What constitutes a legal safety in in pool?

Question

Do rules for a legal safety vary from game to game?

Answer 1

I'm an APA league player so I'll answer your question based on APA rules. You do NOT have to "call" a safety. You have to hit one of your object balls with the cue ball first, then something, ANY ball, has to hit a rail after that.

You can shoot a safety shot on the 8-ball or 9-ball too. You just have to hit one or the other first and either that ball or the cue ball has to make contact with a rail.

If your object ball is frozen to the rail, you can graze the ball with the cue ball and as long as the cue ball hits a rail after that it is still a good safety shot.

I hope that answers your question. If you're interested in playing APA League pool, go the site I listed in the source section and find a league in your area. You'll meet some great people and develop a new appreciation for the game with some consistent rules.

Answer 2

No, rules regarding safeties do not vary much from game to game, or from league to league. In all games I can think of, you simply must make a legal shot. That means contacting a legal object ball, then contacting a rail. What constitutes a legal ball can vary from game to game, but not the essence of the rule.

In games that require you to call shots, you can declare a "safety" then pocket your own ball, and forfeit your turn at the table. You CANNOT do this in games where you do not need to call shots, such as 9 ball. The only reason you can do it in call shot games is because it would be just as easy to simply designate a pocket then hit your ball into another, so to simplify things they allow you to call "safety", or no particular pocket.

Answer 3

The only time you should be required to call a "safety" (and make sure your opponent knows it) is when you are going to legally pocket a ball but do not want the next shot, regardless of the game.  If your play is strictly defensive and you're not going to pocket a ball, there is no reason to call a safety, unless you're playing by rules that require you to "try to pocket a ball", as if that could be proven.

Answer 4

Just like every other rule in pool, yes the rules vary from person to person and from pool hall to pool hall.

Generally accepted though, is to say the word 'safety' out loud and then still hit the ball you are supposed to be shooting at.

At that point, regardless of what happens (short of sinking the 8ball), you will not have a foul called against you.

In 9-ball, if you call a safe and accidentally sink the 9 (again, depending on the person you are playing) - the 9 will be spotted.