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APA’s 8-Ball Game Rules GENERAL DESCRIPTION - 8-Ball is played with a cue ball and a normal rack of fifteen (15) object balls. The primary purpose of this game is for one player to pocket the solid balls numbered from 1 to 7 or the striped balls numbered from 9 to 15, and then marking and pocketing the 8-ball before his opponent. Choice of balls to be pocketed is made by the player legally pocketing the first ball of the game. For example, if the first ball pocketed in the game is the 3-ball, then the player must pocket the rest of the balls from 1 to 7 while the opposing player attempts to pocket all the balls from 9 to 15. The turn passes from one player to the next whenever the shooter fails to pocket a ball of his category or fouls. A player legally pocketing a ball of his category must continue to shoot. Winner of the game is the player pocketing his numerical group of balls first, followed by legally pocketing the 8-ball. The 8-ball must be pocketed in a marked pocket.1. LAGGING - Players lag (see LAG described in Definitions) to see who wins the first break. If the lagged balls make contact during the lag, lag over. The winner of the lag breaks in the first game and from that point on the winner of each game breaks in the next game. 2. RACKING - All balls should be frozen (touching) as tightly as possible. Balls are racked with the front ball on the foot spot and the 8-ball in the center of the triangle. The breaking player may request and receive a rerack. 3. BREAKING - Players must break from behind the head string. To be a legal break, the head ball or second ball must be struck first and at least four object balls must be driven to the rails or a ball must be pocketed. The cue ball may not be shot into a rail before the rack. An attempt to break does not count unless the rack is broken as above. Otherwise, the balls are reracked and rebroken by the same player. A game not legally broken, but resulting in a scratch or a foul, will be reracked and broken by the opposite player. THE RACK MUST BE STRUCK BEFORE A FOUL CAN OCCUR. Breaking safe or soft is not allowed. The League Operator may make judgments and issue penalties to teams and players who are not breaking hard. Breaking just hard enough to comply with this rule is not a guarantee against penalties. Remember, break as hard as you can with control.
4. AFTER THE BREAK - Various circumstances can occur upon
completion of the break. They are:
a. A foul on the break will result in ball-in-hand behind the
head string and the incoming player has an open table as defined
in "4e." The incoming player may then shoot at any
ball that is outside the head string. Outside the head string is
determined by aligning the middle or base of the ball with the
imaginary line (head string) between the centers of the two
appropriate diamonds (see Diagram of Table).
If an object ball is dead center on the head string, or out, then
it is playable. If it is in, the ball is not playable. If the two
players cannot agree on an object ball being in or out, then a
third party is consulted for an opinion. If a third party is
consulted, his opinion is final. If no third party is available
or agreed upon, then a flip of a coin will decide the issue.
The cue ball must be in as described above before play can
begin. It is up to the opponent to check to be sure the cue
ball is in before it is shot. This is not a foul; no penalty may
be assessed. If the cue ball is out, the shooter must place the
cue ball behind the head string. To refuse and shoot anyway
would be considered a sportsmanship violation to be reported
to the League Office.
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b. No balls are pocketed and it is the other player's turn.
c. The 8-ball is pocketed. This is a win unless the player
scratches, in which case he loses.
d. One ball is pocketed. As an example, the 3-ball; now it is
still the breaker's turn and he is shooting low balls (solids).
e. One ball of each category is pocketed (for example, the
6-ball and the 12-ball). Now the breaker has his choice. He
may shoot at either category. He may shoot any ball, except
the 8-ball, and anything that goes in would count. If he were
to make one of each category on his second shot, he would
still have an open table and the same choice as after the
break. If he were to miss or foul on his second shot, his opponent
would have an open table. If the opponent then
shoots and makes a ball, but also fouls on the shot, it is still
an open table. Open table means a player can shoot a combination
involving a stripe and a solid and whichever he
makes, without committing a foul, would be his category.
