RULES
1.0 player order and construct
1.1 Number of players – can be played with two opponents up to 5 players per game
1.2 Player order – there are a number of ways to produce an order, blind draw balls (every player draws their own ball without looking), lag, draw straws…
1.3 Order Change – when 3 or more players are playing a ring game style the order will change with a redraw after every 3rd game finished. The player who makes the last ball on the 3rd game will continue to break and automatically be first in the new redraw order.
1.4 New Player – when a new player wants to join the game they will enter as the last player in the rotation unless they start during a redraw for order.
2.0 break
2.1 breaker – the breaker is decided as the last player to make a called bank the game prior.
2.2 legal break
a. – full ball behind the head string
b. – 4 object balls must touch a rail
c. – any ball can be contacted first
d. – cue ball must stay on the pool table bed
2.3 illegal break – if the breaker does not complete task a., b., and c. of rule 2.2 there will be a re-rack and a re-break of the same breaker. If the breaker fails to make a legal break after two attempts he/she forfeits their turn and the next player in rotation will break… if the breaker does not complete task d of rule 2.2 it results in a foul for the breaker and ball in hand behind the head string for the next player in rotation.
3.0 scoring
3.1 how one scores –
a. in order to score a point one must call and make a bank shot, one rail or more. the ball must go in clean of touching other object balls.
1.a on the very last shot left on the table the ball must be called 2 rails or more and or kicked in using 3 rails or more.
2.a if the last ball or balls left on the table are behind the head string and a foul occurs see rule 4.5 d.
3.a. bank shot definition – cue ball strikes object ball, object ball strikes a rail/cushion, and object ball goes into pocket desired clean of touching other balls.
b. if ball called contacts a short rail (rail, points, cuts of the pocket close to the pocket in the intended direction towards the called pocket) it still counts as a point but does not add multiple rail points to the shot.
c. in order to score multiple points
1.c. one must call a bank shot with multiple rails and make it into the desired pocket. see rule 3.1 b. for short rail ruling of object ball. see rule 3.1 2.d for short rail on kick shots.
2.c. one can make consecutive bank shots single rail or multiple rail.
d. one can also score by executing a 3 or more rail kick shot into the desired pocket.
1.d. Kick shot definition – cue ball strikes the rail/cushion or multiple rails/cushions prior to striking the object ball and than proceeding to make the object ball.
2.d. on multiple rail kick shots the short rails are not required to be called and double kisses with cue ball and object ball count as long as the object ball desired is pocketed and the cue ball stays on the table. (short rail defined as – example – he called a 3 rail kick shot but after the 3rd intended rail was hit on its way towards the object ball it hits a 4th rail just prior to the object ball and still makes the ball as intended)
e. multiple rail (points/tit) contact – when executing a multi rail shot and the object ball contacts a point/tit and continues back on the correct path to a successful ball pocketed it still counts.
2.e. when it hits two points/tits on the long rail it will still count as the one rail intended unless an additional rail was called in order to change direction of the shot as intended.
f. shot continuation
2.f a player gets to continue his/her inning when an object ball is legally pocketed on the break or a break shot is made in the intended pocket as called and or when a bank shot or kick shot is called and executed without a foul.
4.0 Fouls
4.1 penalty
a. loss of 1 rail point to each and every opponent in the game at the time of foul.
4.2 Cue Ball Scratch or off the Table-
a. If the cue ball is pocketed or driven off the table, the shot is a foul.
4.3 No Rail after Contact
a. If no ball is pocketed on a shot, the cue ball must contact an object ball, and after that contact at least one ball (cue ball or any object ball) must be driven to a rail, or the shot is a foul.
4.4 No Foot on Floor
a. If the shooter does not have at least one foot touching the floor at the instant the tip contacts the cue ball, the shot is a foul.
4.5 Ball Driven off the Table
a. It is a foul to drive an object ball, cue ball, or multiple balls off the table.
b. any and all object balls driven off the table are to be spotted with multiple balls creating a straight line back from the spot towards the closest short rail.
c. when the cue ball is driven off of the table the incoming player gets ball in hand behind the head string (head string – aka kitchen, line at second diamond where players break from going across the table. if line is not present use an imaginary line from the middle of each second diamond between corner pockets and side pockets furthest from the racking area)
d. if the last ball or balls left on the table are behind the head string and a foul occurs resulting in cue ball in hand behind the head string without a ball spotting up the ball closest to the end rail furthest away from the spot will be spotted.
4.6 Touched Ball
a. It is a foul to touch, move or change the path of any object ball except by the normal ball to ball contacts during shots. It is a foul to touch, move or change the path of the cue ball except when it is in hand or by the normal tip-to-ball forward stroke contact of a shot. The shooter is responsible for the equipment he controls at the table, such as chalk, bridges, clothing, his hair, parts of his body, and the cue ball when it is in hand, that may be involved in such fouls. If such a foul is accidental, it is a standard foul, but if it is intentional, it is 4.17 Unsportsmanlike Conduct.
b. if one object ball is moved or touched prior to shot motion the referee should move it back as close as he can to its original position without players opinion, if a referee is not present the opponents have the option to leave it as it lies or move it back as close to its original position as possible. this results in no foul
c. if two or more object balls are moved it is an automatic foul.
