What are the official rules of pool? (not a full explanation)?

Question

Speaking about your classic pool game, straight ball pool, and many variations exist but I'm looking for the official rules

Just a few things I'm curious about...

1) What are the rules for resetting a scratch, and what is considered a scratch?

2) What are the rules while shooting for the eight ball?

3) If you make the 8-ball in on the break, do you win?

Answer 1

1)  A Scratch is when you make your ball but also sink the cue ball; or you completely miss your category of balls or don't hit a rail.  Your opponent gets a ball in hand.

2)  Shooting the 8 ball...you need to make it a completely separate shot (cannot sink the 8 off another ball) and you must call or mark the pocket

3) Yes, if you make the 8 ball off the break you win.

Probably more rules than what I stated...check out that link the other person provided.

Answer 2

There is a huge BCA document to read that usually comes as a booklet from your league operator and has been noted online here, but this is the FULL explanation. You have specifically asked for the proverbial cheat-sheet to avoid having to read the billiard bible. So, the following description is what I provide locally to every new player, (who also gets the book but never reads it, lol) to get them up and running quickly.

Primary Billiard 8-Ball Tournament Rules:

1. Table is always open choice off the break, until a ball is intentionally potted. Any mixed combination shot of either balls is legal until the choice is confirmed.

2. Eight on the break is handled differently by different leagues. Often if the coin table is open, potting 8-ball off the break is the breakers choice to rerack, or spot the 8-ball and continue with a bonus advantage of ball-in-hand. If white scratches while potting the 8-ball off the break it is the opponent’s choice to rerack, or spot the 8-ball and continue with bonus advantage of ball-in-hand. If the coin table is locked potting the eight off the break is a win unless also the white ball is scratched then it is a loss.  In some leagues players “may” agree to replay the game on coin toss of who pays to replace the balls.

3. A legal shot is where a cue ball first contacts an object ball and the called object ball is then pocketed OR any ball touches a rail. And the cue may only contact the cue ball once.

4. Calling the object ball to the pocket is required but no further details are needed or cause any foul as long as the object ball eventually goes in to designated pocket. All shots should be called with designated object ball and pocket but leniency is often granted to not call the most obvious shots. Some house leagues may still require every nuance of a shot to be called but this is generally a barroom betting rule, rather than sportsmanship play.

NOTE: In sportsmanship, no shot may be challenged after the fact when there is now no evidence. If a shot is questionable the opponent must call a referee prior to the shot being made or where no referee is in attendance, call an unbiased player to come and witness that shot as it happens and make the determination of whether the shot is legal or foul.

5. The 8-ball must always be called or visually designated to its destined pocket in all cases. Marking the pocket by placing a card-marker near the designated pocket for the 8-ball shot “may” be legally required by some tournaments.

6. Potting the opponent’s ball requires no further penalty than loss of turn. Unless the shooter’s object ball is also legally potted as called, then the shot is legal and the shooter continues play.

7. A Push Shot is considered illegal, because with balls close together (less than a chalk width apart) the cue ball pushes through the object ball causing multiple contacts of the cue for more than the momentary time of the shot. Generally, a chalk space must separate cue ball and object ball to insure a legal hit or the cue must drive the cue ball from a 45 degree angle in order to draw the cue ball away from the line of the shot. With less than a chalk width between balls, if the cue ball follows the object ball on the line of the shot it is obviously foul.

8. Any foul provides loss of turn penalty to the shooter and the incoming player has an advantage with ball-in-hand to be played from anywhere on the table; unless the foul is scratch off the break where the incoming player must shoot from behind the balk line to open the game as did the breaker.

9. Common fouls include; missing or potting cue ball, no contact with a legal object ball, jumping balls off table. Also, a ball must contact a rail or pocket after the hit of the cue-object balls on every shot, otherwise the foul provides ball-in-hand advantage to the incoming player. Potted white on an 8-ball shot is only foul penalty of ball-in-hand advantage given to the incoming opponent.

10. Loss Game Fouls are: 8-ball potted early, 8-ball jumped off table anytime, 8-ball potted in wrong pocket, 8-ball potted on same stroke as last object ball.

Good Shooting!

Answer 3

1) A scratch is when the cue (white) ball falls into a pocket. What happens afterwards depends entirely on the game.

2) The rules depend on where you are playing. Playing in a bar where you cannot easily pull out balls (held behind glass once they fall into pockets) will have different rules versus playing in a room where the balls are accessible without paying an additional fee.

3) Again, it depends. In a bar, coin-op table, the answer is likely yes. If you are playing in a BCA (Billiards Congress of America) tournament, then the answer is no.

Answer 4

Here is a link to the BCA (Billiard Congress of America) and there are a few games and rules links there for you.  Good luck and keep rackn em up!