RULES FOR COMMON POOL GAMES
The thing we see more often than not is that no one questions the rules of the game until it is too late. Pool is supposed to be a friendly game, but an argument over a rule can turn things unfriendly in a hurry! The best policy? Lay out what rules you will follow with your group before beginning play.
The rules most often followed are BCA Rules [Billiard Congress of America], and APA Rules [American Poolplayers Association]. Most pool establishments also have "house rules", which are usually a combination of BCA and APA rules and are generally agreed upon by the most regular shooters. We have included the most official rules here for both BCA and APA for the most common games.
At VIP BILLIARDS we pretty much stick to BCA rules, and if you ask someone here about a rule you will get an answer based on BCA rules. Here are some general situations and questions that we see and hear often:
Cue ball behind the headstring when opponent scratches. Only if the opponent scratches on the break does the cue ball get placed behind the headstring. All other scratches and fouls result in the other player getting cue ball in hand, meaning he/she may place the cue ball anywhere on the table.
Cue ball pocketed on the break is loss of game. No. Opponent gets cue ball behind the headstring.
8 Ball pocketed on the break is a win. Only if using APA rules. Otherwise the 8 ball gets spotted on the tail spot.
Cue ball pocketed when shooting the 8 ball is a loss. Only if the 8 ball is also pocketed. If the 8 ball does not go in it is treated as any other scratch with the opponent receiving ball in hand.
The balls pocketed on the break determine the shooter's group (high/low or stripes/solids). No. If any balls are pocketed on the break the shooter continues shooting. The first ball pocketed on purpose (called shot) determines what group the shooter chooses. If no balls are pocketed on the break the opposing shooter can choose a group by pocketing a ball on a called shot.
Please view the following pages for more detailed and official rules
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