4.7 Double Hit / Frozen Balls
a. If the cue stick contacts the cue ball more than once on a shot, the shot is a foul. If the cue ball is close to but not touching an object ball and the cue tip is still on the cue ball when the cue ball contacts that object ball, the shot is a foul. If the cue ball is very close to an object ball, and the shooter barely grazes that object ball on the shot, the shot is assumed not to violate the second sentence of this rule, even though the tip is arguably still on the cue ball when ball to ball contact is made.
b. However, if the cue ball is touching an object ball at the start of the shot, it is legal to shoot towards or partly into that ball (provided it is a legal target within the rules of the game) and if the object ball is moved by such a shot, it is considered to have been contacted by the cue ball. (Even though it may be legal to shoot towards such a touching or “frozen” ball, care must be taken not to violate the rules in the first paragraph if there are additional balls close by.)
c. The cue ball is assumed not to be touching any ball unless it is declared touching by the referee or opponent. It is the shooter’s responsibility to get the declaration before the shot. Playing away from a frozen ball does not constitute having hit that ball unless specified in the rules of the game.
4.8 Push Shot
a. It is a foul to prolong tip-to-cue-ball contact beyond that seen in normal shots.
4.9 Balls Still Moving
a. It is a foul to begin a shot while any ball in play is moving or spinning.
4.10 Bad Cue Ball Placement
a. cue ball in hand is full ball behind the head string. (the very edge of the cue ball can not pass the end of the head string line at point closest to the racking area)
b.. When the cue ball is in hand and restricted to the area behind the head string, it is a foul to play the cue ball from on or below the head string. If the shooter is uncertain whether the cue ball has been placed behind the head string, he may ask the referee for a determination.
4.11 Bad Play from Behind the Head String
a. When the cue ball is in hand behind the head string, and the first ball the cue ball contacts is also behind the head string, the shot is a foul unless the cue ball crosses the head string before that contact.
b. If such a shot is intentional, it is unsportsmanlike conduct. The cue ball must either cross the head string or contact a full object ball in front of the head string (aka all the way out of the kitchen) or the shot is a foul, and the following player gets to shoot from where the cue ball lies.
4.12 Cue Stick on the Table
a. If the shooter uses his cue stick in order to align a shot by placing it on the table without having a hand on the stick, it is a foul.
4.13 Playing out of Turn
a. it is a standard foul to unintentionally play out of turn. Normally, the balls will be played from
the position left by the mistaken play. If a player intentionally plays out of turn, it should be treated like 4.17 Unsportsmanlike Conduct.
b. it is a standard foul for each player that continues out of turn.
2.b once out of turn is established the shot immediately goes back to the player that was skipped or next turn in proper rotation and that player shoots from where the ball lies.
3.b all points made from out of turn innings will be returned or taken away.
4.15 Slow Play
a. If the referee feels that a player is playing too slowly, he may advise that player to speed up his/her play.
b. If the player does not speed up, the referee may impose a shot clock on that match that applies to both players. If the shooter exceeds the time limit specified for the tournament,
c. a standard foul will be called. (Rule 4.17 Unsportsmanlike Conduct may also apply.)
4.16 Ball Rack Template Foul
a. It is a foul when a Ball Rack Template, removed from the playing surface, interferes with the game i.e. if the template is lying on the rail and a ball (cue or object ball) touches the template that is lying on the rail.
4.17 Unsportsmanlike Conduct
a. The normal penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct is the same as for a serious foul, but the referee may impose a penalty depending on his judgment of the conduct. Among other penalties possible are a warning; a standard-foul penalty, which will count as part of a three foul sequence if applicable; a serious-foul penalty; loss of a rack, set or match; ejection from the competition possibly with forfeiture of all prizes, trophies and standings points. Unsportsmanlike conduct is any intentional behavior that brings disrepute to the sport or which disrupts or changes the game to the extent that it cannot be played fairly. It includes
(a) distracting the opponent;
(b) changing the position of the balls in play other than by a shot;
(c) playing a shot by intentionally miscuing;
(d) continuing to play after a foul has been called or play has been suspended;
(e) practicing during a match;
(f) marking the table;
(g) delay of the game; and
(h) using equipment inappropriately.
5.0 Etiquette
5.1 safety etiquette during a ring game – ring game format is go for a shot at all times if one is present no matter how many players are left in the game. an intentional safety could result in a warning and three warnings would result in unsportsmanlike like conduct (revert to rule 4.17).
5.1 safety exceptions – two way shots are acceptable unless is it is obvious a shot was not attempted. if it’s down to the last ball and the ball is more than half of a ball behind the shelf (shelf – straight line between the to points of the pocket) it would be acceptable to pocket the ball so it spots up and leave it long but leave a shot for the next player. if a shot is not present best safety allowed is to leave a long shot for your opponent (lag cue ball to the end rail)