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How to play beer pong

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have a long table in a UK flat, and the argument starts before the first throw: how many cups, whether a bounce counts twice, and whether anyone has to drink. This is how to play beer pong when you would rather agree the sheet out loud than discover the split mid-game. The [beer pong table comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/beer-pong-table) is about which surface to buy. This page is the setup. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. We used public rule sheets and UK alcohol guidance, not a lab and not a house rule of our own.

You have a long table in a UK flat, and the argument starts before the first throw: how many cups, whether a bounce counts twice, and whether anyone has to drink.

Our top picks

GOODS+GADGETS GOODS+GADGETS foldable beer pong table, neon

Best overall

GOODS+GADGETS GOODS+GADGETS foldable beer pong table, neon
5.0/10about £66.66
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GOODS+GADGETS GOODS+GADGETS foldable beer pong table, black-white

Alternative

GOODS+GADGETS GOODS+GADGETS foldable beer pong table, black-white
4.9/10about £66.66
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HENBRANDT Henbrandt inflatable beer pong table

Best value

HENBRANDT Henbrandt inflatable beer pong table
3.5/10about £14.99
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On this page
  1. 1.What you need on the table
  2. 2.The triangle and a turn
  3. 3.Bounce, re-rack and redemption
  4. 4.Alcohol, water and where you are
  5. 5.Say the sheet before the first throw

What you need on the table

You need a long, level surface, cups and two balls. The BPONG list uses about 244 × 61 × 70 cm and 40 mm balls. The folding tables in the comparison are 240 × 58 × 70 cm, and none includes cups. Twenty cups is ten a side. The long BPONG page describes water filled about one third to one half, so nobody has to drink. If you use a drink, say so before you rack and keep the pour shallow. There is no load rating, so the table is not a seat. Roxy Ball Room plays six cups a side. That is a house version for a short table or a small group, not the ten-cup triangle.

The triangle and a turn

Rack ten cups in a 4-3-2-1 triangle, pointing at the other team. Each side racks its own end and throws at the far rack. Agree how many throws make a turn before you start. On the BPONG sheet a turn runs until a miss. The usual house picture is two throws before the other team answers. A cup comes off when the ball stays in it. Say whether elbows on the edge are allowed. The long page says a player must not move the table. Six cups can be racked three, then two, then one. Table length is on the beer pong table buying guide.
GOODS+GADGETS GOODS+GADGETS foldable beer pong table, neon

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GOODS+GADGETS GOODS+GADGETS foldable beer pong table, neon
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Bounce, re-rack and redemption

The long BPONG page scores a bounce as two cups: the one the ball lands in, plus another the shooting team chooses, and defenders may swat after the bounce. A WSOBP quick-rules PDF says a bounce does not count as two. Both documents are public, and they disagree. Roxy Ball Room scores a bounce as two. Pick one line before the first throw. The long page reforms the cups at six, three and one. Roxy allows two re-racks. A flat top lets you slide the cups. Say who may call a re-rack. Redemption, or rebuttal, is the last throw after a rack is cleared. Roxy puts three cups back if it succeeds. Other houses give one shot per cup left.

Alcohol, water and where you are

You can play the whole game with water. A private flat in England or Wales is not licensed premises, and that does not cancel the age rules. GOV.UK says under-18s must not buy alcohol, and must not drink on licensed premises, except beer, wine or cider with a meal for 16 or 17 year olds when an adult buys it. In Northern Ireland, nidirect says under-18s must not drink outside a private house. SI 2014/2440 stops a licensed premises promoting a game that pushes a set amount in a time, or drinking as much as possible. Ask the licence holder before any game in a pub. The room is on the beer pong table for a house party page.

Say the sheet before the first throw

Say one sentence before the first throw: ten cups or six, whether a bounce counts as two, how many re-racks, and what rebuttal means. The published sheets disagree, so that sentence is the rule for the night. Water keeps the argument on the throws.

Common questions

How many cups, and in what shape?
Ten cups a side, in a tight 4-3-2-1 triangle, is the BPONG setup. Six cups a side is what Roxy Ball Room uses, and it is a fair house game on a shorter table. Say the number before you pour. The tables in our comparison do not include the cups.
How full should the cups be?
The long BPONG page describes water filled about one third to one half, so drinking is not required. If you use a drink instead, keep it to a shallow pour you are willing to wipe up. Agree that before the rack, not after the first hit.
Does a bounce count as two?
The long BPONG page says yes, and defenders may swat after the bounce. The WSOBP quick-rules PDF says a bounce does not count as two. Roxy Ball Room scores it as two. Choose one and say it. There is no single line you can call the only rule.
When do you re-rack?
On the long BPONG page the cups are reformed at six, three and one. Roxy allows two re-racks. A flat top lets you slide the cups into the new shape. Say how many calls each team gets so a re-rack is not a stall.
What is redemption or rebuttal?
It is the last throw after a team has cleared the rack. Roxy puts three cups back if the rebuttal succeeds. Other houses give one shot per cup that was left. Name the version in the same sentence as the bounce rule.
Can a pub run this to sell drinks?
Not as a speed or volume game. SI 2014/2440 stops licensed premises promoting games that push a set amount of alcohol in a time, or drinking as much as possible. A private flat is not that condition. Ask the licence holder before any game on their premises.

Related pages

Folding or inflatable beer pong table

Beer pong table

Best beer pong table if the floor is hard and level

Beer pong table buying guide: read the centimetres

Beer pong table for a house party: measure the floor

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Shelf prices checked 19 October 2026.

  1. BPONG: World Series of Beer Pong rules (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  2. WSOBP quick rules (PDF) (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  3. GOV.UK: Alcohol and young people (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  4. SI 2014/2440 licensing conditions (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  5. nidirect: Alcohol and the law (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  7. GOV.UK: Accepting returns and giving refunds (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  8. RoSPA: Inflatables (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  9. Oypla: 8 ft folding beer pong table (retrieved 19.10.2026)