People Playing Beer Pong: What You Should Know

We’ve all been at a party where the familiar sound of a ping pong ball hitting a plastic cup cuts through the music. The social gravity of the game is strong, pulling people in with the promise of teamwork and lighthearted fun. While watching people playing beer pong, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement. But the core mechanic of these popular alcohol games isn't about athletic skill—it's about consumption. This article is for anyone who has felt uneasy about the pace of drinking during these games. We’ll break down the hidden dangers, from hygiene concerns to serious health risks.

In fact, an overwhelming majority of Americans — 95%— have played a drinking game at some point in their life, according to an American Addiction Centers online survey of more than 1,000 Americans aged 18 and older. There are even drinking games based on movies: The Hangover drinking game and the Home Alone drinking game.

While these might seem fun and innocent, they can actually be extremely detrimental to our health — and even result in hospitalization and death. In fact, several years ago, five people died from Neknominate, a drinking game that went viral on social media. What is it about drinking games that makes them so dangerous? Let’s dive in below.

Understanding the Game: What is Beer Pong?

Beer pong is one of the most recognizable drinking games out there, a staple at parties and tailgates for decades. At its core, it’s a game of skill where two teams compete to throw ping pong balls into their opponent's cups. The game combines hand-eye coordination with a social drinking element, making it a popular icebreaker. While it seems straightforward, there are specific rules and setups that most players follow. The objective is simple: be the first team to successfully land a ball in every one of your opponent's cups. Each time a ball lands in a cup, a member of the opposing team is required to drink the contents, and that cup is removed from play. The game continues until one team has no cups left, declaring the other team the winner.

The Basic Rules and Objective

The main goal in beer pong is to eliminate all of your opponent's cups before they eliminate yours. This is achieved by successfully tossing a ping pong ball into their cups, forcing them to drink the beer and remove the cup from the table. The game is typically played by two teams of two, but one-on-one variations are also common. Each team stands at opposite ends of a long table, taking turns to throw. The game requires a mix of focus and a steady hand, which can become increasingly difficult as the game progresses and more drinks are consumed. Understanding the rules is key, but so is recognizing how the game encourages rapid consumption of alcohol, which can quickly affect your judgment and physical coordination.

Game Setup and Equipment

To play beer pong, you don’t need much. The standard setup includes a long table (like a folding table or even a ping pong table), at least 20 plastic cups (usually 16-ounce red Solo cups), two ping pong balls, and of course, beer or another beverage to fill the cups. Each team arranges ten cups in a tight triangle formation at their end of the table, with the point of the triangle facing the opposing team. The cups are typically filled about one-third of the way with beer. Some players also use a separate cup of water to rinse the ball between throws, which is a good idea for keeping things a little cleaner as the ball inevitably ends up on the floor.

Common Rules and Gameplay

Once the game is set up, teams take turns throwing the ping pong balls. Each team gets two shots per turn, with each player on the team throwing one ball. When a ball lands directly in a cup, the defending team must drink the beer in that cup and remove it from the table. There are different types of shots, like an arc shot or a faster "fastball" shot. If a player bounces the ball on the table before it lands in a cup, it often counts as two cups. However, the defending team is allowed to swat away a bounced ball, adding a defensive element to the game. These rules can vary from house to house, so it's common to clarify the "house rules" before starting.

How to Win the Game

Victory in beer pong is straightforward: the first team to make a ball in all of their opponent's cups wins. As cups are removed, the remaining cups are often rearranged or "racked" back into a smaller triangle or diamond shape to make them easier to hit. The game ends when the last cup is hit. Sometimes, the losing team has a chance for "redemption," where they get to keep shooting until they miss. If they can sink all the remaining cups without missing, the game can go into overtime. It’s a simple concept, but the escalating alcohol consumption is a critical factor, making it important to be aware of how much you're actually drinking and how it affects your blood alcohol content.

The History and Culture of Beer Pong

Beer pong didn't just appear out of nowhere; it has a history that traces back to college campuses in the mid-20th century. The original version of the game was actually played with paddles, much like a real game of ping pong, and is thought to have originated at Dartmouth College in the 1950s. The objective was similar, involving cups of beer on the table. Over time, players ditched the paddles, and the version we know today—often called "Beirut"—began to take shape and spread to other universities. By the 1980s, the paddle-less game had become a fixture in dorm rooms and fraternity houses across the country, solidifying its place in American college culture and setting the stage for its eventual mainstream popularity.

From Dorm Room Tradition to Pop Culture

What started as a niche college pastime has since exploded into a mainstream cultural phenomenon. Beer pong is now featured in movies, TV shows, and music videos, often portrayed as the quintessential party activity. This media exposure has helped carry the game far beyond university life, making it a common sight at backyard barbecues, holiday gatherings, and even some bars. Its simple rules and social nature make it accessible to almost anyone, regardless of athletic ability. This widespread acceptance has cemented beer pong's status as more than just a game—it's a cultural symbol of celebration and social bonding for many, though it's also closely tied to binge drinking culture.

