How To Play Beer Die: Everything You Need To Know

Beer die, also known as beer dye or snappa, is a drinking game played at opposite ends of a table between opposing players. The game’s object is to land the die in the opponent’s cup or have it hit the table and bounce over the scoring area to the floor. After the die hits the table but before it touches a non-table surface, the defending team tries to catch it with one hand. The game can also be played one-on-one and commonly comprises two two-player groups, with each of the four players having a specific cup on the table.

A beer die-thrower has three qualities: offensive, defense, and stamina. The defense is sometimes put under strain by a competent offensive player’s several legal throws, frequently placed close to the opponents’ cups and the table’s edge. A strong defender consistently snags basic passes and often catches “hot tosses.” A player with excellent stamina can frequently drink over the course of numerous games without harming their performance. Bringing various perspectives to the table is beneficial when putting together a beer-die team.

The History of Beer-Die

Image Credit – Wikipedia

There are a few fan theories about the origin of the game. 

1st Theory: Four fraternity guys tossed a single die above a table in the Alpha Tau Omega house library at the University of Maine in 1972 without letting it go off the edge. According to crowdsourced analysis from the official Beer Die League fan page, it was at this point that the game of Beer Die, also called Snappa, was created.

Compared to beer pong, das boot, and flip cup, the drinking game Beer Die requires more skill, more thinking, and more drinking. Only the most devoted gamers can conquer this exclusive drinking game. Like other drinking customs, it, too, has a hazy past.

On their rules page, the Beer Die League states, “Beer Die is a gentleman’s game and should always be played like one.” Any guidelines or recommendations are left to the hosting party’s discretion, and disputes will be resolved politely.

2nd Theory: Colby students allegedly devised the game in 1978, according to The Colby Echo, Colby College’s student newspaper published in Maine. According to the article headlined “Colby tradition, a dying (sic) culture,” the game is no longer a staple at Colby since it is too sluggish, and students are likely just attempting to drink as much as they can in a short amount of time. 

3rd Theory: According to a different origin story for the game placed on the Wikipedia page for Beer Die, naval personnel from the 1970s and students from Santa Clara University in California are to thank for this traditional drinking game. 

Regardless of the past, the various genesis tales make sense, considering where the game is played now. The Northeast and the West Coast are home to the majority of “Beer Die Chapters,” as designated by the Beer Die League. Beer Die is a skill game for all ages, regardless of where you play, where it comes from, or what you call it.

How To Play Beer-Die

Here is a good video from Wikihow if you want to watch –

Things You Need:

• You will need a plywood table that is 4′ by 8′ long with a dividing line running down the center to play Beer Die (vertically). We advise obtaining 5-ply pine plywood that is 1/2″ thick because it needs to be about 3 to 3 12′ off the ground. To maintain the integrity of the bounce, use a clear coat finish rather than epoxy.
• Four pint-sized glasses are positioned at a finger’s (or hand’s) distance from each corner.
• 2 Dice
• Players: 4
• Beer of preference
• Before the game begins, each player must put one full beer in their cup.
• Last but not least, before you start the game, you need to specify a height boundary, which determines how high the die must be tossed on each toss.

Rules of the game:

• Toss: One player rolls a die, and the opposing team calls high or low to determine which team will toss first. It is high if the dice lands on a 4, 5, or 6. It is low if the dice lands on a 1, 2, or 3. They receive the first toss if they are predicted correctly.
• Win: Games are played for up to 9 or 11 points to win. If the game is played to nine or eleven, a beer is killed and filled after every three points and after every four points, respectively. Also, two people always win games. A FIFA game CANNOT be won.
• Two players from one team will play against two from the other team.
• Place a cup filled with beer for each player 5 inches (130 mm) from the side and 8 inches (200 mm) from the back (hand from back, fist from side).
• A particular end score, such as first to five, seven, eleven, or twelve points, is used to determine how the game is played (win by 2, cap at seven)
• The numbers 5 and 7 must be called biz and buzz, respectively.
• The team with the highest number on the die gets to choose the side or first throw. Each team will have one player roll the dice.
• Before throwing, players must tap the dice to indicate their throw.
• When the dice are released, they must be tossed so the opposing team cannot see the thrower’s palm.
• The dice cannot ascend below an altitude of 8 feet (2.4 m). The shot is not considered successful if the other team contests the height.
• A point is scored if the dice strikes the table and bounces off the defending team’s (4 feet (1.2 m)) side without being properly caught.
• The other team can catch the die to prevent any points from being scored. A point is granted if the dice is captured with one hand (juggling is allowed), but it cannot be trapped between any surface or body part. The play is over, and a point is given if the dice touch the ground or stop rolling. It is acceptable to get up from the chair to catch the dice. To grab the dice, players must not extend their arms above the plane of the table.
• A “plink” (also known as a “body” or “ting”) occurs when the die hits the cup during a toss; no points can be scored as a result.
• A “plunk,” “sink,” or “sploosh” occurs when the die is tossed into the cup of the opposing team; in this case, the throwing team receives one point, and the thrower is allowed to sign the table. A tally is shown for each additional plunk next to their name.
• A team’s toss is thrown away, and they forfeit their subsequent shot if they shoot out of turn.
• A chosen “god” referee decides disagreements.

