Social Pong Rules

Social Pong Rules

What You Need

• 4 players (2 per team)
• 22 party cups
• 2–6 table tennis balls
• 2 Social Pong targets
• 1 carry bag
• 8 stakes (if playing in grass or sand)
• Water or other liquids

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Choose Your Playing Scenario

1. Tables fully assembled — players standing.
2. Tables assembled with one leg — players seated in chairs.
3. Targets only — place the Social Pong targets on any surface (e.g., dining table).

Note: You can place the top cover layer over the target to use your Social Pong set as a side table.

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Get Ready to Play

1. Place 10 cups into the designated holes on each target.
2. Fill each cup approximately ⅓ full.
3. Place the two targets about 8 feet apart.
4. Two players stand beside each target — these two players form a team.

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Who Throws First

A popular way to begin:

• Two opposing players make eye contact and shoot simultaneously without looking at the cups.
• The first team to make a cup goes first.
• If both teams make it, repeat until there is a clear first-turn winner.

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Playing the Game

• Each team gets two shots per turn — one shot per team member.
• If a player makes a cup, the opposing team removes (and/or consumes) that cup.
• Teams alternate turns: both players on Team A shoot, then both players on Team B.
• The team that clears all opposing cups first wins.
• If both teammates sink their shot in the same turn, their team gets 2 additional shots.

Bounce Shots

• If a ball bounces into a cup, it counts as two cups.
• The player who made the bounce chooses the second cup to remove.
• If a player bounces the ball, the opposing team is allowed to swat it away.

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Rebuttal (“Let’s End This”)

• After the last cup is scored, each player on the losing team may attempt to hit the remaining cups.
• Players shoot until they miss.
• Re-racks may still be used during rebuttal.
• If both players miss with cups remaining, the game ends.
• If the losing team hits all remaining cups, the game enters 3-cup overtime.

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Overtime

If a team successfully hits all remaining cups in rebuttal:

• Each team sets up 3 cups in a triangle using water.
• The team who hit the final rebuttal cup shoots first.
• Overtime follows the same rules as the main game.

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Backboard & In

• If a defensive player accidentally deflects a ball into their own cup, the cup counts.

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Interference

• If a player interferes before the ball makes contact with a cup:
  • A one-cup penalty is imposed.
  • The thrower chooses which cup to remove.
• If the offensive team bounces, the defense may legally swat the ball.
• Players may not touch the table while opponents are shooting.
• Balls cannot be interfered with once inside a cup.
• If a player knocks over their own cups, those cups count as sunk and are removed.
• If the entire rack is knocked off:
  • All cups are counted as hit.
  • Exception: During re-racking, cups are reset.
• If a non-player knocks cups over, they are replaced and refilled.
• Cups that drift out of formation may be replaced upon request.

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Re-Racking Rules

As cups are removed, the pyramid becomes harder to aim for. Each team receives 2 re-racks per game, used at any time.

• The shooting team chooses how to reform their cups.
• Most players re-rack with 6 cups remaining, then again with 2 or 3 remaining.
• Reformation should happen as soon as applicable — even mid-turn.