POOL BILLIARDS:

The Rules of Play

Fouls
The following actions are fouls at pool
when included in the specific rules of
the game being played. If several fouls
occur on one shot, only the most
serious one is enforced. If a foul is not
called before the next shot begins, the
foul is assumed not to have happened.
 Cue Ball Scratch or off the Table

If the cue ball is pocketed or driven off the

table, the shot is a foul. See 8.3 Ball Pocketed
and 8.5 Driven off the Table.

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 Wrong Ball First

In those games which require the first object

ball struck to be a particular ball or one of a
group of balls, it is a foul for the cue ball to
first contact any other ball.

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 No Rail after Contact
If no ball is pocketed on a shot, the cue ball
must contact an object ball, and after that
contact at least one ball (cue ball or any object
ball) must be driven to a rail, or the shot is a
foul. (See 8.4 Driven to a Rail.)

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 No Foot on Floor
If the shooter does not have at least one foot
touching the floor at the instant the tip
contacts the cue ball, the shot is a foul.

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 Ball Driven off the Table
It is a foul to drive an object ball off the table.
Whether that ball is spotted depends on the
rules of the game. (See 8.5 Driven off the
Table.)

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 Touched Ball
It is a foul to touch, move or change the path of any
object ball except by the normal ball-to- ball contacts
during shots. It is a foul to touch, move or change the
path of the cue ball except when it is in hand or by
the normal tip-to-ball forward stroke contact of a
shot. The shooter is responsible for the equipment
he controls at the table, such as chalk, bridges,
clothing, his hair, parts of his body, and the cue ball
when it is in hand, that may be involved in such fouls.
If such a foul is accidental, it is a standard foul, but if
it is intentional, it is 6.17 Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

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 Double Hit / Frozen Balls
If the cue stick contacts the cue ball more than once
on a shot, the shot is a foul. If the cue ball is close to
but not touching an object ball and the cue tip is still
on the cue ball when the cue ball contacts that object
ball, the shot is a foul. If the cue ball is very close to
an object ball, and the shooter barely grazes that
object ball on the shot, the shot is assumed not to
violate the first paragraph of this rule, even though
the tip is arguably still on the cue ball when ball-ball
contact is made.

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However, if the cue ball is touching an object ball at the
start of the shot, it is legal to shoot towards or partly into
that ball (provided it is a legal target within the rules of
the game) and if the object ball is moved by such a shot,
it is considered to have been contacted by the cue ball.
(Even though it may be legal to shoot towards such a
touching or “frozen” ball, care must be taken not to
violate the rules in the first paragraph if there are
additional balls close by.)
The cue ball is assumed not to be touching any ball
unless it is declared touching by the referee or opponent.
It is the shooter’s responsibility to get the declaration
before the shot. Playing away from a frozen ball does not
constitute having hit that ball unless specified in the rules
of the game.
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 Push Shot
It is a foul to prolong tip-to-cue-ball contact beyond
that seen in normal shots.

Balls Still Moving

It is a foul to begin a shot while any ball in play is
moving or spinning.

Bad Cue Ball Placement

When the cue ball is in hand and restricted to the area behind
the head string, it is a foul to play the cue ball from on or
below the head string. If the shooter is uncertain whether the
cue ball has been placed behind the head string, he may ask
the referee for a determination.
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Bad Play from Behind the Head String
When the cue ball is in hand behind the head string,
and the first ball the cue ball contacts is also behind
the head string, the shot is a foul unless the cue ball
crosses the head string before that contact. If such a
shot is intentional, it is unsportsmanlike conduct.
The cue ball must either cross the head string or
contact a ball in front of or on the head string or the
shot is a foul, and the cue ball is in hand for the
following player according to the rules of the specific
game. If such shot is intentional, it is also
unsportsmanlike conduct.
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 Cue Stick on the Table
If the shooter uses his cue stick in order to align a
shot by placing it on the table without having a hand
on the stick, it is a foul.
Playing out of Turn
It is a standard foul to unintentionally play out of
turn. Normally, the balls will be played from the
position left by the mistaken play. If a player
intentionally plays out of turn, it should be treated
like 6.17 Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

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Three Consecutive Fouls
If a player fouls three times without making an
intervening legal shot, it is a serious foul. In games
scored by the rack, such as nine ball, the fouls must
be in a single rack. Some games such as eight ball do
not include this rule.
The referee must warn a shooter who is on two fouls
when he comes to the table that he is on two fouls.
Otherwise a possible third foul will be considered to
be only the second.