Alternative Names: Beer Pong vs. Beirut

You might hear beer pong called by another name: Beirut. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but they originally referred to slightly different games. "Beer pong" was the name for the original version played with paddles, while "Beirut" was the name given to the paddle-less version that became popular in the 1980s. The origin of the name "Beirut" is debated, but some believe it was a reference to the Lebanese capital, which was a conflict zone during that time, drawing a parallel to the back-and-forth nature of the game. Today, most people use "beer pong" to describe the modern, paddle-less game, though you'll still hear it called Beirut in some regions of the United States.

More Than a Party Game: Beer Pong as a Sport

Believe it or not, for some, beer pong is more than just a casual party game—it's a competitive sport. The game's simple premise belies a surprising amount of strategy and skill, from perfecting your throwing arc to mastering defensive plays. This competitive aspect has given rise to organized leagues and tournaments held in bars and event venues across the country. Players form teams, practice regularly, and compete for bragging rights and sometimes even cash prizes. This shift from a casual drinking game to a structured competition highlights how deeply ingrained beer pong has become in social culture. It's treated with a level of seriousness that can sometimes overshadow the health risks associated with competitive drinking.

Professional Tournaments and Cash Prizes

The competitive beer pong scene has reached a professional level with large-scale, high-stakes tournaments. The most famous of these is The World Series of Beer Pong (WSOBP), an annual event that draws hundreds of competitors from all over the world to Las Vegas. This isn't just a small gathering; it's a major event with official rules, referees, and substantial rewards. For example, a past WSOBP event featured a grand prize of $50,000, attracting over 800 participants. These tournaments are sponsored by companies and often use official BPONG tables and equipment, lending them an air of legitimacy. The existence of a professional circuit shows just how far the game has come from its humble dorm room beginnings.

Why We Really Play Alcohol Games

Many people are introduced to drinking games in high school or college as a way to socialize. The idea is to have fun with others by drinking alcohol and engaging in some friendly competition. Great, right?

What’s actually happening with a drinking competition, though, is that we’re consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. And while each game has different rules of play, the intention is usually the same: to get each other drunk.

But because drinking games are often played in a social setting, it’s easy to get swept up in the peer pressure and excitement of the games — especially for young adults. In fact, research from 2019 found that 60% of 18-34 year olds believe peer pressure to drink is common, with this age group also the most likely to say they have drunk more than expected to “keep up” with others.

               

Are Your Drinking Games Actually Dangerous?

While most people think these games are harmless fun, they can be extremely dangerous. After all, they’re largely designed to facilitate inebriation by promoting the rapid consumption of large amounts of alcohol. For instance, playing the game Flip Cup, our blood alcohol concentration (BAC) can reach .05 in 10 minutes and up to .15 in just a span of 30 minutes. At this level, we can experience amnesia, vomiting, or a loss of consciousness.

While the short-term effects of intoxication are obvious, other social, health and safety risks can also occur. Here are several:

• Causes binge drinking: We probably don’t think of them this way, but drinking games are actually a form of binge drinking. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as consuming 4 drinks in about 2 hours for women and 5 drinks in about 2 hours for men. Drinking alcohol in these amounts in that short time period can bring our blood alcohol concentration (BAC) up to 0.08, which is considered legally impaired in the U.S.
  By definition, most drinking games are binge drinking since the rules of the game encourage us to drink large amounts of alcohol quickly. Binge drinking can lead to immediate and long-term health and safety risks, including blackouts, alcohol poisoning, unsafe sexual behavior, injuries from falling, drowning, car crashes, as well as immune system dysfunction.
• Increases risk of alcohol poisoning: Drinking too much, especially in short time spans, can lead to alcohol poisoning and hospitalization. When we’re engaged in a competitive, high-energy drinking game, we can easily lose track of how much we’re drinking. An excessive level of alcohol in our blood can lead to signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning such as vomiting, fainting, low body temperature, irregular breathing, and seizures.
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  With alcohol poisoning, our liver is simply unable to process the toxins from alcohol quickly enough. Our body continues to ingest these toxins as the drinking game progresses, and we end up exhibiting signs of extreme drunkenness as our BAC levels rise. Alcohol poisoning is a very serious condition that requires medical attention.
• Risky behavior: Drinking games make us drunk, and whenever we’re drunk, we lose our ability to think clearly. Alcohol impairs our judgment and decision-making capabilities, and it lowers our inhibitions. As a result, we’re more likely to get involved in risky situations, whether that means getting into a fight, driving drunk, having unprotected sex, or committing (or being the victims of) sexual assault.
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  Sadly, 44 percent of young men admitted their goal in playing drinking goals was to have sex. And one-fifth reported taking sexual advantage of another player after a drinking game. Long-term consequences of these risky situations can include pregnancy, STDs, arrest, jail, loss of job, or general legal problems.
• Alcohol use disorder: While participating once or twice in a social drinking game might not be cause for alarm, if we’re frequently binge drinking, we have a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder. In fact, according to one study, game playing appeared to increase problems related to alcohol primarily among more moderate drinkers.
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  Interestingly, people who start drinking as teens (before age 15) are four times more likely to develop an alcohol/substance use disorder than those who begin drinking at age 21. Over time, excessive alcohol consumption can cause a number of health issues, such as high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, arrhythmia (irregular heart beat), stroke, and pancreatitis, among others.

