9 Ball Rules

THE LAG 1. The player who wins the lag chooses who will break the first rack.

THE RACK

2. The object balls are racked as tightly as possible in a diamond shape, with the one ball at the top and on the spot, the nine ball in the middle and the two ball at the bottom. The other balls will be placed in the rack without purposeful or intentional pattern.

NO PATTERN RACKING.

THE BREAK 3. The cue ball begins in hand behind the head string; and

a) if no ball is pocketed, at least four object balls must be driven to one or more rails and past the side pocket, or the shot is a foul. b) The nine ball does NOT count in any pocket on the break.

NO SOFT BREAKING.

4. If no foul is committed on the break shot, the shooter may choose to shoot a "push out" as his shot. He MUST make his intention known to his opponent.

REGULAR PLAY

5. If the nine ball is pocketed on a foul or a push out, or driven off the table, it is spotted. No other object ball is ever spotted.

6. If the shooter commits a standard foul, play passes to his opponent. The cue ball is in hand, and the incoming player may place it anywhere on the playing surface.

7. Three consecutive fouls is penalized by loss of the current rack.

8. Jump cues no less than 40 inches are allowed.

STANDARD FOULS

9. Cue ball scratch or off the table.

10. Wrong ball first: The first object ball contacted by the cue ball on each shot must be the lowest numbered ball remaining on the table

11. No rail after contact

12. No foot on the floor

13. Ball driven off the table. The only jumped object ball that is spotted is the nine.

14. Double hit / frozen balls

15. Playing out of turn

16. Hitting another ball during the shot, which as a result changes or crosses the path of the cue ball