No pot · any group
Points
Same four counts. Every clean line is a point; land Line 1 for two. Most points after Line 1 calls the next round’s first line. Play for points, pride and the last word — nothing is staked, nothing is won.
The Line Game · Rules
How to play
FULL STOP
A round is four counts. 2.5 oz each. Don’t look. Here’s the full rulebook, the table talk, and the house rules for bigger groups.
Setup
What you need
- A FULL STOP glass for each player — four come in the set.
- One 12 oz can each: beer, seltzer or zero-proof. Never spirits.
- Something to ante with — caps, candy, points. Table’s call. Nothing of value.
- Two to four players. Three minutes a round.
The round
Four counts
- 1
Pour
One 12 oz can each — beer, seltzer or zero-proof, never spirits. Kill the head, fill to FILL. Everyone antes one chip.
- 2
Call
Someone calls the line — “Line four.” Ready, drink. One pull, together. Don’t look.
- 3
Look
Glass down, hands off, then look. Can’t see your level? You’re in the line — clean. Miss = one chip to the pot, plus one per line you blew past.
- 4
Again
The whole table goes for the same line every count — 4, then 3, then 2, then 1. No do-overs. LINE 1 is the bottom one: land it and take the pot. Table settles close calls. New can, new round.
The Pot
Miss it, feed the pot.
Everyone antes one chip. Caps, candy, points — table’s call. Nothing of value.
Land Line 1 and take it — split it if more than one of you does. Nobody lands it? The pot rides, and everyone antes again.
Sit out any count, or any pull. No questions, no penalty.
Table talk
What the table yells
“Line four.”The call. Ready, drink — one pull, together.
On the line!Clean. Can’t see your level through the line.
Short!Stopped above the line. Called by the table, never confessed.
Blew it!Went past the line. One chip, plus one per line you blew past.
FULL STOP.Four for four, clean all the way down. Glass up — the table says it with you.
Close calls: the table settles it. When in doubt, it’s clean.
Variants & house rules
Change the table, keep the lines
The lines and the four counts never change. Everything else is up to the table — here are the ones we play.
5–12 players · cups or glasses
Glasses Up
Everyone goes for the same line on the same count. Clean? Glass stays up. Miss? Glass down — you keep calling the count, but you’re done pulling this round. Last ones still up after Line 1 win the round and call the next one. If every glass drops on the same count, everyone who was up going in shares it.
10+ players
Sides
Split the table in half. Play Glasses Up. After Line 1, count the glasses still up on each side — most up wins the round and calls the next one.
Running late
Ride along
Walked in mid-round? Pour to the line the table is on and ride along. You’re in next round.
Pace
Two rounds, then a break
One can is one round. Two rounds, then take a breather — get some water, reset the table. New can, new round.
Zero proof
Same lines. Same game.
Water, seltzer, NA beer — it all plays. The skill is the pour, not what’s in the glass. Everybody plays — with or without the alcohol.
Sit out any count, or any pull. No questions, no penalty.
FAQ
Questions
What counts as “in the line”?
Glass down, hands off, eye level. If you can’t see your level through the printed line, you’re in it — clean. Above it is short; below it, you blew it.
Why aren’t the lines evenly spaced?
The glass tapers. To hold the same 2.5 oz per count, the lines have to get farther apart as they go down. Don’t “fix” it — that spacing is the calibration.
Can I use my own glasses?
The lines are calibrated to the FULL STOP glass and a 12 oz can, so the game only works on FULL STOP glasses or FULL STOP CUPS. Lines are approximate — play is fair because everyone is on the same glass.
What’s the ante?
Caps, candy or points — table’s call. Nothing of value, ever. FULL STOP is a skill game, not a betting game.
Do I have to drink if I miss?
No. A miss costs a chip, never a drink. Sit out any count, or any pull. No questions, no penalty.
Can the glasses go in the dishwasher?
Hand wash recommended. Don’t use a glass that is chipped or cracked. Not for microwave, oven, freezer or hot liquids.