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The variant of beer pong that uses table tennis paddles follows rules that are relatively close to those of table tennis and thus presumably emerged as an adaptation of table tennis into a drinking game. It is unclear where the game was first played, although some have suggested Dartmouth College in the 1950s or Lafayette College in the 1980s. Many variations of this game have been formed, including the popular Beirut.

At Dartmouth, the game did not mature until plastic cups became readily available; students there have held all-school tournaments with computed rankings and creating tradeable player cards. The game is typically played in either Lob (as at Dartmouth and Lafayette) or Fast (or the related "Slam") form (as at Bucknell University), with the former encouraging high, arcing shots into the cups and the latter requiring speedy direct shots meant to hit a cup or knock it over.

A variant of "lob pong" is considered the "gentleman's game" of beer pong. This version was perfected and thereafter played exclusively in the basement of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Whitman College in the 1980s. (Please see "Gentleman's Game" below)

In either Lob Pong or Fast Pong, two or four players face off from opposite ends of a table typically made from a finished 4×8-foot sheet of plywood, often painted with elaborate scenes or symbols relevant to the institutional owner. A 2×4 or other board sometimes serves as the net, but usually people use a broomstick or other random object as the net. The game is played with wooden table-tennis paddles that often have the rubber removed and the handles sawn off. Two, four, eight, or more twelve-ounce plastic cups half full or completely full of beer are placed on each team's side, usually centered a paddle's-width from the edge but in some variants placed at the corners of the table a paddle-head length from each side. Sixteen-ounce cups are also used.

A relative of Fast is Slam, a doubles game in which one player sets the ball up to his teammate positioned at the side of the table who then slams the ball toward the cups, much as volleyball teammates would set up a spike. This is the alternative to Lob at Dartmouth, where a house plays either Lob or Slam.

Contents 1 Lob 1.1 Service 1.2 Return 2 Gentleman's Game 3 See also

The game mirrors the basic form of a friendly game of regulation table tennis. Each serve and return must complete an arc acceptable to opponents and observers, though the goal of sinking the ball in a cup tends to reward returning in the proper form. Hitting an opponent's cup means one-fifth, one-half or simply a "sip" of the cup is drunk (depending on the school), and sinking a ball in a cup means that a player or a team must drink a half or the entire cup. Spilling one's own cup usually merits drinking an entire cup of freshly poured beer. Other beverages than beer, including water or cocktails, are sometimes permitted, but some beverage is necessary.

The ball is properly served by striking it with the paddle, ensuring it bounces only once off the serving team's half of the table, and then lands on the opposing team's half. If the ball hits an opponent's cup the serving team must drink one sip from their cup and serve again. This is a "fault". If the serve lands in an opponent's cup the serving team must drink an entire beer. This is also a "fault".

Two "faults" are allowed if the ball fails to make its second bounce on the opponent's half of the table. If a server faults three times, the opponent gets one point and gets to serve. Note that hitting or sinking on the serve do not count as faults; in this case, the opponent collects 1 or 2 points respectively and immediately gets to serve.

Since a game cannot be lost on a service error, at match point the losing server has an unlimited number of "faults", and the server does not lose points or service if the opponent's cup is accidentally hit or sunk on the serve. As a result, the server should keep trying for the best serve possible when the opponent is at match point. Some players institute a three-fault rule, however, the violation of which requires that a full beer be drunk.

A related strategy is to foul up the ball and intentionally serve it into your opponent's cup. If you are able to sink it later, your opponent must drink a fouled beverage. This is known as "intentional gorfing".

In some places, continuing service after the ball has hit a cup is, not only commendable, but results in "one on". Roughly explained, if a cup has been hit and the opponent is able to keep the ball in play, there will be "one drink" on the table. The losing side of that service will not only lose a point, but will have the pleasure of drinking a "drink" from their cup. Obviously this rule is not limited to just one hit of a cup but can expand infinitely, depending upon the skill of the players.

The ball must be returned after it has bounced just once off of the returning team's half of the table; this includes the table top and the cups. Blowing a spinning ball out of a cup and returning it is permitted but it is highly-frowned upon unless done by girls. Ricocheting the ball off external objects such as a vertical or horizontal structural member in the basement, a ceiling, or a bystander is usually permitted. If a ball is extremely hard to return or if it is "un-returnable", both teams can agree to call it a "DB," "Dive-bomb," or "stoner." If a "DB" or "stoner" is agreed upon, then the point is played over.

There are a number of formal variants of Lob, including the standard Two-Cup (one full cup per player), Four-Cup (two full cups per player), Shrub (a triangle of six beers with a "stem" attached to one side), Tree (much like Shrub, except the triangle includes 10 beers), Line (with four half cups per player), Full-Cup Line or Wall (cups in a line across the width of the table), Great Wall (cups lining all sides of the table), Table (cups covering the surface; one must foul out to clear a space on his own side for service), Battleship (or 'Ship, two lines of three cups and one line of five, four and two cups placed strategically, similar to the formations in the board game Battleship), Rotating Randomness (irregular groups of cups placed in irregular pie-shaped sections of the table and played by six or more people who change positions after each point, encouraging shifting ad-hoc team behavior), and Henge (stacked cups or trilithons in irregular pie-shaped zones, with each player having a separate "Tourist" cup whose strategic drinking out of turn imposes the requirement that all others drink theirs, and other ritual elements).

This version is similar to "lob pong" but with key differences. This game is always played as either a one-on-one or doubles match, with one keg cup of beer per person. The game is always played to 21 points, and victor(s) must win by 2. An optional, though highly recommended, variation employs the "hoop rule", in which the winning side must end the game with a "hoop" (see below); hitting the opponent's cup does not result in a point, though a sip is "on the table". Between evenly matched foes, the "hoop rule" can result in quite lengthy competitions and continued debauchery long into the night. It is believed, though not confirmed, that the record for most amount of "hoops" in a game is 17. Of course if an opponent feels the sudden urge to "boot", a gentleman always allows a short break, though said opponent is then expected to "rally". Anything less would be uncivilized.

SERVICE

The ball is properly served by striking it with the paddle, ensuring it bounces only once off the serving team's half of the table, and then lands on the opposing team's half. If the ball hits an opponent's cup the serving team must drink one sip from their cup and serve again. If the serve lands in an opponent's cup the serving team must drink an entire beer. If the ball fails to make its second bounce on the opponent's half of the table after two attempts, the serving team must take a sip and continue serving. No points are awarded to either side on the serve. Service changes sides after every combined 5 points. In doubles play, teammates must alternate serving the 5 point sets with each side change.

RETURN

The ball must be returned after it has bounced just once off of the returning team's half of the table; this includes the table top and the cups. Ricocheting the ball off external objects is permitted. Points may be scored anytime after the first serve. Points are scored one at a time for either a "hoop" (the return lands in the opponent's cup) or for hitting the opponent's cup (without a bounce) followed by the opponent's failure to make a successful return. A successful return off of a hit cup negates the point, but a sip is "on the table", and the side that fails to sustain the rally must take a sip at its conclusion.

If a ball hits the edge of the table at any time and is thus impossible to return both teams can agree to call it a "stoner" and replay the point.

• The National Beer Pong League's variations of rules for Beer Pong with Paddles, nbpl.net, 2006.
• Dartmouth pong
• Beer Die
• Beer pong