Official NMU Beer Pong Tournament Rules
1. Drinking: You are in no way obligated to consume alcohol to participate in this event. If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages at any time during this event you are doing so at your own free will.
2. Officiating: NMU Beer Pong staff has final say in any / all disputes. Unsportsmanlike behavior will be dealt with in a case-by-case basis. Any team with sufficient disregard for the game or the people around them will forfeit their spot in the tournament. If either player on any team is asked to leave by the hosting establishment, by NMU Beer Pong staff, the team will forfeit their spot in the tournament.
3. Cup Rack: The cups will be of one uniform type for both teams. Cups must be filled with approximately 4oz of liquid. The game begins with a 10-cup triangle formation. The base of the triangle starts 1-inch from the table edge.
4. Equipment: Tables should be 8’ in length. The official ping-pong ball is a standard 40 mm size. Cups should be plastic, 16 oz.
5. Game Order: Games will be played in the order specified by the bracket game numbers.
6. First Shot: The team who shoots first is decided by coin flip.
7. Shooting: A team must shoot both balls before the other team shoots and one ball per person.
8. Leaning: Leaning is permitted so long as both feet remain in contact with the floor during all shots and none of your body parts may come in contact with the beer pong table.
9. Hitting Cups: A ball, which is shot into a cup, is counted regardless of how it gets there. An uncontrolled ball off a shot which goes into a cup is counted. Two consecutive shots in the same cup is count as only as 1 cup (refer to rule #10). A bounced shot, which makes it into a cup is worth 1 cup (refer to rule #15).
10. Removing Hit Cups: As soon as the opposing team makes a cup you must remove it from the rack the shooting team must wait until the cup is removed before they shoot their second ball. The only exception to this rule is when only one cup remains. If any team makes 2 balls in the last cup consecutively the game over with no rebuttals.
11. Bring-backs: When a team makes two consecutive shots in separate cups during one shooting turn a “bring-back” is awarded and both players get a ball back. If a cup is knocked over by a shot, this counts toward a bring-back. If a cup is removed for any reason other than a shot, this does not count toward a bring-back.
12. Re-racks: Each team can call for a “re-rack” twice during each game. Your team only gets 2 re-racks per game so use them wisely. Cups can be re-racked at 6cups, 4cups, 3cups, 2cups, or 1cup. Remember you only get two re-racks. You may only call for a re-rack at the beginning of your teams turn shooting when you are both still holding a ball.
Approved Tournament Racks: 13. Fallen Cups: Cups that fall over so that a.) The rim touches the table, b.) The cup falls off the table on to the floor, or c.) The cup tips over so that a majority of its liquid spills, either by a legitimate shot or by fault of the player(s) defending said cups, are counted as “hit” cups. Cups which fall over from other means are returned into play (i.e. sasquatch spills your cup in pure animalistic rage) Note: A cup can be caught before it falls / spills and returned into play. The final cup is not an exception to any of these rules.
14. 2 Balls 1 Cup: The only time 2 balls in one cup count for anything is on the final cup (refer to rule #10).
15: Bouncing: Bouncing is allowed as a legal shot and is only worth 1 cup. No blocking is allowed on a bounced shot.
16. Blowing: There is no blowing or “fingering” allowed of a ball that is spinning in a cup. Not even for the bitches. Sorry!
17. Interference: Balls shot by one player that are touched by the opposing player(s) before the ball passes the edge of the table or makes contact with either a cup or the table, are returned to the shooting player as a “re-shot.” Any interference after the first offense results in the forfeit of one cup per interfered shot. The team whose shot was interfered with may choose which cup is removed.
18. Distraction: A team may do whatever they feel necessary to prevent the opposing team from making shots except: a.) crossing to the other teams side of the table, b.) physically interfering with the opposing teams shot, c.) touching or moving the table during a shot, or d.) covering or hiding cups from the shooters sight e.) making air or wind interference anywhere near the cups.
19. Rebuttals: When a team's final cup has been made, each player with a ball on the losing team will have the opportunity to shoot until he/she misses. Unless the winning team makes 2 balls in the final cup in which case the game is over. If the team succeeds in hitting all of his/her opponents remaining cups, the game will go into overtime.
20. Overtime: O.T. is played as a 3-cup playoff. The team that put the match into overtime always shoots second in O.T. The team to make the final cup first in overtime is the winner. Overtime is “sudden death” and there are no re-racks or rebuttals.