Here is a good video if you want to watch –

Rules to drink:

Players are obligated to drink when specific events occur or don’t in a drinking game. According to the website for the Beer Die League, the following guidelines are followed: 

• Per cup, there are five beers 
• Each drink must be consumed collectively as a team.
• One-fifth of the cup must be consumed if:
  • Their throw completely misses the table.
  • Their throw misses the cup and remains on the table.
  • Their throw lands on the roof.
  • Their group throws the die before turning.
  • Their cup is struck by the dice (plink, body, ting).
  • The winning team must finish their drinks and roll the dice onto the table if it lands in a cup (plunk/sink/sploosh). The squad must consume one more full drink if the dice come up “biz.”

Other Rules:

• Bobbles: If both teams want to play this game, the defensive team is prohibited from intentionally or unintentionally bobbing the dice. A point is awarded to the tossing team if the dice are bobbled and not caught cleanly.
• Extreme bobbles: If both teams decide to play extreme bobbles, an offensive player can knock a defensive player who bobbles a die off their feet to prevent them from capturing a die.
• Picks: You may make a pick at the cups if both teams agree to them (not at the mid-line). You cannot move toward or shoulder into the defending player. No points will be awarded for doing so.
• Biz: The team that shouts BIZ first does not have to consume a social drink if the dice lands dead on the table following the toss, and it lands on a 5. All players are required to take a social and drink if no one calls “BIZ.”
• Field Goals: The offense scores two points if the dice rolls on the defensive side and bounces back through the offensive side’s cups without being caught. A conventional “field goal” or “tink,” worth two points, is when the dice strikes the offensive side’s cup and returns through the defensive side’s cup without being captured. Points cannot be compounded on a “tink to field goal” play.
• Spitting 5: If both teams accept the “spit 5’s” rule, it is acceptable to spit five after a sink. The player swallows and spits a dice onto the table or simply rolls it out of the cup. The player must shoot or chug a beer out of his glass if he spits (or rolls) a 5.
• Naked Lap (Naked Mile) or Pizza: If a team loses by a score of 9 or 11, they must run around the block in their underwear. They have a choice between doing this and buying the winning team pizza. If you spill your cup, you must run a naked lap if you spill your cup, failing which, you will forfeit the game. Both offense team players must sprint a naked lap if they spill their partner’s cup. In the event of a self-sink, there is no option to order pizza for the other squad.

How To Score Points:

• The dice must be thrown over the agreed-upon height and bounce off any portion of the other player’s side of the table; if the dice are not captured after it bounces off the table, the player has scored a point. Each team throws one at a time.
• A dice can bounce anywhere once it reaches the opposing team’s side; it might even bounce back in the direction it came from. It counts as a point as long as it makes contact with the defending half of the table and hits the floor. A defensive player must capture the dice with ONE hand before it lands to stop a point from being scored. When a player catches a dice with both hands, it is a point for the offensive team. 
• The next dice is thrown once the first one has been thrown, caught, and dropped, and the other team is prepared. When the dice is pitched too low, only one member of the opposing side must call height—which is typically quite obvious.
• The dice is dead and passes to the opposing team if it lands short (on the side of the table that the tossing team is on) or on the dividing line. It is a re-toss if there is a contentious disagreement over whether the die landed short.
• When the movement of the dice is stopped by pressing against the body or any other nearby object with a hand or other body part, the dice is said to be trapped, and a point is given to the tossing team. 
• A dice may only be caught over the table if it has struck the side of the offense team and is a dead dice or if it has struck the side of the defense team and goes off the table and popped back over via a bobble without touching the table. The offensive team scores a point if the dice roll off the table, bobble, and then touch any portion of the table once again.

Modifications to the game:

The drinking game Snappa served as the inspiration for the standing version of beer dies. Snappa is a variation played while seated at a table with a chair at each corner. The dice must be thrown at the correct height and bounced off the table through the cups of the opposite team. The throwing team receives one point if the opposing team drops the dice. In Snappa, each score is worth one point. The first player to seven points wins.

As for the placement of cups, whereas beer dice frequently dictate that they be placed at the very corners of the table, house snappa rules may specify that they are placed one palm’s length apart from the sides and base. Moreover, pint glasses can also be employed since, compared to red solo cups, they tend to deflect any ricocheting dice faster and farther.

Conclusion 

Beer-die is a viral drinking game for house parties. In this blog, we discussed the origination of beer-die, the things you need to play the game, the rules, and the variations. We encourage you to play this game with your friends at your next house party and tell us about your experience in the comments below.