8 Ball Rules
The goal in 8-ball is to sink all of your balls, either stripes or solids, and then sink the 8 ball. When racking for the break in 8-ball the 8 ball must be in the center of the triangle, the 1 ball on the top part of the triangle, and one strip and one solid at the other two corners. The others balls can be placed in any order. What has to be determined before the break is what fouls will be called, as fouls can vary from game to game. Before breaking a player puts the cue ball anywhere behind the head string.
On the break any ball that goes in is what your balls will be the rest of the game. For example if you break and hit one solid ball in than you are solids. If you sink same amount of stripes and solids or do not sink any balls on the break the table is still open and the first player to hit in a ball, whether it be stripes or solids, those will be their balls for the game.
The players continue to try to sink their balls alternating turns when the player fails to sink one of their balls, commits a foul, or scratches. If the cue ball is sunk it is a scratch and the opposing player gets to place the ball anywhere behind the head string. If a player still has their balls on the table and hits the 8 ball in the player loses the game. The player can keep shooting at their balls as long as they keep sinking their balls, does not commit a foul, or does not scratch. When a player has no more balls on the table and is trying to sink the 8 ball the player must call what pocket they will sink the 8 ball in when shooting. If the 8 ball is sunk in another pocket that the player did not call they lose the game. If the player hits the cue ball in when shooting for the 8 ball they lose the game.
Just a few of the common fouls in 8-ball are:
" The player fails to strike one of their own object balls with the cue ball, before other balls are contacted by the cue ball.
" The cue ball is pocketed.
" The player shooting does not have at least one foot on the floor.
" The cue ball is hit before all balls have come to a complete stop from the previous turn.
" The cue ball is hit more than once during a shot.
" The player touches the cue ball with something other than the tip of the cue.
" The player knocks a ball off of the table.
" The player shoots out of turn.
