Rules on playing pool?

Question

8-ball and 9-ball

Answer 1

2 Rules

Rule#1 If i break I win if you break iwin

Rule # 2 dont forget rule # 1

Answer 2

There are varying rules depending on who you play with (and whether or not there is money on the table).  Both players should agree on the basic rules - even then, some situations might still come up where there is disagreement.

Basic 8 ball goes like this:

One person breaks (first break is determined by flipping a coin or 'lagging' by shooting the cue ball down the table, letting it bounce back and come as close to the rail as possible, then letting the other person try to get closer without touching - after the first game, the winner breaks).

The rack is at one end of the table - usually with a spot to designate where the lead ball goes.  The break is when you hit the cue ball from the 'kitchen' (behind the second set of dots at the opposite end of the table) into the rack and spread them out.  If you sink a ball on the break, then sinking the rest of that type of ball (solid or stripe) will be your goal before shooting the 8 ball.  If you get more than one type of ball in on the break, you get to select (though if you get two of one, and one of the other - three total, you will usually want to select the type that you have already sunk more of - unless you don't have another shot at that type of ball).

If no balls are sunk on the break then the table is 'open' and the other shooter can select either type of ball to shoot at.  The game continues with both people taking turns until they have shot all of their type of balls in, and then shoots at the 8-ball to finish the game.

Under normal rules you can do any kind of combination (using another ball to hit a ball in) as long as the first ball hit is one of your goal type - in other words you could hit a stripe ball, have it hit a solid, and then knock another stripe in - and as long as you 'call it' (say what you are intending to do) then it is good.

8-ball is considered to be somewhat 'sloppy pool' because even if you don't make your shot correctly (the way you called it) and your ball falls in, it stays in anyway.  Most other games will penalize you - and make you take the ball out of the pocket unless it fell in after you made your intended shot.

If you 'scratch' (put the cue ball in the pocket) then the other player gets to choose where to put the cue ball - as long as it is 'in the kitchen' again.  You cannot shoot any balls that are in the kitchen, unless you first shoot down the table, and it comes back to hit one in.  If you scratch while shooting at the 8-ball then it is an automatic loss.  Also considered a 'table scratch' is if you miss the 8-ball while shooting at it (you have to at least touch it for play to continue).  This is an effective way of beating someone even if (and sometimes because) you have most of your type of balls left, and the other person is already trying to sink the 8 to win.  You can position one of your balls between the 8 and the cue ball, and force them to have to get really creative to actually hit it.  Another way to scratch is to accidentally put the 8 ball in (either before you have put all of your type of ball in, or even if you are on the 8, but it falls into a pocket that you didn't call).  This is an automatic loss, and the next break goes to the other player.

9-ball has some of the same rules - breaking is the same, though if you scratch the cue ball, the other player has 'ball in hand' and can put it anywhere on the table - not just in the kitchen.  There are variations on it, again - both people should agree to what rules they are going to play with.  The point is to shoot the 9-ball in, either after shooting the rest of the balls in numerical order, or by a combination (hitting your object ball, and sinking the 9.  

My favorite though is straight pool - you rack all of the balls, and shoot whatever you want, and each shot you make gives you 1 point (kept track of using a string with beads on it above the table, or some tables have little number counters on the end).  You keep shooting as long as you make each shot you call.  If you scratch after making a shot, the ball you sank comes back out and goes on the spot and you don't get the point.  The kitchen rule from 8-ball applies when the cue ball is scratched.  If you DONT make your shot and scratch - then you lose a point.  If you miss your object ball, it is considered a table scratch, a ball comes out of the pocket and you lose a point.  

Once you shoot the first rack in - except for one last ball, you rerack the rest of the balls, and the game continues on until one player reaches a preset score - usually 50 or 100.  

It takes a lot more skill - though you can shoot at anything on the table, you have to really think about your shots, and lining yourself up for the next one (or if you know you might miss, leaving the other person buried with no shots).

Answer 3

You can find rules for 8-ball, 9-ball, and the other most commonly played games on the BCA (Billiard Congress of America) website.  You can find even more rules by picking up a copy of the BCA rule book.  I hate to be so contradictory, but BCA rules are world-standardized rules handed down from the WPA (World Pool-Billiards Association).  Joe M is correct on many counts, and some people do play by the rules as he lists them.  However, certain points require some clarification.