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Slow Play
If the referee feels that a player is playing too slowly,
he may advise that player to speed up his play. If the
player does not speed up, the referee may impose a
shot clock on that match that applies to both players.
If the shooter exceeds the time limit specified for the
tournament, a standard foul will be called and the
incoming player is rewarded according to the rules
applicable to the game being played. (Rule 6.17
Unsportsmanlike Conduct may also apply.)

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Ball Rack Template Foul
It is a foul when a Ball Rack Template, removed from
the playing surface, interferes with the game i.e. if
the template is lying on the rail and a ball (cue or
object ball) touches the template that is lying on the
rail.

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Unsportsmanlike Conduct
The normal penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct is
the same as for a serious foul, but the referee may
impose a penalty depending on his judgment of the
conduct. Among other penalties possible are a
warning; a standard-foul penalty, which will count as
part of a three- foul sequence if applicable; a serious-
foul penalty; loss of a rack, set or match; ejection
from the competition possibly with forfeiture of all
prizes, trophies and standings points.

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Unsportsmanlike conduct is any intentional behavior that brings
disrepute to the sport or which disrupts or changes the game to
the extent that it cannot be played fairly. It includes
(a) distracting the opponent;
(b) changing the position of the balls in play other than by
a shot;
(c) playing a shot by intentionally miscuing;
(d) continuing to play after a foul has been called or play
has been suspended;
(e) practicing during a match;
(f) marking the table;
(g) delay of the game; and
(h) using equipment inappropriately.

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Definitions Used
in the Rules
The following definitions apply
throughout these rules.
Parts of the Table

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The following definitions of parts of the table refer to
the accompanying diagram. Some details of exact size
and placement are in the WPA Equipment
Specifications. See the WPA website at www.wpa-
pool.com for current information.
The table is comprised of rails, cushions, a playing
surface and pockets. The foot end of the table is where
the object balls usually begin, while the head end is
where the cue ball usually begins.
Behind the head string is the area between the head
rail and the head string, not including the head string.
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The cushions, tops of the rails, pockets and pocket liners
are parts of the rails. There are four “strings” on the
playing surface as shown in the diagram:
the long string down the center of the table;
the head string bounding the quarter of the table closest
to the head rail; the foot string bounding the quarter of
the table closest to the foot rail; and the center string
between the two side pockets.
These lines are only marked as mentioned below.
The rails may have inlays referred to as diamonds or sights
which mark 1/4th of the width and 1/8th of the length of
the table measured from nose to nose on the cushions.
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On the playing surface, which is the flat, cloth-covered part
of the table, the following will be marked if they are used
in the game being played:
the foot spot, where the foot string and the long string
meet; the head spot, where the head string and the long
string meet;
the center spot, where the center string and the long string
meet; the head string;
the long string between the foot spot and the foot rail; and
the triangle, either in outline or by alignment marks
depending on the game.

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Shot
A shot begins when the tip contacts the cue ball due
to a forward stroke motion of the cue stick. A shot
ends when all balls in play have stopped moving and
spinning. A shot is said to be legal if the shooter did
not foul during the shot.

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Ball Pocketed
A ball is pocketed if it comes to rest in a pocket below
the playing surface or enters the ball return system. A
ball near the brink of a pocket partly supported by
another ball is considered pocketed if removal of the
supporting ball would cause the ball to fall into the
pocket.
If a ball stops near the edge of a pocket, and remains
apparently motionless for five seconds, it is not
considered pocketed if it later falls into the pocket by
itself. See 1.7 Balls Settling for other details.

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During that five second period, the referee should
ensure that no other shot is taken. An object ball that
rebounds from a pocket back onto the playing
surface is not a pocketed ball. If the cue ball contacts
an already pocketed ball, the cue ball will be
considered pocketed whether it rebounds from the
pocket or not. The referee will remove pocketed
object balls from full or nearly full pockets, but it is
the shooter’s responsibility to see that this duty is
performed.