Example: If a player has an open table, and he shoots the
6-ball into the 10-ball, and the 10-ball goes in the pocket, he
has high balls (stripes) and must strike the high balls first
from that point on.
f. If two balls of one category and one ball of the other
category are pocketed (for example, the 3-ball, the 6-ball, and
the 10-ball) it is the shooter's choice just as in "4e" above.
g. Occasionally it occurs after the break, or anytime during the
game for that matter, that a player mistakenly starts shooting
the wrong category of balls. Although it is sportsmanlike for
the sitting player to remind the shooting player that he is
about to foul by shooting the wrong category of balls, it is
not a requirement for him to do so. Once the shooter has hit
the wrong category of balls, the foul has occurred whether
the ball is pocketed or not. If the ball is pocketed, it is permissible,
though not recommended, that the sitting player
allow the shooting player to continue shooting his balls in
until he feels inclined to call the foul. The shooting player
can escape penalty by quietly realizing his error and return-
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ing to shoot the correct category of balls and legally contacting
one of them before his opponent calls a foul, or by
finishing off the wrong category of balls and legally contacting
the 8-ball prior to his opponent calling a foul. In other
words, the sitting player must call the foul before the shooter
returns to the correct category and legally contacts one, or
before the shooter pockets the remaining balls of the wrong
category and legally contacts the 8-ball. Before any foul has
occurred, the shooter also may avoid penalty by asking the
sitting player which category of balls he has. The sitting
player must tell him the truth.
5. COMBINATION SHOTS - Combination shots are legal, but
striking the correct ball first is required except in the open table
situation. The 8-ball is not neutral. A player is credited with
all balls he legally pockets. When a player does not pocket one
of his balls, but pockets an opponent's ball, he loses his turn.
The opponent gets credit for the pocketed ball. No pocketed ball
is ever spotted.
6. BALLS ON THE FLOOR - If the 8-ball is knocked on the
floor, it is loss of game. Other object balls that get knocked on
the floor will be spotted. If the spot is taken, then the ball would
be placed on a line directly behind the spot as close to the spot as
possible. Knocking a ball other than the cue ball on the floor is
not a foul. It might occur that a player pockets his ball while
simultaneously knocking some other ball on the floor. In this
situation, it is still his turn and the ball is not spotted until he
misses. If the ball on the floor is one of the shooter's balls, then
it is spotted when the shooter has pocketed all of his other balls
or misses.
7. POCKETED BALLS - Balls must remain in a pocket to be
legal. If a ball goes in a pocket, but bounces back onto the playing
surface, it is not considered pocketed. If it is the 8-ball, it is
not to be considered as either a win or a loss. If it is the cue ball,
it is not to be considered a scratch.
8. ONE FOOT ON THE FLOOR - At least one foot must be on the floor at all times while shooting if a bridge is present. There is no foul—simply stop the shooter and hand him the bridge. League Management cannot guarantee the presence of bridges, and some Host Locations do not have them. If a bridge is not available, house rules prevail.
9. FOULS - If any of the following fouls
are committed, the penalty is ball-inhand
for the incoming player. Make
certain you have ball-in-hand before
you touch the cue ball. Confirm it
with your opponent before touching
the cue ball. Ball-in-hand might be
new for many members and therefore warrants further explanation.
Ball-in-hand means you get to put the cue ball anywhere
on the table (with the exception of fouls on the break which
result in ball-in-hand behind the head string), and shoot any of
your balls (or the 8-ball, if all of your balls have been pocketed)
regardless of where that ball is. A player exercising his rights
under the ball-in-hand rule may place the cue ball on the table
anywhere he desires. Even after having addressed the cue ball a
player may, if not satisfied with the placement, make further
adjustments with his hand, cue stick or any other reasonable
Verify with
your opponent
you have
ball-in-hand.
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piece of equipment. A foul may be called only if the player fouls
the cue ball while actually stroking the cue ball, meaning a double
hit of the cue ball (sometimes called double clutching). The
ball-in-hand rule penalizes a player for an error. Without this
rule, a person can actually benefit by accidentally or purposely
scratching or otherwise fouling. In the unlikely event that a
game should ever become stalemated, meaning that neither
player wants or can make use of ball-in-hand, then the balls are
reracked, the same player breaks and the innings for the stalemated
game are crossed off the scoresheet.
Only the player or the coach may officially call a foul, although
anyone may suggest to the player or the coach that a foul should
be called.
These are the only fouls resulting in ball-in-hand. All other
violations are sportsmanship violations. The ball-in-hand fouls
are as follows:
a. Anytime the cue ball goes in a pocket, on the floor, or
otherwise ends up off the playing surface.
b. Failure to hit a correct ball first. (A player who is shooting
stripes must hit a striped ball first). In general, the shooter
has the advantage in such situations unless his opponent has
asked an outside party to watch the hit. Protect yourself. If
you think your opponent is getting ready to shoot a shot that
could possibly be a bad hit, stop him from shooting and get
someone to watch the shot. Potential bad hit situations are
usually fairly obvious and protests and disputes over these
close situations can almost always be avoided if someone is
asked to watch the shot. Teams involved in repeatedly calling
bad hits without outside party verification may be subject
to penalty points for disruptive unsportsmanlike behavior.
c. Failure to hit a rail after contact. A rail must be hit by either
the cue ball or any other ball after the cue ball and the object
ball contact. A pocketed ball counts as a rail. A sentence
that should answer many questions is: ANY ball must go to
a rail AFTER LEGAL contact.
