Added by Jack Kanagie
Updated
Here are the basic rules of 8 ball pool:
Overall Objective
8 ball can be played with two players or teams. The goal of the game is to pocket all of the balls from your assigned group (solid or striped), and then pocket the 8 ball to win the game.
Racking the balls:
All 15 balls are racked in a triangle formation at one end of the table. The 8 ball should be placed in the center of the rack, with one solid-colored ball and one striped ball on each side of the bottom row of balls. The remaining balls can be placed in any order.
The Break:
The player who breaks the rack must hit the balls with the cue ball from behind the head string. The break is legal as long as four balls hit a cushion (including the cue ball) or a ball is pocketed.
If a ball is made on the break, the shooting player can continue shooting. If no balls were pocketed, then it’s the opponents turn to shoot.
Choosing a group after the break:
After the break the table is open, and the player at the table can decide which set of balls (stripes or solids) to pocket. Once the player pockets a ball, the type of ball pocketed is now the group belonging to that player for the game.
If the player tries to pocket a ball and misses, the table is still open and the incoming player can decide which group to take by pocketing a ball from that group.
Continuing play:
For which ever player has control of the table, they can continue their turn after each successive ball is pocketed. This includes the break. The player who successfully pockets a ball on the break gets to continue shooting. If no balls are pocketed on the break, the other player takes over. During regular play if the player at the table misses a ball, then their turn is over and it’s their opponents turn at the table.
Foul penalties:
Fouls result in the loss of turn and ball in hand for the opposing player.
Winning:
The game is won by pocketing the 8 ball after all of your assigned group’s balls have been pocketed. The pocket the player decides to pot the 8 ball into must be called in order for it to be a legitimate shot. If the 8 ball goes into a pocket other than the one called, the player loses the game.
Losing Early:
If a player does any of the following, it results in a loss of game for that player:
Pockets the 8 before all the balls in their group are pocketed
Scratches on the final shot of the game, while making the 8
Jumps the 8 ball off the table
Scratching on the break:
If you scratch on the break, it is considered a foul. When a player scratches on the break, the following happens:
It is not considered a legal break: If a player scratches on the break, it is not considered a legal break, even if they have pocketed one or more balls. This means that the opposing player can choose to re-rack the balls and take the first shot, or they can choose to continue the game with the current ball positions.
The opposing player gets ball in hand: After a scratch on the break, the opposing player gets ball in hand. This means that they can place the cue ball anywhere on the table before taking their shot.
Fouls in 8 ball:
A foul occurs when a player fails to follow the rules of the game. Here are some actions that can result in a foul:
Failing to hit any balls: If a player takes a shot and fails to hit any of the balls on the table, it is considered a foul.
Pocketing the cue ball: If a player pockets the cue ball, it is considered a foul. When this happens it’s referred to as a scratch and the opposing player gets ball in hand, which means that they can place the cue ball anywhere on the table before taking their shot.
Hitting the wrong ball with the cue ball without first hitting a ball in their group: If a player hits the cue ball and it doesn’t make contact with a ball within the players group before hitting a ball in the opponent’s group then it is a foul and the opponent gets ball in hand.
Hitting the 8 ball first: If a player hits the 8 ball with the cue ball before hitting any of their designated group of balls, it is considered a foul.
Failing to hit a rail: If a player takes a shot and no balls hit a rail (i.e., the cushion around the edge of the table) after the cue ball comes in contact with an object ball, it is considered a foul.
Touching a ball: If a player touches a ball with their hand or cue while taking a shot, it is considered a foul.
Taking a shot out of turn: If a player takes a shot when it is not their turn, it is considered a foul.
Main rules to discuss before playing
Call shot: The final 8 ball is always call shot in that the player must call the pocket before pocketing the ball. However, you can decide to play every shot this way. In this case, if every shot is call shot and a player makes a ball into a pocket they didn’t call, then their turn is over and the other player gets to shoot. It is not a foul to pocket a ball in the incorrect pocket.
Accidentally disturbing balls: People often disagree about how to handle accidentally touching an object ball with your body or with a part of the cue. The two most common types of ball fouling rules are
All Ball Fouls – if a player disturbs any ball while not during a legitimate shot, then it’s a foul and the opponent gets ball in hand.
Cue Ball Fouls only – if a player disturbs the cue ball while not during a legitimate shot, then it’s a foul and the opponent gets ball in hand. If an object ball accidentally does get disturbed then it’s the non-shooting players choice on whether to leave that ball in the current position or decide to move it back to the original position according to their discretion.
