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Tuesday, May 1, 2007 will start up the next season of pool league.   

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USE OF EQUIPMENTPlayers may not use equipment or accessories for purposes (or in a manner) other than those for which the items were intended.  No more than two mechanical bridges may be used at one time.  The following is a list of acceptable equipment items a player may bring to the table to use in a World Pool-

Billiard Association sanctioned event:(a) Cue Stick - Each player is permitted to use one or more cue sticks that meet the specifications listed in the equipment specifications section. He may use either a built-in extender or an add-on extender to increase the length of the stick.

(b) Chalk - The player may apply chalk to his tip to prevent miscues, and may use his own chalk, provided its color is compatible with the cloth.

(c) Talcum Powder

(d) Mechanical Bridges - The player may use up to two mechanical bridges to support the cue stick during the shot.

(e) Gloves - The player may use gloves to improve the grip and/or bridge hand function.   CUE BALL FOULS ONLYIt is a foul for a player to touch any ball with the cue, their clothing, body, mechanical bridge or chalk, before, during or after a shot. However, when a referee is not presiding over a game, it is not a foul to accidentally touch stationary balls located between the cue ball and the shooter while in the act of shooting. If such an accident occurs, the player should restore the object balls to their correct positions.  CALLING SHOTSA player may shoot any ball he chooses, but before he shoots, must designate the called ball and called pocket.  He/she does not have to indicate any detail such as kisses, caroms, combinations, or cushions (all of which are legal).

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.

GENERAL TERMS OF THE GAME           

APEX BALL – This is the forward-most ball in the rack.  All balls must line up behind the Apex ball and be pressed together so that they are touching each other.             

CUE BALL – The cue ball is the solid white ball on the table and is used to strike the object ball, the ball you want to put in a pocket.            

FOOT SPOT – The place on the table where the APEX ball in the rack is positioned.  It is located on the side of the table where the balls are returned and is the center of the 2^nd pair of diamond markings.  This is also the place where              

FOUL – A player must cause the cue ball to contact a legal object ball and then pocket a numbered ball or cause the cue ball or any numbered ball to contact any part of the rail. Failure to meet these requirements is a foul.  Below are some examples of a foul.

(a)    It is a foul if on a stroke the cue ball fails to make contact with any legal object ball.

(b)    It is a foul (scratch) if the cue ball is pocketed.

(c)     It is a foul to strike, touch or in any way make contact with the cue ball or any object balls in play with anything (the body, clothing, chalk, mechanical bridge, cue shaft, etc.) except the cue tip in the execution of a legal shot.  Any object ball moved during a standard foul must be returned as closely as possible to its original position.           

HEAD STRING – A small area of the table, opposite from where they balls are/were racked, behind the second pair of diamond markings on the length of the table.  Imagine an invisible line connecting the two diamonds across the table.  This is the head string area.            

INNING – The term used to describe when both players have completed their turn.  Each player’s inning is over when they do not pocket a ball.             

OBJECT BALLS – The numbered ball you are expecting to drop into a pocket.               

POCKET – The 6 places on a pool table where the balls drop.  There are 4 corner pockets and 2 side pockets.

RACK – The positioning of the balls on the table before a break.  A triangle is usually used to position the balls for most pool games.  However, in 9-ball a diamond shaped rack may be used.