Youngstown State University

Intramural Sports and Recreation

Billiards Rules

General Rules:

  1. No ID No Play, No Questions: No form of identification other than an official Youngstown State University ID will be accepted. You MUST have your ID to play. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE FOR ANYONE FOR ANY REASON. If you do not have your ID for any reason, you need to go to Kilcawley Center and purchase a new one.
  2. Game Time is Forfeit Time: Player check-in will begin 15 minutes before the scheduled game time. If a team does not have the needed amount of players to begin the game at the scheduled game time a forfeit will be issued. No Exception or excuses will be accepted for anyone or any reasons.
  3. Players Can Only Play for 1 Team: In any Youngstown State Intramural League participants are only permitted to play for one team per season. If a player attempts to play for another team they will be suspended and the team that the player attempted to play for will immediately forfeit the scheduled game. Players are only permitted to play for the first team that they played for.
  4. Playoff Eligibility: Players must play in at least one regular season game in order to play in the playoffs. Players can be added to a roster at any point in the regular season, but must play in at least one game prior to playoffs.
  5. The Officials Have Full Authority: While participating in a Youngstown State University Intramural Sports Program, YSU IM Officials will have full authority to call and make judgments according to their training. Anyquestioning of any official’s calls may result in an unsportsmanlike penalty.If a team deems it necessary to question a call of an official, the TEAM CAPTAIN ONLY, may address it to the Intramural Intern, or Intramural Supervisor present at the event. If questioning causes a disruption of game play, the Intramural Intern or Intramural Supervisor has all authority to end the game, and give the team causing the disruption a forfeit. Any Intramural official or supervisor has the right to throw out any player from any game if it is deemed necessary from their training.
  6. All Games, All Weather: All games will be played during all weather conditions, unless otherwise informed of prior to game time, or until the Intramural Coordinator believes the playing conditions to be too severe to continue. Questions prior to game time can be answered at 330.941.3731
  7. Uniforms: Participants must be wearing athletic attire in order to participate in any intramural sport. No open toed shoes, jeans, or cargo shorts will be permitted. Any apparel or game equipment needed by players will be issued on a 1 ID basis. The ID will not be returned until the issued apparel or equipment has been turned back in.
  8. No Metal Spikes: No footwear with metal or metal-tipped spikes will be permitted for use during any Intramural event.
  9. Inappropriate Team Names: We will not accept team names that are deemed inappropriate by the Intramurals Staff. If you submit a team name that is not approved, you will be asked to come up with a new name. If you do not submit a new name, it will be changed for you.
  10. Two forfeits = removal from the league: If your team forfeits two times during the regular season, you will be removed from the league. The remainder of your games will be removed from the schedule and you will not be able to participate in post-season play.
  11. Forfeit Prevention: Each team in league play is permitted to use one forfeit prevention per season. This involves using one official to play on their team in order to meet the minimum player requirements. This is only permitted during the regular season and is only permitted if there are enough officials to officiate all games being played during that hour.
  12. Liability Waiver: All Participants must accept the terms of the liability waiver found on the participant’s IMLeagues profile. Failure to do so will make the participant ineligible for Intramural play. Participants must sign a separate wavier for each Intramural Sport that they play.
  13. Fighting:There is a zero tolerance policy for fighting at any YSU Intramural event. Anyone involved in a fight will be immediately ejected and will be reported to YSU’s Student Conduct Board

Game Rules:

  1. 8-Ball is played with a cue ball and fifteen object ballsnumbered 1 through 15
  2. balls 1–7 are solid colors
  3. balls 9–15 are striped
  4. One player must pocket balls of solid colors, while the other player must pocket the striped balls.
  5. The player who pockets their entire group and then legally pockets the 8-ball wins the game

Eight Ball Rack:

  • The fifteen object balls are racked as tightly as possible in a triangle, with the apex ball on the foot spot and the eight ball as the first ball that is directly below the apex ball. One from each group of seven will be on the two lower corners of the triangle. The other balls are placed in the triangle without purposeful or intentional pattern.

Break Shot:

  • The following rules apply to the break shot:

a)The cue ball begins in hand behind the head string.

b)No ball is called, and the cue ball is not required to hit any particular object ball first.

c)If the breaker pockets a ball and does not foul, he continues at the table, and the table remains open.

d)If no object ball is pocketed, at least four object balls must be driven to one or more rails, or the shot results in an illegal break, and the incoming player has the option of

  1. accepting the table in position
  2. re-racking and breaking
  3. re-racking and allowing the offending player to break again.

e)Pocketing the eight ball on a legal break shot is not a foul. If the eight ball is pocketed, the breaker has the option of

  1. re-spotting the eight ball and accepting the balls in position, or re-breaking.

f)If the breaker pockets the eight ball and scratches the opponent has the option of

  1. re-spotting the eight ball and shooting with cue ball in hand behind the head string or re-breaking.

g)If any object ball is driven off the table on a break shot, it is a foul; such balls remain out of play (except the eight ball which is re-spotted); and the incoming player has the option of

  1. accepting the table in position
  2. taking cue ball in hand behind the head string.

h)If the breaker fouls in any manner not listed above, the following player has the option of

  1. accepting the balls in position
  2. taking cue ball in hand behind the head string.

Open Table / Choosing Groups:

  • Before groups are determined, the table is said to be “open,” and before each shot, the shooter must call his intended ball. If the shooter legally pockets his called ball, the corresponding group becomes his or hers, and the opponent is assigned to the other group. If he/she fails to legally pocket the called ball, the table remains open and play passes to the other player. When the table is “open”, any object ball may be struck first except the eight ball.

Continuing Play:

  • The shooter remains at the table as long as he/she continues to legally pocket called balls, or he/she wins the rack by pocketing the eight ball.

Shots Required to Be Called:

  • On each shot except the break, shots must be called. The eight ball may be called only after the shot on which the shooter’s group has been cleared from the table. The shooter may call “safety” in which case play passes to the opponent at the end of the shot and any object ball pocketed on the safety remains pocketed.

Spotting Balls:

  • If the eight ball is pocketed or driven off the table on the break, it will be spotted or the balls will be re-racked. No other object ball is ever spotted.

Losing the Rack:

  • The shooter loses if he

a)fouls when pocketing the eight ball

b)pockets the eight ball before his group is cleared

c)pockets the eight ball in an uncalled pocket

d)drives the eight ball off the table.

Standard Fouls:

  • If the shooter commits a foul, play passes to the other opponent. The cue ball is in hand, and the incoming player may place it anywhere on the playing surface.
  • The following are standard fouls at eight ball
  1. Cue Ball Scratch or off the Table
  2. Wrong Ball First; The first ball contacted by the cue ball on each shot must belong to the shooter’s group, except when the table is open.
  3. No Rail after Contact
  4. No Foot on Floor
  5. Ball Driven off the Table
  6. Touched Ball
  7. Double Hit / Frozen Balls
  8. Push Shot
  9. Balls Still Moving
  10. Bad Cue Ball Placement
  11. Bad Play from Behind the Head String
  12. Cue Stick on the Table
  13. Playing out of Turn
  14. Slow Play

Serious Fouls:

  • The fouls listed under Losing the Rack are penalized by the loss of the current rack. For Unsportsmanlike Conduct, the referee will choose a penalty appropriate given the nature of the offense.

Stalemate:

  • If a stalemate occurs the original breaker of the rack will break again.

Revised 6/2017