Hygiene Concerns You Might Not Think About

When we’re caught up in the fun of a drinking game, hygiene is probably the last thing on our minds. But it’s worth thinking about. Take a game like beer pong, for example. The cups sit on a table, and the ball often bounces on the floor before landing in a drink. Those surfaces can be covered in germs, and one study even found E. coli in the cups used during a game. This means players can easily consume harmful bacteria along with their drinks, leading to sickness that has nothing to do with the alcohol itself. A simple way to avoid this is to keep a separate, clean cup just for drinking and use the game cups only as targets.

The Connection to Binge Drinking and Legal Issues

Let's be direct: drinking games are often just a structured way to binge drink. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% or higher. This typically happens after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men in about two hours. Most drinking games are specifically designed to make players consume alcohol at this rapid pace, pushing their BAC past the legal limit for impairment in the U.S. Recognizing these dangers, some cities and states have even tried to ban games like beer pong in bars and other public areas because they directly promote excessive drinking.

What to Play Instead of Drinking Games

Are there alternatives for drinking games out there? You bet!

Here are a few ideas:

• Have a board game or card game night. Anyone up for Settlers of Catan? This fun strategy game is all about collecting resources and building settlements. Or try Codenames, a word-based game where players give clues to guess specific words.
• Host a trivia night. A booze-free trivia night is twice as fun without alcohol clouding your memory and slowing you down. 
• Have some outdoor fun. A bean bag toss game that's perfect for outdoor gatherings. So is a game of ultimate frisbee or a scavenger hunt outdoors!
• Organize a DIY pizza night. Remember that Seinfeld stor

With these games and other fun activities, who needs booze?

Rethinking Your Next Game Night

Although many of us play drinking games on our way to adulthood, they’re far from harmless fun. Their competitive nature distracts us from knowing how much we’re drinking, causing us to drink more than we intend or realize. This increases our risk of accidents, alcohol poisoning, and other harmful consequences. 

Drinking alcohol is very much embedded in our culture. At nearly every social gathering, alcohol is usually involved, which might lead to drinking games. But we can choose not to participate. At Reframe, we not only help you rethink your relationship with alcohol, but we give you the tools you need to successfully navigate social situations without drinking. Even if you’re just looking to cut back on your drinking, Reframe can help.

Frequently Asked Questions

I only play beer pong occasionally at parties. Is it really that risky? It’s easy to think of it as just a one-off game, but the structure of beer pong is designed for rapid consumption. Even one game can easily meet the definition of binge drinking, which is what makes it risky. The competitive, fast-paced nature of the game makes it hard to track how much you're actually drinking, and your blood alcohol content can rise much faster than you realize. It’s less about how often you play and more about what happens during that single game.

How can I turn down a game of beer pong without killing the party vibe? This is a common concern, and the key is to be casual and confident. You can simply say, "I'm going to sit this one out, but I'll be your biggest cheerleader!" or suggest an alternative. Offering to be the DJ, grabbing snacks, or starting a conversation nearby are all great ways to stay social without participating. Most people are focused on the game and won't question your decision if you handle it smoothly.

Can't I just play with water or another non-alcoholic drink? Absolutely! This is a fantastic way to join in on the fun without the pressure to drink alcohol. You can fill your cups with water, soda, or any other drink you enjoy. This allows you to be part of the social activity and the competition without any of the associated health risks. It’s a simple switch that puts you in control of your consumption.

The article mentions germs on the ball. Is using a water cup to rinse it off enough? While rinsing the ball is better than nothing, it doesn't guarantee it's clean. Think about where that ball has been—the floor, people's hands, the table. A quick dip in water won't kill bacteria like E. coli. The safest approach, if you choose to drink, is to have a separate, clean cup for your beverage. Use the cups on the table as targets only and pour your drink from a can or bottle into your personal cup.

How do I know when a 'fun' game has crossed the line into being dangerous? Look for signs that the focus has shifted from friendly competition to excessive consumption. If players are slurring their words heavily, struggling with balance, getting aggressive, or being pressured to drink even when they look unwell, the game has become dangerous. Alcohol poisoning is a real risk, so if someone is vomiting, becomes unresponsive, or has irregular breathing, it's time to stop the game immediately and seek medical help.

Key Takeaways

• Drinking games normalize binge drinking: Their rules are structured to make you consume large amounts of alcohol quickly, often pushing you past safe limits before you realize it.
• You lose track of your intake and your judgment: The competitive nature of these games makes it easy to drink more than you intend, increasing the risk of alcohol poisoning, accidents, and poor decisions.
• You can choose fun that doesn't center on alcohol: Suggesting alternatives like board games, trivia, or outdoor activities creates a more inclusive social event without the pressure or negative consequences of competitive drinking.

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