History:
Rumored to have found its humble beginnings at Dartmouth in a year no one had bothered to remember or write down, the academic diversion known as Beer Pong has found its way into the dank rumpus rooms and basements of college homes and fraternities across the nation. The game itself is rather simple to learn, yet takes semesters of experience and practice to master.
Objective:
The primary goal of the game is for one team to be forced to drink all of their beer before the other team. As the contest continues, this objective is often surpassed by the goal to get one individual as inebriated as possible and nude in public.
Supplies:
Several packages of standard ping pong balls-- These can be found in any sporting goods store and many department stores. As of late, several alcoholic beverage retailers have started stocking them as a convenience to participants. A keg of moderately priced beer.* The size of the keg is directly proportional to the number of participants in the contest. In any given tournament participants can be expected to imbibe the equivalent of 8 to 12 twelve-ounce cans of beer depending upon their success in the contest. In a tournament consisting of 8 to 12 participants, a 1/4 barrel keg is sufficient. In most cases I would recommend a full 1/2 barrel keg —- after all, there is always the option of "kegs and eggs" in the morning for those interested. *In some cases, beer can be purchased in individual cans at a cost much lower than keg beer. This beer is located in the cooler located nearest the rear of the store and is on the bottom shelf. You will sacrifice flavor and satisfaction, but it will do the job. Keg cups—any color may be used, but I would recommend the larger size as the smaller ones have too low a center of gravity and can hold too little beer for the game to be interesting.
Set Up:
Any elevated flat surface may be used for this contest. It is recommended that the length of the playing surface be at least 6' in length and 3' wide. Regulation Ping Pong tables, dining room tables, and old dorm lofts will all prove suitable. Six (6) cups are to be placed in an equilateral triangle formation with three cups being parallel and approximately one (1) inch from the edge of the playing surface.* *In more advanced competitions, two of these formations may be set side-by-side. This adds considerable time on to each round, but can prove to be quite a delightful change of pace. One (1) or two (2) cups are to be filled with water and placed in the center of the playing surface for removal of foreign debris that may have attached itself to the balls during regular play. Fill each cup approximately 1/3 full with beer. Filling to the first line on the cup has also become popular among more conservative groups. Each team receives one ball per player.
The Game:
The game begins when a member of one team (Team A) (in most cases, the home team, but the reigning champions may also get the nod -- see "House Rules") shoots their ball toward the opposing team's (Team B's) cups. If he/she is successful in shooting their ball into one of the cups of beer, Team B must choose a member to consume the beer (from this point on, the teammates will alternate who drinks the beer). The second member of Team A is now allowed to make their attempt. If he/she is successful as well, Team A remains in control of the contest. If only one or neither member of Team A is successful in their attempts, Team B takes control, and so on and so forth until one team has successfully made a ball into every one of the opposing team's cups. Once this has occurred, the winning team passes their remaining cups to the losing team for consumption.
Rules:
The game consists of a few simple base rules & guidelines:
The game is to consist of two teams of equal size. The most effective strategy is to have teams of two players each, though one-on-one has been gaining popularity in households with more than one table.
If both members of a team are successful in shooting their balls into the same cup on the opposing side, they automatically win the round.
Once a ball lands in a cup, the receiving team is allowed to immediately remove the cup before the second member of the team has a chance to get their ball into it.
Imported beer is never to be used in the game.* Preferably cheap, light beer should be used, though there are occasions in which a high gravity lager may be found suitable. *Carling's Black Label is, in fact, not an import despite the label indicating otherwise.
At the end of the evening, after resources have been exhausted and beverage retailers have closed for the evening, other alcoholic beverages may be used, albeit in smaller volumetric measurements than the beer. This method does not come highly recommended as the participants will be mixing liquor and beer in the exact reverse order of the recommended orientation: "liquor before beer, you're in the clear".
Breaks may only be taken during play in the case of severe bodily injury or to sing "Always" by Mr. Jon Bon Jovi. Those participants who do not take part in this time honored tradition and raise their cups, shall be immediately removed from the contest and evicted from the premesis as they are not true of heart.
In addition to the above rules, "House Rules" may be implemented during a contest. These rules are those set by and often exclusive to the hosts of the tournament and must be announced and agreed upon prior to the commencement of the contest.
Examples of House Rules include:
House begins tournament. Reigning champions begin tournament. Beer must be consumed posthaste (chugged) prior to the subsequent player in the sequence taking their turn. If one member of a given team is unable to continue drinking, but would like to continue their participation in the contest, the other team member is allowed to drink the abstainer's portion of beer. Following the consumption of a beer, the drinker must make a comment starting with "Rob's Mom..." * *In certain occasions, "Rob" may be substituted with "Cy". In no circumstance should "Mom" be replaced with "Sister". This is just a good rule.
Prizes:
Prizes are often rewarded to 1st through 3rd places. First prize is preferably something that can be thrown off the top of a parking structure and result in a satisfying display on the pavement below. Second prize is completely up to the hosts—use your imagination on this one! Third prize should be a canned food of some sort. The third place winners can share this with others if they so choose, but it is certainly not required.
