Pool Tournament Rules
From GRA
Contents |
Objective
The objective of the game is for a team (2 players) to pocket their set of object balls, 1-7 (solids) or 9-15 (stripes), and then to legally pocket the 8-ball.
Team game
The teams will be created with a lottery system at the beginning of the tournament. Each turn the player of a team has to change.
The Break
The player who breaks the rack to start a game is determined like this:
- Choose one player in each team.
- Simultaneously each selected player shoot directly (without the cue ball) a ball placed in the line. The breaker will be the one with the ball closer to the opposed side but which has not touch the side.
Choice of Solids or Stripes
The choice of stripes or solids is not determined on the break. The choice is determined only when a player legally pockets the first ball after a break. If the player pockets both a solid and a stripe in the same shot, he/she must choose which group of balls they wish to play. If the table is open and a player strikes the 8-ball first, this is considered a foul and the turn rotates to the next player who gets ball in hand. If any balls were pocketed on this foul, they remain pocketed and the table is still considered "open." As always, if the 8-ball is pocketed when it is not a legal shot the game ends and the player who illegally pocketed the 8-ball loses the game.
Once solids and stripes have been assigned, it's considered a foul to strike the other player's ball before your own. If this happens, the player's turn is over and any balls pocketed remain pocketed. The next player also gains ball in hand.
Legal vs. Illegal Shots
In these rules we have talked a lot about legal and illegal shots. What exactly constitutes a legal or illegal shot?
The following are the rules for what is a legal vs. an illegal shot.
Legal
- A shooter must hit a ball that belongs to his group of balls before the 8-ball is struck or a ball in their opponent's group is struck (unless the table is open or the 8-ball is the only legal shot).
- It is legal to have the cue ball make contact with a rail before striking a ball in your group.
- Note: It is also legal to have the cue ball make contact with a ball which is not in your group, if it made contact with the rail first!
Illegal
- Pocketing the cue ball - this is a scratch.
- The cue ball strikes the 8-ball first (unless it is the only legal shot).
- The cue ball strikes one of your opponent's object balls first.
- The cue ball does not strike a rail or a legal object ball.
Ball In Hand, Fouls, and Illegally Pocketed Balls
What happens when a player commits an illegal shot? Most of the time, it is a foul and the opposing player would get ball in hand. (Ball in hand means the player can place the cue ball anywhere on the table and shoot in any direction.) When a player is granted ball in hand after an illegal break, the ball may only be placed behind the head string and only shot forward.
Remember, if an object ball is illegally pocketed the ball remains in the pocket.
Playing the 8-Ball
When the 8-ball is the legal shot for a player, a scratch or foul does NOT result in a loss of game if the 8-ball is not pocketed. However, the next player would have ball in hand. Remember, when playing the 8-ball you must designate a pocket.
Turns
A player's turn can span one or many shots. A player's turn continues as long as he/she legally pockets legal object balls. A player's turn ends when he/she takes a shot that is illegal and deemed a foul, fails to pocket a legal object ball, or pockets a ball of his/her opponent's group. If a player pockets a ball from his/her opponent's group, the player's opponent would only gain ball in hand if the ball had been pocketed illegally. It is not illegal or considered a foul to pocket his/her ball on your turn if the cue ball strikes a legal object ball first. It just ends the turn.
Loss of Game
A player loses the game by committing any of the following:
- Foul when pocketing the 8-Ball.
- Pocketing the 8-ball in a pocket other than the one he/she designated.
- Pocketing the 8-Ball when it is not the legal object ball.
- Pocketing the 8-ball on the same shot as the last of his/her group of balls.
Note: It is not a loss of game if you scratch or foul when playing the 8-ball as long as the 8-ball is not pocketed.
Litigation
If a rule required more details or is missing, the GRA members will decide during the tournament without bias the best way to fix it.
