General Rules of Pool & Pocket Billiards

by Sarah Mausolf | reviewed by Tom Roberts

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Equipment:

Table
Object Balls
Cue Ball
Cue
Chalk

Racking

• A rack should be used to gather the object balls to tightly press them together with the head ball on the foot spot.

Opening Break

• The cue ball is placed anywhere behind the head string by the breaking player. After the cue ball crosses the head string including the head string, it is considered a foul and loss of turn to alter the cue ball's course in any manner. In this case, the opponent usually has the option of breaking or passing the break back to the player that fouled.

Legal Shots & Fouls

• The cue ball may only be struck with the cue tip of the cue. If the cue tip touches the cue ball more than once (double hit) or the cue ball is pushed by the cue tip it is also considered a foul.
• If a player pockets the cue ball (scratches), does not contact an object ball and, in some cases, a rail after contact with the object ball, it is also considered a foul.
• A player may not touch any object ball or cue ball with anything except for the cue tip before, during or after a legal stroke or it's otherwise considered a foul.  Clothing, hair, chalk or mechanical bridge is no exception to this rule.
• The ball's position is considered where the center of the ball rests on the table. If a player fails to pocket a ball, that players turn is over. If a ball is pocketed and remains so with a legal shot, the player should continue shooting.
• Balls that bounce out of the pocket and back onto the table's playing surface or floor are not considered to be pocketed; therefore, that player's turn is over.
• Players may not shoot until a stroke is complete in which all balls on the table are at rest including a spinning cue ball.
• Players must have one foot contacting the floor when a shot is performed in order for it to be a legal stroke.
• Jumping the cue ball illegally or miscuing while attempting to perform a legal jump shot is fouling.
• Any object ball that is not pocketed or resting on the table should be spotted on the foot spot or on the long string.
• If additional balls are pocketed during a legal stroke those balls are to be considered pocketed and scored as the game specifies.

~Rules adapted from the World Pool-Billiard Association Standardized Rules~

Download General Rules of Pool & Pocket Billiards in PDF Format

Updated 6/2008