Items Needed:
- Quarters (1 is used to play but they are often lost easily, so the more you have on hand the better)
- BEER! (bottles are preferred but cans are OK. Everyone uses the same however - either cans or bottles)
- Table/Playing surface
Basic Setup:
Each person playing gets a beer and a spot around the table. Do your best to space everyone out evenly around the table. Players can use their drinking beer or an empty beer as their "playing beer." If an empty beer is used as the "playing beer" the player must have a "drinking beer" set aside somewhere off the playing table. Once everyone is spaced out around the table and everyone has a "playing beer," play can begin!
Gameplay:
Whoever starts the game (pick your own way to choose - usually whoever has the quarter) will take the quarter in hand and begin play by spinning it on the table (you can spin the quarter however you'd like, but if you fail to spin the quarter twice in a row, a penalty is assessed. See "Penalties"). When the quarter is spinning all players must keep their hands off of the table. If a player is caught with their hands on the table an immediate penalty is assessed (see "Penalties"). Next, the player who spun the quarter calls out someone's name (or points to someone if they do not know the player's name). The player called out becomes the SHOOTER. The SHOOTER's objective is to hit another player's bottle with the still spinning quarter. Everyone else around the table whose name was not called puts up their DEFENSE (see "Defensive Positioning"). The SHOOTER can use any method to hit another player's bottle as long as they use only one hand on the quarter (i.e. swatting, flicking, backhanding, punching). If the quarter misses the bottle, whoever was shot at is the next person to spin the quarter and call out someone's name. If the bottle is hit, the player drinks! (see "Drinking").
Drinking: (the reason anyone plays!)
If your bottle is hit with the quarter by the SHOOTER you must drink. The SHOOTER will spin the quarter on the table again. While the quarter remains spinning on the table you must keep drinking/chugging your beer. Players who are not drinking are allowed to flick the quarter to keep it spinning. The person drinking is not allowed to interfere with the quarter. Once the quarter falls flat or off the playing surface, drinking stops.
Defensive Positioning: The picture here shows it well, except the palm would be facing the beer, not away from it
The defensive position is a very simple setup, which should be very strictly enforced. NO CHEATING! The position is as follows: the pointer finger and pinky finger are straight out, with your other fingers bent into the palm (like a shocker with the middle finger bent). The pinky is to be placed along the table, with the base of the pinky along the beer. You can move your defense up and down your beer to cover the upper area, but ONLY your fingers can be in front of the beer. NO KNUCKLING! (putting your knuckles or whole hand in front of the beer).
Penalties:
- If you fail to spin the quarter twice in a row, whether it's a failed attempt or the quarter falls off the table before a shot is made, that will result in ONE penalty drink and passing the quarter to the person to your left.
- If you are caught with your hands on the table before a name is called, and another player notices, they will simply point at you and say "hands." The penalty is not being able to block on that round. You must place your hands behind your back and watch while your bottle, more than likely, gets hit.
- If you use any illegal form of defense (any form of blocking your beer that is not the approved standard) and someone catches you, this results in ONE penalty drink.
- If at any point in the game you spill a beer, this results in ONE penalty drink (only pertains to bottles/cans with beer in them - it is typical for "playing beers" which are empty to get knocked over, this is not a penalty).
- If you are the SHOOTER and you miss a shot on an "open net" (an undefended beer) this results in THREE penalty drinks and eternal humiliation.
Additional Rules:
- Anyone's beer on the table is fair game, regardless of whether or not the player is present. If you must leave the table for any reason you have to take your bottle with you to be safe.
- If you are the designated SHOOTER, you are allowed to move your beer to make your shot easier. You are also allowed to ask other players to move their bottle to make your shot easier. They do not have to move their bottle if they do not wish to. Any bottles moved to make a shot must be replaced after the shot is taken.
Optional Rules:
These are rules that can be added if you wish. It may be easier to start out basic and add these rules as you progress your skills. Generally, the following rules result in more drinking and more fun!
1. Redemption Rule - If the player finishes their beer while the quarter is still spinning they can take a redemption shot at anyone's beer. When this happens the other players are allowed to put up their defense. There will be NO warning when the player finished their beer, PAY ATTENTION!
2. STOP Rule - While the quarter is spinning and a player is drinking, any player can try to stop the quarter upright, with a single finger. If the player succeeds in stopping the quarter upright, the player who was drinking must finish their beer. If the player who attempted to stop the quarter upright fails, and is falls flat on the table, they must finish their beer. (strategy pertaining to how much beer they have to drink and how much you have to drink surely comes into play here).
3. Rebound Rule - After the SHOOTER attempts their shot (whether a bottle is hit or not), if the quarter remains spinning on the table (even slightly), anyone is then allowed to shoot at anyone's beer. This can get crazy and chaotic, and can result in more than one person drinking at a time or someone drinking multiple times. If multiple people's beers are hit everyone drinks until the quarter falls flat or off the playing surface. If someone is hit multiple times, the quarter is spun multiple times until it falls (to match the number of times they were hit).
Beer Hockey is a fun and exciting game spreading like wildfire through college kids around the globe! If you have any corrections, revisions, comments, or suggestions please leave them in the comments below and I will respond or make revisions accordingly! And remember to never drink and drive!!!
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