The next ball he pots will determine who is solid and who is stripes.įor example: if a player sinks both a solid and a stripe on a legal break, and then pots a solid on the next shot, that player will be solids and the opponent will be stripes. If one or more object balls (except the 8-ball) are potted on the break, the player who broke can continue to shoot until he misses. This means that either player can sink or ‘pot’ solid or striped balls. Before this happens, the table is considered ‘open’. If the 8-ball is potted (sunk) on the break, the opposing player can ask for a re-rack and re-break, or the 8-ball can be re-spotted on the table and play can continue.Īfter the break is made, the next rule concerns assigning each player either solids or stripes. If four balls do not come into contact with cushions on the break, the opponent can choose to either play the table as is or ask for a re-break.Īdditionally, if the cue ball goes into a pocket on the break, the opposing player can either place the cue ball and shoot from anywhere behind the head string or ask for a re-rack and re-break. It doesn’t matter what balls, or what cushions, as long as four different balls make contact with cushions. What constitutes a legal break is four balls hitting cushions. So, shooting from ‘in the kitchen’ should be considered the same as shooting from behind the head string. Sometimes the area behind the head string is also called ‘the kitchen’. On most recreational tables this line is imaginary, but can easily be determined by looking at the diamonds or markings along the sides of the table. The cue ball can be placed anywhere behind the head string, which is denoted by a line between the second markings at the head end of the table. If the players cannot agree on which route to take, a coin flip will work well for every break situation. In others, winners rack and losers break. In some areas, losers rack and winners break. Once a game has been played, who breaks and who racks the next game can either be taken in turns or determined by who loses the game. Which player or team breaks should be determined initially by a coin toss.
Heres a little diagram I found on that should help you identify the foot spot on the table a bit easier.Īnatomy of a Pool Table – An infographic by the team at PoolDawg Billiards Supplies How To Break The bottom of the break formation should be aligned parallel with the closest end of the table. The break formation should be aligned with the apex ball (Number 1 Ball) at the foot spot on the table (usually a little round marker at one end of the table). The number 1 ball should be at the top of the triangle. One of the corner balls should be a solid, and the other a stripe. The rest of the triangle rack should be random, save for the two corner balls at the bottom of the triangle. This is widely agreed upon throughout the pool world. The 8 ball should always be located in the center of the rack two rows from the top and two rows from the bottom of the triangle. While you don’t have to agree on where every single ball goes, there are a few important placements to consider. To start off the game right, you and your opponent should agree on the proper rack formation. 23 Must Have Billiard Accessories You Can’t Do Without.18 Unique Pool Table Lights for Your Billiard Room.Best Pool Cues for the Money: A Cue for Every Budget.Want to check out some billiard gear we like? Check out these articles! This article will walk you through, step by step, how to play 8 ball pool the simple way. If you’re looking for the simple rules of 8 ball so you and your friends can start playing right away, you’re in luck. But the best part is that you don’t have to read 15 pages of complex rules to get a game going. They’re for those casual players and for those players who have higher aspirations.
While slightly different than professional play, these rules are simple for a reason. Luckily, we’ve determined the simple 8 ball rules that everyone can play by. You may have heard of ‘bar rules’ which people generally agree on, but even these rules vary depending on the region. When you can’t come to an agreement, the best thing to do is to find 8 ball pool rules: the simple version. The rules you know aren’t quite the same as the rules your opponent plays by. Chances are you’ve probably been in the middle of a game with someone when a certain rule pauses the game and leads to controversy. There are so many different variations of 8-ball pool that it’s hard to know which set of rules to play by.