Except when clearly contradicted by these additional rules, the General Rules of Pocket Billiards apply.

OBJECT OF THE GAME

Eight-Ball is a call shot game played with a cue ball and fifteen balls, numbered one through fifteen. One pool player must pocket each of the balls in the group one through seven. These would be the solid colored balls. The other pool player has the strip balls. These balls are numbered nine through fourteen. The pool player who legally hits the eight ball into one of the pockets or the player who pockets their group of balls, solid or strip wins the pool game.

CALL YOUR SHOT

In Call Your Shot, the obvious pool shots do not have to be called, but other more difficult shots the pool player should indicate which balls and pockets the player plans one using. The other pool player has the right to ask which pocket and ball the player plans on using. When the pool player shoots a combination or bank shot it is not considered an obvious shot. The pool player who is shooting should call both the ball and the pocket the ball they plan on using. When the player calls their shot it is not always necessary to indicate the number of banks, cushions, kisses, caroms, etc. Any balls that are hit into pockets during a foul should remain in the pockets. It does not matter if the balls belong to the shooter or the opponent. The opening break is not considered a called shot, so any balls dropped stay in the pockets and the player who broke the balls shall continue playing.

RACKING THE BALLS

The pool balls are racked in a triangle at the top of the table with the eight ball in the middle of the triangle. The first ball of the rack is located on the front tip of the triangle and should be a solid ball followed by a strip ball on each side of the solid ball. From that point the pool balls are placed in the rack in proper place on the table.

ORDER OF THE BREAK

The winner of the lag has the option to break or let the other pool player break. The player who wins each game breaks in the next game. The following is a list of common options that may be designated by tournament officials in advance: The pool players shall alternate breaks. The person who losses breaks in the following game. The player whom is trailing in the game count shall break in the following game.

THE LEGAL BREAK SHOT

(Definition) In order to execute an officially permitted break, the breaker must either (1) pocket one of the ball, or (2) drive at least four numbered balls to the rail. When the person whom is breaking fails to make a legal break, it is a foul in pool, and the other pool player has two options (1) accepting the table how it is and shooting, or (2) having the balls re-racked and having the option of shooting the break or allowing the original player to break again.

SCRATCHING ON A LEGAL BREAK

If a player scratches on a legal break shooting eight ball pool, (1) all balls pocketed remain pocketed (2) it is considered a foul, (3) the table is still open.

IF AN OBJECT BALL IS JUMPED OFF TABLE ON THE BREAK

If a pool player jumps an object ball off of the table on the break shot it is considered a foul and the inward player has two options (1) accepting the table in place and shooting, or (2) taking the cue ball in hand and behind the head string and shooting.

IF THE EIGHT BALL IS POCKETED ON THE BREAK

If the eight ball is pocketed on the break, breaker has the option to ask for the pool balls to be re-rack or have the eight ball spotted and continue shooting the game. If the person who is breaking scratches while pocketing the eight ball on the break, the arriving player has the option of having the balls re-rack or having the eight ball spotted.

IF THE TABLE IS “OPEN”

(Defined) The table is considered” open" when the choice of solid or strip balls has not yet been determined. When the table is considered open, it is a legal shoot to hit a solid first to make a stripe or vice-versa. The table is always open directly after the break shot. When the table is considered open, it is officially permitted to hit any solid or stripe first in the process of pocketing the called stripe or solid. However, when the table is considered open and the eight ball is the first ball that makes contact with, it is a foul and no stripe or solid may be scored in favor of the person who is shooting. The person who is shooting loses his or her turn. The incoming player is honored the cue ball in hand and any balls pocketed remain pocketed; and the incoming player addresses the balls with the table still open. If the table is open, all illegally pocketed balls stay pocketed.

CHOICE OF STRIPES OR SOLID

Stripes or solids is not determined on the break even if balls are made from only one or both groups, because the table is always open directly after the break. The choice of solid or strip is determined only when a player officially pockets a called ball after the break shot. ooooooo

LEGAL SHOT

(Defined) On each shot the pool player who is shooting must hit one of their balls first. and pocket one of their balls legally. It is acceptable for the shooter to bank the cue ball off a rail before making contact with the solid or strip he or she is shooting for. After the pool players makes contact with his or her ball it must be pocketed. If these requirements are not met then a foul will be called.

A "SAFETY" SHOT

A safety shot is used for tactical reasons. A player can decide to pocket an apparent object ball and also terminate a turn at the table by announcing a "safety" in advance. A safety shot is a legal shot. If the shooting player anticipates to play a safety by pocketing an apparent object ball, then previous to the shot, the shooter is required to declare a "safety" to the other pool player. The shooter is held responsible to make the other pool player alert of the intended safety shot. If the safety is not called and one of the shooter’s object balls is pocketed, the shooter will be obligated to shoot again. Any ball that is pocketed on a safety shot remains pocketed.

SCORING

The pool player is permitted to remain shooting until he or she fails to officially pocket a ball of their group. After one of the pool player has legally pocketed all of their solid or stripe balls, they then proceed to shoot the eight ball into a called pocket.

FOUL PENALTY

When a foul penalty occurs the opposing player is allowed to put the cue ball in hand. This means that the pool player can place the cue ball anywhere on the table This rule prevents a player from making deliberate fouls which would put the other pool player at a disadvantage. When the cue ball is in hand the pool player may use his or her hand to spot the cue ball. When placing the cue ball in position, any frontward stroke movement contacting the cue ball will be a foul.

COMBINATION SHOTS

Combination shots are legal shots. The eight ball can not be used as the first ball in a combination shot unless it is the shooter’s only remaining legal ball on the table. If the eight ball is used in a combination shot, the shot will be considered a foul.

ILLEGALLY POCKETED BALLS

An illegally pocketed ball occurs when an object ball is pocketed during the same shot in which a foul is committed. If the called ball did not go in the selected pocket or a safety is called prior to the shot it is considered an illegally pocketed ball. Illegally pocketed balls stay pocketed and are scored in favor of the shooter controlling that particular group of balls.

IF OBJECT BALLS ARE JUMPED OFF THE TABLE

If an object ball is jumped off the table, it is considered a foul and the pool player looses his or her turn. If the eight ball is jumped off the table it will result in loss of game by the pool player who shot. Any balls, besides the eight ball, that are jumped off the table are not re-spotted.

JUMP AND MASSÉ SHOT FOUL

When “cue ball fouls only" is considered the rule of play and a referee is not supervising the game , a player should be conscious that it will be considered a cue ball foul if during an effort to curve, jump or massé the cue ball around or over an impeding numbered ball that is not a legal ball, the impeding ball moves.

PLAYING THE EIGHT BALL

When the pool player is shooting for the eight ball , a scratch or foul is not considered loss of game if the eight ball is not pocketed or jumped off the table. The incoming pool player has the cue ball in hand. A combination shot can never be used to legally pocket the eight ball, except when the eight ball is the first ball to be contacted in the shot order.

LOSS OF GAME

A pool player loses the game by committing any of the following infractions: Commits a fouls when pocketing the eight ball. Pockets the eight ball during a shot on which the player was trying to pocket one of their object balls. If the pool player jumps the eight ball off the table at any point of the game. Pockets the eight ball in a pocket other than the one he or she selected. Pockets the eight ball when it is not the officially permitted object ball.

STALEMATED GAME

If, after three successive turns at the table by each player , the referee judges that trying to pocket or move an object ball will consequence in loss of game, the balls will be re-racked with the original breaker of the game breaking again. The stalemate rule may be used in spite of the number of balls on the table.