacted by the ball, floor or players’ hands.
A complete casual turn
1
Choose the starting team
Use a coin toss or another neutral method. Decide whether each team gets one throw or one throw per teammate before turns alternate.
2
Take the shot
Throw from behind the agreed line and aim for the opposing cups. A direct shot that lands and remains in a cup is a hit.
3
Remove successful cups
After the turn, remove each successfully hit cup and apply the agreed small consequence. Misses and rim-outs leave the rack unchanged.
4
Switch teams
The other team throws at the opposite rack. Continue until one side’s final cup is removed.
House rules to agree before starting
The supplied rules pages use different combinations of these rules. None should be assumed automatically.
Bounces
Decide whether a bounce counts as one cup or two, and whether defenders may swat a ball only after it touches the table.
Re-racks
Choose whether a team may request its targets be tightened into a new shape, how often and at which cup counts.
Balls back
With two-player teams throwing two balls, some groups award another turn when both teammates score.
Redemption
Some groups give the apparently losing team a final chance to hit every remaining target. Others end immediately with the last cup.
Throwing line
Mark a clear line and decide whether the hand, elbow or whole body must remain behind it. Apply the same rule to everybody.
Overtime
If a successful redemption leaves the match tied, agree a smaller new rack or another fair tiebreak before play.
PLAY THROUGH MESSY TIMES
Ready to play Beer Pong?
Messy Times turns Beer Pong into a One Device timing game. Lock the direction, lock the power and pass the phone after the animated shot.
How Beer Pong works in Messy Times
Messy Times represents two named teams and two digital ten-cup racks. On each turn, the throwing team taps once to lock a sweeping direction guide, then taps again to lock the moving power meter. Those two choices determine the animated ball’s trajectory; the result is not selected at random.
SINK
The hit cup disappears, the opposing team is told to take one sip and the rack count falls by one.
RIM OR MISS
No cup is removed. Feedback shows whether the shot clipped the rim, fell short, went long or missed to either side.
HANDOFF
Every shot ends the turn. The phone is passed to the other named team for one new attempt.
The first team to remove all ten opposing cups wins. The winner screen tells the losing team to drink its whole pint; that is the exact in-app wording, not a requirement. For responsible play, ignore or replace that instruction with a non-drinking consequence.
What the digital game does not include
Messy Times Beer Pong is One Device only. It has no private rooms, online Multiplayer, physical throwing, manually selected cups, re-racks, bounce bonuses, trick-shot rules, balls back, redemption or overtime. It does not model individual players inside each team; it asks only for two team names.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups do you use for Beer Pong?
The casual setup described here uses ten cups per team in a 4-3-2-1 triangle. Some groups use smaller racks for shorter games, but should agree that before starting. Messy Times always starts each team with ten digital cups.
How many people can play?
Physical Beer Pong commonly uses two teams and can be adapted to the group. Messy Times represents exactly two teams, but it does not collect or limit the number of people sharing each team.
Do bounce shots remove two cups?
Only if your group agrees that house rule. The supplied pages treat bounces differently. Messy Times animates every digital shot with a table bounce but awards no separate bounce bonus.
Can you play Beer Pong without beer?
Yes. Fill target cups with water and keep separate soft drinks, or use points and remove drinking entirely.
Is Messy Times Beer Pong random?
No. The locked direction and power determine where the ball finishes. Better timing improves the shot, although the shrinking rack leaves fewer targets to hit.
Does Messy Times Beer Pong work offline?
Yes. It is a local One Device game and does not use a multiplayer room or internet gameplay service.
Play cleanly and keep drinks optional
Use clean water in the target cups and personal glasses for anything people will drink. Retrieve balls safely, wipe spills promptly and keep the throwing area clear. Never pressure somebody to drink, and do not use finishing a pint as a penalty. Messy Times is for adults aged 18+ who are of legal drinking age in their country or region.
READ THE RESPONSIBLE PLAY GUIDE →