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d. The object ball is frozen to a rail and the player is
contemplating playing a safety (see SAFETY described in
Definitions). In order for the following frozen ball rule to be
in effect, the opponent must declare that the ball is frozen
and the player should verify. Once it is agreed that the ball is
frozen, then the player must either drive the object ball to
another rail (of course, it could hit another ball, which in turn
hits a rail), or drive the cue ball to the rail after it touches the
object ball. If the latter method of safety is chosen then the
player should take care that he quite obviously strikes the object
ball first. If the cue ball strikes the rail first or appears
to hit both the rail and ball simultaneously, then it would be a
foul unless either the cue ball or object ball went to some
other rail.
e. It is illegal and, therefore, a foul to jump a cue ball over
another ball by miscuing it up in the air on purpose. Accidental
miscuing is not a foul unless other rules in this section
are violated.
f. Receiving illegal aid (coaching from person(s) other than the
coach) during your turn at the table. To determine what is
and is not considered coaching, refer to COACHING in the
General Rules Section of this manual.
g. Causing even the slightest movement of the cue ball, even
accidentally, is a foul. It is not a foul, however, to accidentally
move any other balls (including the 8-ball) unless,
during the process of shooting, a player moves a ball and it in
turn strikes the cue ball. Even dropping the chalk on the cue
ball is a foul. Any balls moved accidentally during a shot
must be replaced by the opponent after the shot is over and
all balls have stopped rolling. If it occurs before the shot, it
must be replaced before the shot is taken.
h. If, during the course of a shot, the cue ball does not touch
anything.
i. The player or his coach (during a time-out) may place the cue
ball in a ball-in-hand situation. The same rule regarding
placing the cue ball applies to the coach as applies to the
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player. If the player, or coach fouls in the process of placing
the cue ball, it will be ball-in-hand for the opponent. Therefore,
it should be the player’s choice if he wishes to place the
cue ball or allow his coach to do so.
j. Exercise caution when picking up or placing the cue ball in a
ball-in-hand situation. The cue ball is always alive. If the
cue ball, or the hand holding or moving it, touches another
ball it is a cue ball foul and your opponent has ball-in-hand.
Be especially careful when you are picking up or placing the
cue ball in a tight spot.
10. THERE ARE VARIOUS WAYS TO LOSE:
a. Your opponent pockets his numerical group and legally
pockets the 8-ball.
b. You pocket the 8-ball out-of-turn or knock it on the floor.
c. When playing the 8-ball, you pocket the 8-ball in the wrong
pocket or fail to properly mark the pocket where the 8-ball
went in.
d. You foul the cue ball and then pocket the 8-ball.
e. When playing the 8-ball, you scratch. You lose whether or
not you pocket the 8-ball.
Note: If you are shooting at the 8-ball and miss it altogether,
you have fouled and your opponent has ball-in-hand, but you
don't lose because of this foul.
f. A game is forfeited if you alter the course of the 8-ball or the
cue ball in a game losing situation.
Example: You are shooting the 4-ball, miss the pocket, and the
4-ball hits the 8-ball. The 8-ball is going towards the pocket and
you reach out and stop it and try to claim that it is only a ball-inhand
foul. Wrong, it is loss of game.
Example: You are shooting at the 8-ball and miss the pocket
and the 8-ball is heading towards the wrong pocket or the cue
ball is heading towards a pocket. You reach out and stop the ball
11. HOW TO WIN - You have won the game when all the balls of
your numerical group have been pocketed and you have legally
pocketed the 8-ball in a properly marked pocket without scratching.
To properly mark the pocket, a coaster or some other
reasonable marker (other than chalk) must be placed next to the
pocket the 8-ball is intended to enter. Both teams may use the
same marker. Only one marker should be on the table. However,
if more than one marker is on the table, as long as you clearly
mark the pocket where you intend to pocket the 8-ball you have
properly marked the pocket. If the marker is already at the intended
pocket from a previous attempt or game, it is not
necessary for you to touch it, pick it up, or reposition it.
Note: You cannot play the 8-ball at the same time you play the
last ball of your category. The 8-ball must be a separate shot.
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