ChicagoBeer Die
The Official Rules

Beer Die Rules

Two teams of two throw dice to score points. The first team to 10 points wins, and you must win by at least 2.

Game Rules League Rules Printable stat sheet

1 Setup

You need a wooden table (roughly 1.5 feet high, 4 feet long and 2 feet wide; hard wood is preferred so you don't ruin the table), 4 chairs, 2 dice, a line (shoe string, bungee cord, anything that spans the width of the table and will move when hit), and your drinks. All drinks must be in the same type of container (cup, can or bottle).

Place the line in the middle of the table as shown in the diagram, and sit on the same side of the line as your teammate. Your beer can be placed on your side of the table at any spot, but it is recommended that you put them in the positions shown. You will want at least a few feet of room on every side of the table to catch, run and dive. There must be NOTHING ELSE on the table.

TEAM 1PLAYER 1 TEAM 1PLAYER 2 LINE DRINKDRINKDRINKDRINK TEAM 2PLAYER 1 TEAM 2PLAYER 2

2 Determining throwing order

Once everything is set up and everyone is sitting down, roll dice to see which team throws first. Player 1 from each team rolls a die; the higher roll wins. In the case of a tie, player 2 from each team rolls against each other, and this continues until there is a winning roll.

3 Teams take turns throwing

If team 2 won the roll, for example, they get the first 2 throws of the game. The order of who throws first on your team does not matter and can be changed at any time, as long as you throw both dice during your team's turn within the rules.

4 Throwing (offense)

Beer die is a gentleman's game, so you are required to wait a reasonable amount of time between your team's throws so the other team can be ready.

Throwing the die is a very specific motion and has several rules. If any of the following rules are broken, your team gets a fault (see the next section).

  1. All cans/cups must be on the table. If any can/cup is off the table when you throw, it is a fault. See “pausing the game” in section 9.
  2. You must place the die in the middle of your flat, face-up palm and cannot “grab” it.
  3. You must throw in a motion where your hand does not go past the edge of the table.
  4. You cannot intentionally spin the die.
  5. When the die is in flight, it must go higher than all four players' heads (everyone must be sitting).
  6. The die cannot hit the ceiling. If it does, it is a fault.
  7. The die must go past the center line. If the die HITS the center line, it is a fault.
  8. The die must hit the opposing team's side of the table. If the die hits your side or misses the table, your team gets a fault.

5 Faults

If your team gets a fault, that throw is immediately disqualified from getting points. The die, while in motion, may still be able to reward drinks (by hitting the other team's cups), but cannot score any points for you. After a fault, your team must drink, the other team places the die behind their beer, and your team continues throwing until the end of your turn. If your team gets a fault, your team must DRINK the amount explained in section 8.

If you realize, while the die is in the air, that your throw will result in a fault, you can (without leaving your seat) attempt to swat the die in flight towards the other team's cans. If the die hits their cans, it results in a social (your team drinks because of the fault, the other team drinks because it hit a can). Still, no points can be rewarded because the throw was already disqualified by the fault.

6 Getting points

You can only get points when you are throwing (on offense). You get a point when:

  1. You throw a legal throw and the die hits the ground without being caught.
  2. You throw a legal throw and the die hits the top of the other team's beer can and bounces up (or lands in the cup, if you're using cups). These throws are toppers and are immediately a point, regardless of a catch afterwards. Toppers can occur on the fly, or by first bouncing off the table (as long as it is not already a fault). In the case of a topper, the opposing team must finish their entire beer.

7 Catching (defense)

When the other team is throwing, your team is catching (playing defense). This is probably more important than offense, because most points are scored by people dropping catches. Learn how to catch. If the other team throws a valid, non-fault throw, you must catch it before it hits the ground.

  1. If the die hits the side of your can/cup, the throw is over (no points can be scored) and you do not need to catch the die, but your team must drink (see section 8) before the next throw.
  2. If the die hits the top of your can and bounces up (or goes into your cup), the other team gets a topper point, you do not need to catch the die, your team has to finish your entire beers, and the throw is over.
  3. If the die hits the table correctly, avoids the cans, and you do not catch it before it hits the ground, the other team gets a POINT.
  4. If you successfully and legally catch the die, place it immediately behind your beer so you have two free hands, and the other team's turn continues.
  5. If the die comes to rest on the table without falling off, it's considered a catch and you can move it behind your beer (boring).
  6. If the die lands in your chair, it is considered a catch and you can move it behind your beer.