1. The procedure for lagging for the break is as follows:

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3.6       LAG FOR BREAK

The following procedure is used for the lag for the opening break. Each player should use balls of equal size and weight (preferably cue balls but, when not available, non-striped object balls). With the balls in hand behind the head string, one player to the left and one to the right of the head spot, the balls are shot simultaneously to the foot cushion and back to the head end of the table. The player whose ball is the closest to the innermost edge of the head cushion wins the lag. The lagged ball must contact the foot cushion at least once. Other cushion contacts are immaterial, except as prohibited below. It is an automatic loss of the lag if:

(a)        The ball crosses into the opponent’s half of the table;

(b)        The ball fails to contact the foot cushion;

(c)        The ball drops into a pocket;

(d)        The ball jumps off the table;

(e)        The ball touches the long cushion;

(f)         The ball rests within the corner pocket and past the nose of the head cushion, or;

(g)        The ball contacts the foot rail more than once. If both players violate automatic-loss lag rules, or if the referee is unable to determine which ball is closer, the lag is a tie and is replayed.

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2. According to BCA rules 4.9 and 4.10 for 8-ball, the choice of groups is never determined on the break shot.  The table is always open after the break shot, regardless of what gets pocketed.

3. Here is the definition of "call shot".

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4.2  CALL SHOT

In Call Shot, obvious balls and pockets do not have to be indicated. It is the opponent’s right to ask which ball and pocket if he is unsure of the shot. Bank shots and combination shots are not considered obvious, and care should be taken in calling both the object ball and the intended pocket. When calling the shot, it is never necessary to indicate details such as the number of cushions, banks, kisses, caroms, etc. Any balls pocketed on a foul remain pocketed, regardless of whether they belong to the shooter or the opponent. The opening break is not a “called shot.” Any player performing a break shot in 8-Ball may continue to shoot so long as any object ball is legally pocketed on the break.

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So you see, 8-ball is not a "slop" game.

4. The penalty for scratching in 8-ball (or any type of foul) is as follows:

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4.14  FOUL PENALTY

Opposing player gets cue ball in hand. This means that the player can place the cue ball anywhere on the table (does not have to be behind the headstring except on opening break). This rule prevents a player from making intentional fouls which would put an opponent at a disadvantage. With “cue ball in hand,” the player may use a hand or any part of a cue (including the tip) to position the cue ball. When placing the cue ball in position, any forward stroke motion contacting the cue ball will be a foul, if not a legal shot. (Also see Rule 3.39.)

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5. It is not a loss of game to foul on the 8-ball unless the 8-ball gets pocketed or jumped from the table.

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4.19   PLAYING THE 8-BALL

When the 8-ball is the legal object ball, a scratch or foul is not loss of game if the 8-ball is not pocketed or jumped from the table. Incoming player has cue ball in hand. Note: A combination shot can never be used to legally pocket the 8-ball, except when the 8-ball is the first ball contacted in the shot sequence.

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This is treated like any other shot on the table.

6. In straight pool (my favorite game also), scratching the cue ball on any shot is a foul and a loss of one point, regardless if the intended object ball was pocketed or not.  Any illegally pocketed balls get respotted.  However, committing a foul where no object balls were pocketed does not require pulling a ball out of a pocket.  The upcoming player simply has the option of playing from where the cue ball lies or taking ball in hand behind the headstring depending on the circumstances.

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6.11   PENALTIES FOR FOULS

One point deducted for each foul. Note: penalties are more severe for deliberate fouls (Rule of Play 6.7.5) and third “Successive Fouls” (6.12 below). Incoming player accepts cue ball in position unless foul was a jumped cue ball, pocket scratch, deliberate foul (Rule of Play 6.7.5) or third successive foul.

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M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee

Answer 4

upon break of 8 ball-- you will either have solids or striped balls. you must sink 1 thru 7 if solid or sink 9 thru 15 if you have striped before shooting the last ball which is 8. the first person to sink the eight ball wins---- in 9 ball you shoot rotation-- that is-- 1 --2 --3-- etc until the nine ball is reached which is the winning ball-- you can use a numbered ball to try and sink the 9 ball but you must hit the lower number ball first. -- slop-- like a shot you missed but went into another pocket usually is not allowed-- thus the reason for called shots during a game-- like 9 ball corner pocket will show the other player the intended shot. have fun-- its an exciting game-- snooker is played with red balls and numbered balls-- most snooker tables have smaller pockets the a regular pool table---get good on a snooker table first and you will be really good on a standard pool table