Beer Pong Table Dimensions (with Drawings)

Are you ready to add a beer pong table to your list of gaming equipment? Whether at a bar, on your patio, or even in a pool (really), many adults enjoy playing beer pong. It’s certainly grown in popularity over the past couple of decades, and the right size beer pong table is key.

Official tournament beer pong tables are 8 feet long, 24 inches wide, 27.5 inches tall, and typically foldable. More permanent beer pong tables are the same height and length but wider at 4 to 5 feet. When working with a limited space, you can also find tables that are 6 feet long.

In addition to the size of the beer pong table, there are also guidelines for other dimensions. For example, there are standards for things like the number of cups and the distance between them.

For official tournament play, people use regulation beer pong tables. These tables must meet specific size requirements, and they typically fold up for easy portability. Regulation size beer pong tables are 8 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 27.5 inches tall.

The surface of the table usually features custom imagery depending on the tournament. Beer pong tables will also typically have outlines indicating the starting positions of the cups. You can find official tables with several designs, but they will all have the same size.

If you don’t need to move your beer pong table around, a more fixed style is a larger version. You’ll typically find larger beer pong tables in bars, homes, and places like frat houses or adult arcades.

The larger tables are typically wider, making them more conducive for recreational purposes. A wider table means more people can gather around to watch the fun up close.

Large beer pong tables are also 8 feet long and 27.5 inches tall. However, the width is more expansive at about 4 to 5 feet. These tables can also feature custom imagery, usually at the discretion of the table’s owner.

Just as crucial as having space for the actual beer pong table, you also need adequate room for gameplay. For an official beer pong table, you should ideally have an 18 by 8-foot area. Although you can play the game in a slightly smaller space, this allows good flow and maneuvering around the table.

For a larger beer pong table, try to map out an area about 18 by 10 feet. If you’re using a smaller 6-foot table, an ideal space is 16 by 8 feet.

A good rule of thumb is to add 5 feet to each side for length, similar to a ping pong table. Then, add 3 feet to each side of the table for width. Keep in mind this area is for gameplay and doesn’t include the space for onlookers.

If you’re limited on indoor space, consider setting up a portable beer pong table outside for your game. Then you can easily fold it down and bring it inside or store it away when not in use.

Official beer pong games feature 10 cups, although some party games use 6. People use popular red SOLO cups in many settings, and regulation rules state cups must be 16 ounces. However, in unofficial games, people also often use 18-ounce cups.

A 16-ounce cup has a 3 ⅝-inch diameter opening, a base width of 2¼ inches, and is 4 ⅝ inches tall.

In a ten-cup game, meaning ten cups per team, you arrange the cups in a pyramid shape, tip to center. The rough distance between the two cups in front is 65 inches. Your opponent’s front cup would be 6 feet, 8.5 inches from your end of the table.

If playing with only six cups, it would be 6 feet, 11.5 inches away. Additionally, you should only fill cups about one-third full. Despite the game’s name, in official tournaments, people use water, and drinking the cup’s contents is not a requirement.

In addition to the game cups, the recommendation is each team have a separate water cup. This cup of water is for cleaning the ping pong balls in between throws.

Related Questions

When and where did beer pong get started?

Beer pong wasn’t so much invented as it evolved from something else. It developed from a similar drinking game, in which players hit balls into cups using paddles. Many believe the game’s origin goes as far back as the 1950s at Dartmouth College.The theory is that the popularity of basketball during the 1970s and 1980s made people start tossing the balls instead. Bucknell University claims to be the developers of “Throw Pong”. Then, many more college parties and years later, beer pong became the game we know today. Today, you can find multiple variations of gameplay created from many sources. It’s also sometimes called 6-Cups, Beirut, or 10-Cups.

What’s the best way to take care of a beer pong table?

A beer pong table needs to be able to handle spills for obvious reasons. Therefore, a legitimate beer pong table should be waterproof. However, it’s still important to keep your table clean and dry. Therefore, when playing, keep some towels on hand to wipe up spills promptly.Simply wipe down your table in between uses to keep it in good shape. You can use a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar and dampen a soft cloth with it. Also, ensure the table is dry before folding it up and storing it.To keep beer pong balls clean during a game, it’s best to have water available to rinse the balls. Then use a paper towel to dry them off before the next toss.  

How much do beer pong tables cost?

Beer pong tables vary in price from relatively inexpensive to over $100. It all depends on what you’re looking for and where you get your table.For example, an inflatable beer pong table can cost you about $15 to $30. For about $50 to $100, you can purchase a basic, waterproof folding beer pong table. Then, for $100 to roughly $200, you can get a beer pong table with a few more bells and whistles.These fancier tables feature custom paint jobs and extras. Extras include things like LED lights and bubbles to add an extra special touch to your game. In a pinch, you could also create a makeshift beer pong table for playing at home. All you need is a simple piece of plywood cut to size, propped up on two or three saw horses set to the proper height. Give the plywood’s surface and edges a good sanding before you play to make them nice and smooth. Finally, paint the table as desired with the proper markings for the cups and any special images you want. Follow up by adding a finishing coat of polyurethane to seal the table.