Tournament Rules

We will be using official rules of the BCA (Billiards Congress of America) which can be found online here

All rules are subject to interpretation by the tournament coordinators.

Rules are subject to change at any time.

1.    (During the season) In order to see who breaks first, winner of the lag has the option to break. 

2.    If on the break, a ball isn’t pocketed and at least four balls are not driven to the wall, then the other player has a choice of either continuing or re-racking and choosing who breaks.  

3.    If there is a scratch on the break (white ball is pocketed), everything remains except that the incoming player gets the ball behind what is called the “head string” (behind the big white dot on the side that the other player broke on). If the black ball is pocketed on the break, it is not a loss of game, rather the incoming player has choice to re-rack or spot the 8-ball and keep shooting. 

4.    If balls are jumped off the table on break, the incoming player can either take ball in hand behind head string, or shoot from when the white ball is.   

5.    If a ball is pocketed on the break, the table is still open. You must get a ball in on a shot to call solids or stripes. 

6.    On every shot, the player must call the object ball being pocketed and the pocket as well. If the wrong ball goes in or if goes in the wrong pocket, the ball stays pocketed, but the other player goes. 

7.    You must hit your own ball first (either stripes or solids) or at least 3 walls on every shot. If a player fails to do so, or pockets the white ball on that play, or jumps any ball off of the table (in which case the ball is spotted), the incoming player has ball in hand. This is done to avoid any intentional fouls that would put someone at a disadvantage. 

8.    “Safety shot”: For tactical reasons, a player may choose to pocket an obvious object ball and also discontinue a turn at the table by declaring “safety” in advance. 

9.    When the 8-ball is the legal object ball, a scratch or foul is not loss of game if the 8-ball is not pocketed or jumped from the table. Incoming player has cue ball in hand. 

10.  A player loses the game by committing any of the following infractions:
1. Fouls when pocketing the 8-ball (exception: see 8-Ball Pocketed On The Break).
2. Pockets the 8-ball on the same stroke as the last of his group of balls.
3. Jumps the 8-ball off the table at any time.
4. Pockets the 8-ball in a pocket other than the one designated.
5. Pockets the 8-ball when it is not the legal object ball. 

11.  Scoring will be determined by how many balls are left on the table at the end of the game.

 More Information to follow.