The Best Football Drinking Games (Plus, Must-Haves for a Watch Party)

Looking to add some more excitement to your football watch parties? A football drinking game is an easy way to bring the competition into your own living room, and anyone who wants can play along! All you have to do is grab a drink (actually, more like several drinks), turn on the game, and take a sip whenever a player or team does something on the rules list. The best part? You can change or create your own rules however you like! Read on for a list of excellent football (and soccer!) drinking games, expert tips on how to host a banger of a football watch party from event decor specialist Anna Braff, and games you can buy to make drinking while watching football even easier.

Easy Football Drinking Game: Quick Rules

Take 1 drink when the other team scores, your team loses yards after a play, or the camera shows a celeb in the crowd.
Take 2 drinks when your QB’s throw gets intercepted, your team misses a field goal, or a player gets penalized for any reason.
Take 3 drinks when someone on your team gets injured, there’s a play review, or the other team gains 20+ yards from an offensive play.
Finish your drink when a player on your team does a touchdown dance or your team wins!

Section 1 of 9:

NFL Football Drinking Game

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1
Choose an NFL game to watch (and drink) with friends. There are close to 300 NFL games per regular 18-week season, so take your pick of any game (preferably one that you or a good portion of your friends will enjoy watching, like one that features your favorite team or has some really excellent players). Besides that, all you need is a big screen to watch the game on and enough drinks for everyone who’s playing!^{[1]
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- Choose a team to support for the drinking game (it’s OK if it’s not your actual favorite team—you can still root for your home team IRL).
- Then, decide whether to play as individuals or 2 even teams:
  - As individuals, everyone will take a sip whenever a player on the team they chose does something on the “Take a drink when…” list.
  - As teams, you’ll alternate who takes sips from the actions on the list, meaning each person drinks less overall.
- Tip: You can drink anything you like (it doesn’t even have to be alcoholic!), but try a cheap light beer to start. You’ll be able to go through a lot of it without making yourself as drunk or potentially sick as wine or liquor.
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Take a sip every time one of the following happens during the game. These rules aren’t set in stone—feel free to remove rules you don’t like and replace them with your own house rules:^{[2]
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- Take 1 sip when…
  - The other team scores.
  - A player you’ve wagered on punts.
  - The other team gets a first down.
  - Your team loses yards after a play.
  - Your team gets a 5-yard penalty.
  - The camera shows a celebrity in the audience.
  - A player kisses their fingers and points up at the sky.
- Take 2 sips when…
  - Your quarterback’s throw gets intercepted.
  - Your quarterback gets sacked.
  - Your team misses a field goal.
  - A player gets penalized for any reason.
  - There’s a car commercial.
- Take 3 sips when…
  - A player on your team gets injured.
  - The other team gains 20+ yards from an offensive play.
  - There’s a play review.
  - The other team runs back a kickoff or interception and gets a touchdown.
- Have 4 sips (or finish your drink) when…
  - A player on your team is involved in another player’s injury.
  - A player on your team does a touchdown dance.
  - For every turnover.
  - The other team catches a Hail Mary.
- Take a shot when…
  - A coach yells at a referee.
  - Your team wins!

Section 2 of 9:

Super Bowl Football Drinking Game

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Choose a team to support and drink based on what they do. The Super Bowl is the biggest sports event of the year, so naturally, the Super Bowl drinking game is a bit more intense than your average regular season game. So, grab plenty of your drink of choice, turn up the volume, and get ready to drink! As always, feel free to adjust the rules to your liking—the halftime show and commercials are always full of surprises at the Super Bowl, so these could make for some hilarious and unique house rules.^{[3]
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- Take 1 sip when…
  - The other team gets a 1st down.
  - Your team gets a penalty flag.
  - Your team loses an interception.
  - The announcer mentions Super Bowl rings.
  - Someone on your team dances after a touchdown.
  - There’s a beer commercial.
- Take 2 sips when…
  - The other team gets a touchdown.
  - The other makes a 20-yard play.
  - The other team makes a field goal.
  - Your quarterback is sacked.
  - The other team’s mascot is on screen.
  - A celebrity in the audience is shown on screen.
  - There’s a safety.
  - A Doritos commercial airs (or any popular food/beverage of your choice).
  - A GoDaddy commercial airs (or any popular product you choose).
- Take 3 sips when…
  - Your team misses a field goal.
  - A surprise guest appears in the half-time show.
  - The announcers bring up US politics or politicians.
  - Your team fumbles.
  - Your team gets a 15-yard penalty.
  - Your team loses the coin toss.
- Take 4 sips (or finish your drink) when…
  - The other team scores a 40+ yard touchdown.
  - Your team loses the Super Bowl.
  - Your coach is caught swearing or melting down on camera.
- Take a shot when…
  - Your team wins!

