8 Ball Pool and Billiards Rules
Eight ball is played with fifteen numbered object balls and the cue ball. The shooter’s group of seven balls (one through seven or nine through fifteen) must all be off the table before he attempts to pocket the eight ball to win. Shots are called.
Determining First Break
The player winning the lag has the option to determine who has to execute the first break shot. (See Lagging to Determine Order of Play.) The standard format is alternate break.
Eight Ball Rack
The fifteen object balls are racked as tightly as possible in a triangle, with the apex ball on the foot spot and the eight ball as the first ball that is directly below the apex ball. One from each group of seven will be on the two lower corners of the triangle. The other balls are placed in the triangle without purposeful or intentional pattern.
The following rules apply to the break shot:
Open Table / Choosing Groups
Before groups are determined, the table is said to be "open," and before each shot, the shooter must call his intended ball. If the shooter legally pockets his called ball, the corresponding group becomes his, and his opponent is assigned the other group. If he fails to legally pocket his called ball, the table remains open and play passes to the other player. When the table is "open", any object ball may be struck first except the eight ball.
The shooter remains at the table as long as he continues to legally pocket called balls, or he wins the rack by pocketing the eight ball.
Shots Required to Be Called
On each shot except the break, shots must be called as explained in Standard Call Shot. The eight ball may be called only after the shot on which the shooter’s group has been cleared from the table. The shooter may call “safety” in which case play passes to the opponent at the end of the shot and any object ball pocketed on the safety remains pocketed. (See Safety Shot.)
Losing the Rack
The shooter loses if he
These do not apply to the break shot. (See Break Shot.)
If the shooter commits a foul, play passes to his opponent. The cue ball is in hand, and the incoming player may place it anywhere on the playing surface. (See Cue Ball in Hand.) The following are standard fouls at eight ball:
If a stalemate occurs (see Stalemate), the original breaker of the rack will break again.