RULES & ETIQUETTE
Pool Playing Etiquette
In addition to following all posted rules at a billiard hall (e.g., do not sit or place food or beverages on tables; no jump or masse shots), you should be mindful of players around you. If you need to move past someone who is lining up or taking a shot, be patient and wait for them to execute the shot before you risk bumping or distracting them. You can expect the same courtesy from your neighbors, but remember that some patrons may not realize they are blocking you. A gentle reminder usually suffices.
Avoid distracting an opponent who is setting up a shot. Do not stand in the shooter's line of sight or directly behind the shooter. Before taking your own shot, wait until all balls, including the cue ball, have come to a complete rest. A spinning ball is not at rest.
Keep control of your cuestick. It's easy to accidentally slam your cuestick into another person, the lights over the table, or even the balls on the table.
Pool is largely self-governed. If you accidentally move a ball illegally, or commit a foul, you should let your opponent know (even if she didn't see it). Especially in the GBWBC, with lots of beginners, we rely on each other to learn the rules and "referee" together. Not everyone is equally familiar with the rules, so it's important to communicate if you think you've committed a foul or if you think your opponent has committed a foul.
Rules of 8-ball
The following are selected rules only. Complete rules are available through the Billiard Congress of America (link opens new window)
Object of the game.
8-ball is played with 15 object balls, numbered 1-15 and a cue ball. One player must pocket balls 1-7 (solid colors); the other player must pocket balls 9-15 (striped). The player who pockets all of her group and then legally pockets the 8-ball (solid black) wins the game.
Play by innings.
Players alternate turns (innings). A player's inning ends when she either fails to legally pocket a ball or commits a foul. When an inning ends without a foul, incoming player accepts the position of the balls as is.
Call shot.
8-ball is a call shot game. Before shooting, shooter must indicate to opponent which ball she is intending to pocket and in which pocket. Details such as number of cushions, banks, caroms, kisses need not be specified; but bank shots and combination shots should be indicated in advance (e.g., "I'm going to bank the 7-ball off the side rail into the corner pocket;" "I'm going for the 6-2 combo").
Legal shot defined.
Shooter must cause cue ball to hit one of her own group of balls first (cue ball may first bounce off a rail before contacting one of her own group of balls), and, after cue-ball contacts own ball either (a) pocket any numbered ball; or (b) cause any numbered ball or the cue ball to contact a rail. Failure to make a legal shot is a foul. Incoming player gets ball-in-hand. See the official 8-ball BCA rules, Rule 4.11).
Scoring.
Player continues shooting until she fails to legally pocket a designated ball of her group. After pocketing all of the balls in her group, she shoots to pocket the 8-ball.
Illegally pocketed balls.
A ball is considered to be "illegally pocketed" if any of the following occurs:
A called ball does not go into the designated pocket
A foul is committed on the same shot that an object ball is pocketed
An illegally pocketed ball remains pocketed and is scored in favor of the shooter controlling that group of balls (solids or stripes).
Object ball jumped off table.
If a player jumps any object ball off the table it is a foul -- but the jumped ball is not respotted on the table. If the jumped ball is the 8-ball, player loses the game.
Foul penalty.
Opposing player gets cue ball in hand. The player may place and use hand or tip of cue to position the cue ball anywhere on the table (does not have to be placed behind the headstring, except on opening break) and may shoot at any of her group of balls. (Note: if using tip of cue to position cue ball, any forward stroke contacting cue ball will be considered a foul if it is not a legal shot. Players are advised to use hands to position the cue ball.
Playing the 8-ball.
When the 8-ball is the legal object ball, a foul or scratch (pocketing the cue ball) is not loss of game if the 8-ball is not pocketed on the shot or jumped off the table. Incoming player gets cue ball in hand. Note, however, that a player who scratches or fouls on a shot that pockets the 8-ball does lose the game. See Loss of Game.
Loss of game.
A player loses the game if any of the following occurs:
Player fouls when pocketing the 8-ball
Player pockets the 8-ball on the same stroke as the last of her group of balls
Jumps the 8-ball off the table at any time
Pockets the 8-ball when it is not the legal object ball (e.g., before pocketing all of her group of balls)
Pockets the 8-ball in a pocket other than the called pocket
The opening break.
The game begins with one player driving the cue ball into the set of 15 racked balls. Balls are racked at the foot of the table in a triangle, such that the 8-ball occupies the middle of the triangle, the 1-ball occupies the head of the triangle and is placed on the foot-spot, a solid occupies one of the bottom corners and a striped ball occupies the other bottom corner.
A legal break is one in which: breaker pockets a ball or drives at least 4 numbered balls to hit a rail. Failure to complete a legal break is a foul; incoming player may accept the break as is and begin shooting, or have the balls re-racked and either break herself or ask original breaker to re-break. If breaker scratches on an otherwise legal break, all balls remain pocketed (unless 8-ball was pocketed on break; see below), the table remains open, and incoming player gets cueball in hand behind the headstring, must shoot at a ball that is not behind the headstring (unless cueball first passes beyond the headstring).
Open table and choice of group.
An open table is one in which the choice of group of balls (stripes or solids) has not been determined. The table is always open immediately after the break, whether or not any object balls (1-7 or 9-15) were pocketed. On an open table, it is legal for shooting player to use any ball, except the 8-ball, as the first ball in a combination shot. However, on an open table, if the 8-ball if the first ball contact by the cue ball, the shooter has committed a foul. Any pocketed balls remain pocketed (they are not respotted) but the pocketed balls are not scored in shooter's favor, the table remains open, and incoming player gets cue ball in hand.
Because the table is open immediately after the break, choice of group has not been determined until a shooter, after the break, legally pockets a called ball in the called pocket.
8-ball pocketed on break.
Breaker may ask for a re-rack, or may have 8-ball spotted on the foot spot and continue shooting. If breaker scratched on a break in which the 8-ball is pocketed, incoming player may rerack or have 8-ball spotted on foot spot; incoming player then begins shooting with cue ball in hand behind the head string.
Object ball jumped off the table during break.
Breaking player has committed a foul; incoming player may accept the balls in the position they remain and begin shooting or take the cue ball in hand behind the head string and begin shooting.
Other rules.
Rules listed here are only a portion of the full official rules of the Billiard Congress of America, which shall govern any dispute in league or tournament play at the discretion and upon the interpretation of the league or tournament operator.
No gambling.
No player or spectator may bet upon the outcome of any game, tournament, or group of games at GBWBC events. All applicable federal, state, and local prohibitions against gambling are in effect. Participants in GBWBC events who violate gambling laws will not be permitted to participate in subsequent GBWBC events. GBWBC organizers are not liable for any loss of admission fees, league dues, tournament entry fees, or other losses suffered by a participant who violates the provision against gambling.