Super Bowl Drinking Game

Before kickoff, everyone picks one of the two teams – by favourite, jersey colour or a random draw. For most rules, you only drink when something goes wrong for your team; a few rules apply to everyone. That keeps it fun even for newcomers who don’t fully get the rules of football yet.

The commercials and the halftime show are as much a part of the Super Bowl as the game itself. If you’re watching outside the US, the famous ads often don’t air on local broadcasts – watch them online beforehand or skip the commercial rule.

One sip when …

• a yellow penalty flag is thrown against your team.
• your quarterback gets sacked.
• your team calls a timeout.
• a play goes to video review – everyone drinks.
• the camera shows celebrities in a suite or the stands – everyone drinks.
• a coach visibly loses it on the sideline – that coach’s team drinks.
• a player pulls off a rehearsed touchdown celebration – the other team drinks.
• a commercial featuring a celebrity airs – everyone drinks.
• someone in the room asks why there’s a break again – whoever asked drinks.
• the other team kicks a field goal.

Two sips when …

• the other team scores a touchdown.
• your team turns the ball over with an interception or a fumble.
• your kicker misses a field goal.
• your team fails on fourth down.
• a surprise guest shows up during the halftime show – everyone drinks.

Finish your glass (or three sips) when …

• the other team returns a turnover straight into the end zone.
• the game goes into overtime – everyone drinks.

Variations

• Light version: only use the two-sip rules. That’s plenty for a long night.
• Alcohol-free version: play with soft drinks, iced tea or alcohol-free beer – or keep score instead. Whoever has the fewest points at the end gets first pick of team next time.
• Pre-game bets: bet on the coin toss, the length of the national anthem or the colour of the winning coach’s drink shower. Whoever gets it right hands out sips.
• Halftime show bingo: everyone writes down three things that will happen in the show – fireworks, a costume change, a guest appearance. Whoever sees all three first hands out two sips.

Tips

With all the breaks, the Super Bowl runs about four hours. Start slow, plan snacks for halftime and keep water on the table. In Europe, kickoff is after midnight, so pace yourselves even more. If someone is new to football, give them a quick rundown of the basics before kickoff – the penalty flags are more fun that way.