Common Ground House Rules
Here's
a copy of our house pool rules. Prospective tournament participants
should review the rules and definitely ask questions if all is not clear.
To print out a copy of these rules,
here is a printable pdf version:
Common
Ground House Pool Rules
Common Ground House Rules
8 Ball Pool
In general, we have adapted most
of these rules from
The American Poolplayers Association Handbook. We have
also added and/or modified a few rules of our own, in an effort to
encourage novices as well as pros to join us. In the event
that a particular aspect of a rule is not covered by our house
rules, we will rely on the rules of the American Poolplayers
Association to guide us.
If you need clarification of a
rule at any point during a game of pool, ask the question before
you take the shot. If you wait until after you take the
shot, it may be too late.
The Game:
1. Played by two players, shooting
alternately.
2. Played with 15 balls, numbered 1
through 15 and the cue ball.
3. Balls are racked by the shooter’s
opponent at the foot spot, with the 8 ball in the center of the
triangle.
4. Object balls consist of two numerical
groups: 1 through 7 (solids), 9 through 15 (stripes), plus the 8
ball.
5. Each player must pocket all his solids
or stripes before pocketing the 8 ball.
6. Player pocketing all his group of
balls (solids or stripes), then legally pocketing the 8 ball, wins
the game.
The Break:
1. In general house play, money breaks.
In tournament play, the lag method is used in which players
simultaneously shoot a ball from behind the head string, banking it
off the foot rail and back to the head of the table.
Striking the side rail or any pocket, results in loss of the
lag. The closest ball to
the head rail wins. It
is permissible to strike the head rail.
If the lagged balls make contact with each other, lag over.
2. To be a legal break, the head ball or
second ball must be struck first and at least four balls must be
driven to the rails or a ball must be pocketed. Otherwise, the balls
are reracked and rebroken by the same player, unless a foul occurs,
in which case the opposite player breaks.
3. If the player fails to pocket a ball
on the break, the opponent accepts balls in position and calls a
shot to pocket either a solid or stripe. Any called
combination of stripes and/or solids (eight ball excluded) is legal
at this point in the game because the table is still open.
4. When the first solid or stripe is
pocketed (legally), shooter accepts this group of balls.
5. If one or more balls of each group is
made on the break, you must shoot again and make a ball to ascertain
your group of balls (stripes or solids).
6. If the shooter scratches and pockets
any number of balls, the opposing player shall have his choice of
shooting either solids or stripes.
The Play:
1. All shots (including combinations)
must be called to opponent and/or referee. The player must always
hit his ball first. If player fails to pocket the called ball
in the called pocket in the specified manner, he loses his turn at
shooting. Contact with rails does not have to be called.
All contact with balls must be called and must be called in the
specific order in which the contact will occur.
2. The shooter is entitled to all balls
pocketed, unless he pockets any balls belonging to his opponent, in
which case the opponent is credited with those balls.
3. A player must pocket a ball of his
group to continue his shooting turn.
4. If a player pockets only an
opponent’s ball and none of his own group, the ball counts for the
opponent and the player loses his turn.
5. Combination shots are allowed except
when the 8 ball becomes the object ball for the shooter. A shooter
must always hit his ball first in any combination. At no time, is
the 8 ball neutral.
6. A shooter must always call a
legal shot and honestly attempt to make that shot.
7. ANY movement of the cue ball
(intentional or accidental) is considered a shot. Also see
rules under "The Break".
8. Coaching is not allowed in
individual tournament play.
9. There
are times when a player has no prospective shot on the table and/or when the player feels it is in his best interest to
defensively re-position the cue
ball. In either of these
circumstances, the player should call a
“defensive shot”.
Because a specific ball is not called in a specific pocket, the
defensive shot automatically results in loss of turn.
The following rules apply for calling a defensive shot:
#1. A ball must
hit a rail. Any ball already frozen
to a
rail, does not qualify as "hitting" a rail.
#2. “Ball in
hand” penalty occurs for any of the following:
a.
failure of a ball to
hit a rail
b.
cue ball scratches
c.
cue ball initially
makes ball contact with an incorrect ball
Note: Because of the ball in
hand penalty associated with calling a defensive shot, it may be in
the shooter's best interest to instead call a "highly
unlikely" shot.
Fouls:
1. Cue ball pocketed (scratches) or jumps
off the table. Opponent is allowed to place the cue ball
anywhere behind the head string.
2. Shooting balls while in motion.
3. Object ball jumps off the table.
Object ball will be spotted (except the 8 ball, which is loss of the
game).
4. The touching or movement
(intentional or accidental) of any ball other than the cue ball,
that is not a part of a legitimate called shot, may be considered a
foul at the opponent's discretion.
5. A player cannot continue his shooting
turn after fouling, until his opponent has his turn.
6. A player cannot jump a ball.
7. Double kissing is a foul and is not
considered a legal shot, and therefore cannot be called.
8. When the 8 ball becomes the object
ball, the cue ball must make contact with the 8 ball first. The 8
ball cannot hit any other ball on its way to the pocket. The 8 ball
must be called for a legal shot in any pocket.
The 8 Ball:
1. A player loses the game if the 8 ball
falls into a pocket not designated or before group of balls are
made.
2. A player does not lose the game if the
8 ball fails to fall into pocket or cue ball does not hit the 8
ball.
3. If shooter scratches while attempting
to make the 8 ball, the player loses the game.
4. If player makes the 8 ball on break
and does not scratch, he wins the game. Opponent wins if scratch is
made.
5. At no time, is the 8 ball neutral.