Catching rules

  1. You must wait for the die to first hit the table and bounce “off” the table before you can catch it.
  2. If you touch the die while it is in flight over the table but do not successfully catch it, it is a drop and a point for the other team.
  3. If you touch the die while it is in flight over the table and successfully catch it, you are penalized: (a) your team must drink, (b) your team is given an “over the table” warning, which immediately gives the other team (c) re-throws for the number of dice that have already been thrown in the current turn MULTIPLIED BY the number of over-the-table warnings your team has in the current game. The maximum number of re-throws is capped at 4. For example, if your team already caught one die over the table on a previous turn and catches another, the opposing team gets two additional throws if it was their first throw of the turn, or four if it was their second.
  4. If a legal throw hits the table, bounces off, and you knock it back over the table while attempting to catch it, everyone must again wait for it to bounce “off” the table before anyone can catch it. In this situation, if the defensive team catches the die over the table they are penalized exactly as above. If the offensive team catches the die over the table, the throw is a fault. After initial contact with the die, even if it goes back over the table, physical contact between opponents is legal because the die has already been bobbled.
  5. If you touch the die but it ends up landing back on the table and coming to rest, the other team re-throws that die.
  6. If you begin to bobble the die in the air, the offensive team can leave their seats and attempt to hit/knock-you/kick-you-in-the-throat to make you drop it. This is the only time the team on offense can leave their seats.
  7. Be reasonable about catches. If a player maintains possession of a catch for several seconds without moving, they are allowed to move to find/retrieve the die. If they drop it after this point it is still a catch, because the play was already over.

7A Onside kicks

An onside kick is a rare but possibly game-changing event. If the team on defense attempts to catch the die but instead hits it up into the air (the team on defense MUST touch the die for this to happen), the team that threw the die can then leave their seats and attempt to catch it as well. If the throwing team catches the die in the air, they get a point AND they get to throw that die again. If you're on defense and you hit the die into the air where the other team may be able to catch it, try like hell to catch it or knock it away. If the throwing team attempts to catch an onside kick but the die falls to the ground, it is still a point for their team, but they do not get an additional throw.

8 Drinking

Any time you drink, you drink as a team. If your partner throws a fault, you both drink. If your partner's cup gets hit by the opposing team's throw, you both drink. When you are forced to drink, the game MUST wait until you finish your allotted drinking. If your team throws a fault with the first throw, you have to drink before you can throw your second.

You are supposed to finish your beer in six “drinks”: after six things happen that force you to drink, your beer should be gone and you should get a new one. You drink “one” when:

  1. Your team throws a fault.
  2. The other team's throw hits the side of one of your team's cans (regardless of whether it's a fault).

If a fault hits the other team's can, it's basically a “social”: no points are awarded, but everyone at the table drinks. If a throw hits multiple cans, each can counts as one drink for the team that owns it, so if a throw hits both of Team 1's cans, Team 1 drinks double. If the die somehow bounces back and hits the throwing team's can, the throwing team drinks (and the throw cannot score any points).

You finish your beer (or optionally take a shot) when:

  1. The other team throws a die that hits the top of your can and bounces up (or lands in your cup). Even if the throw is a fault you must finish your beer; they just don't get the point.
  2. You throw a die that somehow lands in your own cup or bounces off the top of your own beer. If you do this you're an idiot and you deserve to drink.

9 Miscellaneous rules (important!)

  1. Screening. If your team throws legally and the die hits the opposing team's side and begins to roll back towards you, you can “screen” the other team: without leaving your seat, touching the other team or touching the die, put your hands in their field of vision while they track the die to try to cause a drop. If you touch the other team or the die before the defender touches it, it is pass interference.
  2. Pass interference. While your team is on offense and a throw is in progress, you are not allowed to touch the other team or the die until they have touched the die. If you touch the other team or the die, or leave your seat, it is pass interference and the throw is nullified. The only time the offense may touch the other team, catch the die or leave their seats is when the defense bobbles (touches but does not immediately catch) the die.
  3. Pausing the game. If anyone takes their can/cup off the table, the game is “paused.” Use this to go to the bathroom, drink, refill beers, etc. Whenever anyone is drinking, the game is automatically paused because their cup is off the table. If anyone throws while the game is paused (regardless of which team paused it), the throw is a fault and the throwing team drinks. You CANNOT pause the game while the other team is already in the throwing motion. Don't be an idiot.

10 Winning

The first team to 10 points wins, but you must win by at least 2 points. If the score is 10–9, the game goes into overtime and continues until either team is ahead by 2.