Section 3 of 9:

NCAA Football Drinking Game

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Put on an exciting college game and sip based on the plays. NCAA drinking games are more exciting when someone in your group went to one of the schools that are competing. Not only will they be more invested, but they may have insider knowledge that makes for some fun rules! As usual, adjust the rules to your liking:^{[4]
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- Take 1 sip when…
  - The other team gets a first down.
  - A penalty flag is thrown against your team.
  - The College Football Playoff trophy is mentioned or shown on screen.
  - The announcer says the location of the game.
  - Your team’s last national championship win comes up.
- Take 2 sips when…
  - The opposing team gets a touchdown.
  - The opposing team makes a field goal.
  - The announcer mentions a player’s academic record.
  - Your quarterback is sacked.
  - The announcer mentions the teams’ historical rivalry.
  - The other team’s cheerleaders are on screen.
  - There’s a safety.
- Take 3 sips when…
  - Your team misses a field goal.
  - Your team fumbles.
  - Your team misses an extra point.
  - There’s a commercial for your team’s school.
  - The game goes into overtime (Optional: all drink values are doubled in overtime!)
- Take 4 sips (or finish your drink) when…
  - Your team loses.
  - The team from the school you attended loses.
- Take a celebratory shot if…
  - Your team wins!
  - The team from the school you attended wins!

Section 4 of 9:

The Challenge Flag Football Drinking Game

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As soon as a challenge flag is thrown, start a timer on your phone. Don’t stop the timer until the referee has talked to the coach, gone into the booth, and then come out to announce their decision.^{[5]
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Say the challenge lasts for 2 minutes and 30 seconds (150 seconds) and you have 12 people watching the game. 150 divided by 12 is 12.5, so each player is responsible for drinking 12.5 sips.^{[6]
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Take a sip for every second of the divided time. Take small sips since you’re likely to be in the double digits. Many challenges can last more than 3 minutes, meaning you might have to basically finish an entire drink (depending on how many people are watching the game).
- Remember to pace yourself and have snacks nearby in case you start to feel a little too tipsy or sick.
- There’s nothing wrong with spacing your sips out over a longer period of time or sitting out a round if you’re not feeling well. It’s better to enjoy the game and get heckled a little bit than to get too drunk and not remember the final touchdown!

Section 5 of 9:

Penalty Football Drinking Game

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Take a sip for however many yards a penalty is worth. For example, if there’s a 5-yard penalty, take 5 drinks. For a 10-yard penalty, take 10 drinks, etc. This is a super simple (but intoxicating) game that doesn’t take a lot of focus or knowledge of the game, especially for folks who want to play but don’t know football well.^{[7]
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- Optional rule: If the penalty results in a first down, double the amount of drinks everyone takes.
- Keep in mind that this game could get you pretty drunk pretty fast, especially if there’s a team that’s playing a sloppy game. Have a designated driver on hand or plan to spend the night at your friend’s place if this one gets a little wild!

Section 6 of 9:

Player, Coach, or Announcer Football Drinking Game

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Create your own rules based on a particular player, coach, or announcer. If you have a certain player you find interesting, irritating, or that you simply enjoy watching, identify a few of their defining traits or repetitive plays (or mistakes) on the field and take a sip every time they do those things.^{[8]
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Research source} This gives you more control over how much you drink and what to look for in the game because you can make any rules you like! For example:
- For a player, take a sip when they do something like:
  - Their signature touchdown dance.
  - Fumble the ball (again!?).
  - Mentions their family, mentor, or God in an interview clip.
- For an announcer, take a sip when they do something like:
  - Say a word you don’t know.
  - Give an analysis or state an opinion you don’t agree with.
  - Say anything that annoys you.
- For a coach, take a sip when they do something like:
  - Curse or make aggressive gestures at someone.
  - Talk about how great a specific player is.
  - Wear a signature hat, hoodie, or jacket on screen.

