GENERAL RULES OF POCKET BILLIARDS
THE BREAK Determining who breaks is done by either flipping a coin or lagging. To lag for the opening break, each player stands to the left or right of the head spot and shoots balls of equal weight and size simultaneously to the foot cushion and back to the head end of the table. The player whose ball is the closest to the innermost edge of the head cushion wins the lag. The player winning the lag has the choice of performing the opening break shot or assigning it to the opponent. All subsequent breaks are made by the player who won the previous match
CUE BALL ON OPENING BREAK The opening break shot is taken with cue ball in hand behind the head string. The object balls are positioned according to specific game rules. On the opening break, the game is considered to have commenced once the cue ball has been struck by the cue tip. If there is a scratch on the break, the incoming player has cue “ball in hand” behind the head string. The incoming player may place the cue ball anywhere behind the head string. The shooting player may shoot at any object ball as long as the base of the object ball is on or below the head string. He may not shoot at any ball, above the head string, unless he first shoots the cue ball below the head string and then by hitting a rail causes the cue ball to come back above the head string and hit the object ball.
FAILURE TO CONTACT OBJECT BALLIt is a foul if on a stroke the cue ball fails to make contact with any legal object ball first. Playing away from a touching ball does not constitute having hit that ball. It is a foul (scratch) if on a stroke, the cue ball is pocketed.
FOOT ON FLOORPlayer must have at least one foot in contact with the floor at the moment the cue tip contacts the cue ball, or the shot is a foul.
ILLEGAL JUMPING OF BALLUnless otherwise stated in rules for a specific game it is legal to cause the cue ball to rise off the bed of the table. Any miscue when executing a jump shot is a foul. It is a foul if a player strikes the cue ball below center and intentionally causes it to rise off the bed of the table in an effort to clear an obstructing ball. In all pocket billiard games, when a stroke results in the cue ball or any object ball being a jumped ball off the table, the stroke is a foul. JAWED BALLSIf two or more balls are locked between the sides of the pocket, it is referred to as jawed. You (or a referee) inspect the balls in position and project where the ball would fall if hit directly downward. Using the best judgment, if the ball would fall in the pocket it is considered a pocketed ball. Any ball that would come to rest on the bed of the table, if pushed directly down is then placed where it would fall on the table and play continues.
NON-PLAYER INTERFERENCEIf the balls are moved by someone not playing the match (a player is bumped while shooting and that play is directly affected), the balls shall be replaced as near as possible to their original positions prior to the incident and play shall resume with no penalty on the player affected.
POCKETED BALLSA ball is considered pocketed if as a result of an otherwise legal shot, it drops off the bed of the table into the pocket and remains there. A ball that rebounds from a pocket back onto the table bed is not a pocketed ball. SPOTTING BALLSWhen the game rules for a specific game call for spotting balls, it means that an object ball will be replaced on the table. A single ball is placed on the foot spot (the center of the second diamond marking from the foot). If more than one ball is to be spotted, the additional balls are placed behind one another, in a long string, in ascending numerical order.
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!