World 8-Ball Pool: Major Rules

The Break

The balls are racked as below:


the white is played from in-hand (any part of the area behind the baulk-line) /

Fair or Foul Break?

  • 4 balls must hit a cushion (or one be potted) otherwise it is a foul break
    = 2 visits + balls are re-racked and white is played from in-hand
  • if the white leaves the table it is a foul break (2 visits to opponent); ball is played from in-hand
  • if the white is potted, it is not a foul break: play passes to the opponent
  • if the 8-ball is potted, it is not a foul break: the balls are re-racked (same player to break from in-hand).

Which Colour?

  • If nothing goes down on the break, play continues with the first legally potted ball deciding colours.
  • If one (or more) of both colours are potted on the break, the striker must nominate their choice of colours before playing the next shot (and colours are decided by this nomination)
  • If a ball or balls of a single colour are potted on the break, the striker must nominate colours:
  • if they nominate the colour they have potted, they must simply hit that colour to be “on” the colour, i.e. a foul will result in Open Table.
  • if they nominate the other colour, they must now pot one of that colour for colours to be decided. If they fail to pot one, it is still Open Table, i.e. first legally potted ball decides colours.
/

After a Foul

  • 2 visits (= 2 shots carry, even to the black)
  • if white is now in-hand, it is ok to play directly at a ball in baulk.
  • if partially snookered (free-ball as in snooker), can nominate (for the first shot following the foul only) an opponent’s ball or the black as a free ball, which can be played and/or potted (if not the black!). The free ball does not have to be struck first. NB The free ball must be explicitly and specifically nominated. For example, you can't nominate one of your opponents balls and use it to pot another of his balls.
  • if partially snookered, can elect to move the white to baulk. Only gets a free ball now if still partially snookered (from all positions in baulk).

Jump ShotA jump shot is a foul.Ball off the TableIf a ball comes to rest off the bed of the table, it is a foul. The ball is replaced on the spot or as close to the centre of the spot away from baulk.

Deliberate Fouls

Deliberate fouls are not punished over and above the punishment for the foul itself (except for abusive fouls such as deliberately moving balls with the hand). /

Push Shots and Touching Balls

  • Push shots are not illegal per se. The rules say that a push shot is only illegal if the balls remain in contact long enough for the cue to be visibly pushing the white along, or if a double hit is seen. In practice this means that if the balls are close but not touching, the player can "jack up" and play the white, with a sharp stroke, directly into the object ball. Push shots and double hits, in the above sense, must be seen (not merely inferred) for a foul to be called.
  • In most situations, a player must play away from a touching ball (the exception occurs when the white is touching more than one object ball that is "on". In this case you only have to play away from one of them).

Potting Opponent's Ball

Always illegal except when you have a "free ball" following a foul and it is the nominated ball.

Hitting a Cushion

  • except in the case listed below, a ball must be potted each time or a ball must strike a cushion AFTER the white has made contact with an object ball.
  • this rule does not apply if the striker is in a Total Snooker, i.e. cannot see any part of a ball “on”. The striker must announce “Total Snooker” before using this rule, and the referee or opponent must agree that it is a Total Snooker.