Section 7 of 9:

Hosting a Great Football Viewing Party

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Set up a comfortable viewing area in front of a large screen, if possible. Braff says “You definitely need a good screen to watch your game” (it’s the whole point of the party!).^{[9]
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Anna Braff
Event Decor Specialist

Expert Interview} If you have a TV with a large screen, rearrange your furniture to angle toward it and set up additional folding chairs (or bring in chairs and ottomans from other rooms) so everyone who’s coming gets a seat.
- Or, if you have a nice outdoor space like a yard or patio, consider setting up a projector and streaming the game outside! You can buy or make a screen to project onto, or even use the side of your house or garage (assuming there are no windows or other features to obstruct the image).
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Invite people who enjoy the vibe of a watch party, even if they’re not into football. You don’t have to exclude your non-fanatic friends from a football-watching party—they can still enjoy themselves and contribute to the atmosphere, even if they’re not die-hard fans (or even know the rules of the game). Braff emphasizes “You gotta have people who want to be there. They may not necessarily love football, but they have to just love the festivity of it all coming together…It’s fun!”^{[10]
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Anna Braff
Event Decor Specialist

Expert Interview}
- Of course, it’s a plus when your attendees are invested in the game or a specific team. Braff adds, “It’s fun when people have teams they’re loyal to…[or are] in jerseys or gear or merchandise from [their] team.”^{[11]
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  Event Decor Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
- If you can, plan a party for a game that you and your friends have stakes in. It might just be your favorite team playing, or even a game that has ramifications for your Fantasy Football League.
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Have lots of good food and drink available. According to Braff, “Food and drink is one of the most important things” to have at any football watch party.^{[12]
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Anna Braff
Event Decor Specialist

Expert Interview} If you’re not sure what to prepare, go for the classics. She adds, “People love wings. People love nachos. People love good beer. [The food] doesn’t always have to be super traditional, but sometimes, people want to see the classics there, like buffalo wings and things like that.”^{[13]
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Anna Braff
Event Decor Specialist

Expert Interview}
- If you know you have diverse tastes coming (meat lovers, vegetarians, picky eaters, folks with allergies, etc.), Braff recommends “trying to find out what your guests want as well. A good way to start is to take a poll and see what people’s tastes are or what they’re expecting.”^{[14]
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  Anna Braff
  Event Decor Specialist
  
  Expert Interview} Just text your invitees and see what they’d like!
- You can also make it a potluck party and request each person bring a dish to share. That way, everyone has at least one thing they know they’ll enjoy.

Section 8 of 9:

More Football Drinking Games for Purchase

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Buy one of these football drinking games for gifts, parties, or just plain fun! It’s easy and free to play a typical drinking game, but if you’re looking for something more tactile and unique, check out some of these popular games:
- The Last Leg: Draw cards to determine which actions make you drink or earn points. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins!
- Wood Football Drinking Game: Roll dice to determine who gets a “down” and can move down the “field” (a handmade wooden board with notches for shot glasses). The first player to get 4 “downs” wins!
- Watch Football, Get Drunk: Pull cards during a game to see when you have to drink (or command someone else to drink).
- Hexers Football Fun Drinking Game: Pull cards to play (and drink) along with a live game as a solo player or on teams. Tally points to see who wins at the end of the game.

Section 9 of 9:

The Other Football (Soccer) Drinking Games

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“Drink with your player” game Not a fan of American football? We’ve still got you! Pick a player from any team (preferably not a goalkeeper if you want to drink often) watch them closely during the match. Take a drink of your beverage of choice when:^{[15]
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- Take 1 drink whenever your player is mentioned in the commentary.
- Take 4 drinks if your player gets a yellow card.
- Finish your drink if your player gets a red card or scores a goal.
- Take 2 drinks if your player gets substituted. The substitute player becomes yours for the remainder of the game.
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“Drink anytime” game If you’re looking for something a little more action-packed (and that will definitely get you drunker), try this expanded list of rules. Instead of picking a player or team, take the recommended number of sips when any of the following happens:^{[16]
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- Take 1 sip when there’s a…
  - Throw-in
  - Free kick
  - Corner
  - Offside
  - Save
  - Fan yelling what the team should be doing
  - Dive
  - Goal kick
- Take 2 sips when there’s a…
  - Decent cross
  - Yellow card
  - Injury
  - Substitution
  - Clean tackle
  - Ball hits the post
  - Manager putting his arms around someone in a vague way to describe tactics
- Take 3 sips when there’s a…
  - Red card
  - Penalty
  - Skillful play by an individual player
  - Save off the line
  - Goal disallowed
  - Ball hits the crossbar
  - Fighting
- Finish your drink when there’s a…
  - Goal!
  - Streaker

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Tips

Remember to drink responsibly. Playing any of these games will most likely get you pretty drunk, so pace yourself and take a break if you start to feel unwell.

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If you’re traveling to the viewing party, coordinate with a designated driver or plan to take a rideshare or public transit home. Safety first!

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If you’re hosting the watch party, have plenty of snacks and water available to offer in case someone starts to feel sick from drinking too much.

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