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 Driven to a Rail
A ball is said to be driven to a rail if it is not touching
that rail and then touches that rail. A ball touching a
rail at the start of a shot (said to be “frozen” to the
rail) is not considered driven to that rail unless it
leaves the rail and returns. A ball that is pocketed or
driven off the table is also considered to have been
driven to a rail. A ball is assumed not to be frozen to
any rail unless it is declared frozen by the referee, the
shooter, or the opponent. See also Regulation 29,
Calling Frozen Balls.

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 Driven off the Table

A ball is considered driven off the table if it comes to

rest other than on the playing surface but is not
pocketed. A ball is also considered driven off the
table if it would have been driven off the table except
for striking an object such as a light fixture, piece of
chalk or a player which causes it to return to the
table.

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 Driven off the Table
A ball is considered driven off the table if it comes to
rest other than on the playing surface but is not
pocketed. A ball is also considered driven off the
table if it would have been driven off the table except
for striking an object such as a light fixture, piece of
chalk or a player which causes it to return to the
table.
A ball that contacts the top of the rail is not
considered to have been driven off the table if it
returns to the playing surface or enters a pocket.

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 Scratch
A shot on which the cue ball is pocketed is called a
scratch.

Cue Ball
The cue ball is the ball that is struck by the shooter at
the beginning of a shot. It is traditionally white, but
may be marked by a logo or spots. In pocket billiard
games, a single cue ball is used by both players.

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 Object Balls
The object balls are struck by the cue ball with the usual intent of
driving them into pockets. They are typically numbered from one to
the number of balls used in the game. Colors and markings of the
object balls are covered under the WPA Equipment Specifications.

Set
In some matches, the match is divided into parts
called sets, with a certain number of sets won
required to win the match. In turn, a certain number
of points or racks won is required to win each set.

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 Rack
The rack is the framing device, typically triangular,
used to arrange the object balls for the break shot at
the start of the game. It also refers to the group of
balls so arranged. To rack the object balls is to group
them with the rack. A rack is also a portion of a
match played with a single rack of object balls. Some
games, such as nine ball, are scored at one point per
rack.

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 Break
A break shot is the opening shot of a match or rack,
depending on the game. It happens when the object
balls have been racked and the cue ball is played
from behind the head string usually with the intent
of breaking the rack apart.

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 Inning
An inning is a player’s turn at the table. It begins
when it is legal for him to take a shot, and ends at
the end of a shot when it is no longer legal for him to
take a shot. In some games a player may choose not
to come to the table in certain situations when play
would normally pass to him, and then the player
remaining at the table continues the inning (e.g. a
push-out at nine ball). The player whose turn it is to
play is called the “shooter.”

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 Position of Balls
The position of a ball is determined by the projection
of its center vertically downward onto the playing
surface. A ball is said to be placed on a line or spot
when its center is placed directly over that line or
spot.

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 Re-spotting Balls
In some games, object balls are required to be placed on
the playing surface other than when forming a new rack.
They are said to be re-spotted when they are so placed.
See 1.4 Spotting Balls.

Restoring a Position
If the balls are disturbed, the rules of the game may
require them to be replaced where they were. The
referee will replace the balls to their original position
as accurately as possible..

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 Jump Shot
A jump shot is one in which the cue ball is made to
go over an intervening obstacle such as an object ball
or part of the cushion. Whether such a shot is legal
depends on how it is accomplished and the intention
of the shooter. Usually a legal jump shot is played by
elevating the cue stick and driving the cue ball down
into the playing surface from which it rebounds.

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 Safety Shot
A shot is said to be a safety shot if the game in play is
a call shot game and the shooter declared the shot to
the referee or his opponent to be a “safety” before
the shot. Play passes to the other player at the end of
a safety shot.

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 Miscue
A miscue occurs when the cue tip slides off the cue ball
possibly due to a contact that is too eccentric or to insufficient
chalk on the tip. It is usually accompanied by a sharp sound
and evidenced by a discoloration of the tip. Although some
miscues involve contact of the side of the cue stick with the
cue ball, unless such contact is clearly visible, it is assumed
not to have occurred. A scoop shot, in which the cue tip
contacts the playing surface and the cue ball at the same time
and this causes the cue ball to rise off the cloth, is treated like
a miscue. Note that intentional miscues are covered by 6.17
Unsportsmanlike Conduct (c).

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Thank You.

elyuke
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