Eight-Ball Pro Rules Made Simple

1. 8-Ball is a "call shot" game. In order for a player to legally pocket a ball and continue his/her turn at the table, the following must occur:
   • The opponent must make a specific ball in a specific pocket. If the correct ball falls in the correct pocket, and no foul is committed, the shot is legal and the opponent may continue his/her turn at the table.
     • Please Note: It is NEVER necessary to call the number of rails hit, object ball or cue ball kisses.
   • Obvious shots. Unless otherwise agreed by both players, obvious balls and pockets do not have to be indicated, but are assumed. Obvious shots are basic cut shots. A shot is NOT considered obvious if it involves kicks, banks, or a cluster of balls in which the intended ball sits in close proximity (less than one balls distance) to other balls of the player’s grouping. In these cases, the player must state the intended ball and the intended pocket. If this is not done, the opposing player may consider it as a missed shot and the shooting player’s inning must come to an end. However, this does not constitute a foul.
2. The Rack: The first ball in the rack should sit directly on the foot spot of the table. In the last row, one corner ball must be a solid and the other a stripe. The 8-ball sits in the middle of the third row. There should be some sort of alternating pattern used to decrease the likelihood of clusters after the break.
3. The penalty for a foul in 8-Ball is BALL IN HAND ANYWHERE on the table. The only exception is when a foul is committed by scratching on the break. When this occurs, the incoming player must place the cue-ball behind the breaking headstring.
4. Who breaks first? The first player to break the balls may be determined by the flip of a coin, or by each lagging a playing ball to the end rail and back. The closest to the second rail wins. (It does not matter if the ball hits the second rail or not.)
5. What makes a break legal? The shooter must either pocket a ball on the break, or drive at least four balls from the rack to the rails. If this does not occur, the opponent has the option (1) to accept the rack as is, or (2) to have the breaker re-break. If this foul occurs a second time in a row, the opponent has the option to re-rack and assume the break.
6. Succeeding break always goes to the winner of the preceding game unless otherwise agreed upon in advance.
7. The break. Any ball(s) made on the break, without a scratch or foul, entitle the breaking player to continue at the table. If no balls are made, the opposing player’s inning begins.
8. Choice of grouping (solids or stripes) always remains open directly following the break, regardless of what balls are made on the break. The first legally pocketed ball, after the initial break, will determine which group of balls is claimed for each player.
9. If the eight ball is made early in the game, before the offending player has completely pocketed all of his/her balls, a loss of game will result.
10. The eight ball may never be struck first in an attempt to pocket another ball or to play a safety when the shooting player has other balls of his/her grouping remaining on the table. If this occurs, the player loses his/her turn at the table and the incoming player is awarded ball in hand ANYWHERE on the table.
11. Combination shots are allowed; however, the 8-ball can’t be used as a first ball in the combination unless it is the shooter’s only remaining legal object ball on the table. Otherwise, should such contact occur on the 8-ball, it is a foul.
12. All balls stay down. All balls pocketed or jumped from the table surface remain pocketed, regardless of whether or not they are the intended ball or pocket.
13. Object balls jumped off the surface of table, and do not return to naturally come to rest on the playing surface of the table, are considered to be illegally pocketed. The ball is placed in a pocket and counted towards the player that has that grouping. The offending player loses his/her turn at the table and the incoming player must continue from wherever the cue ball rests.
14. If the cue ball is jumped off the table, the incoming player has ball in hand anywhere on the table.
15. If the eight ball is jumped off the table, a loss of game will result for the offending player.

For a printable version, click here.

For a more complete reference to the World Standardized Rules for 8- Ball, please click here.