There are rules for everything and billiards is no exception. Without rules, the game of billiards may become difficult to play and compete with other people. The rules are made so that the game can be played fair and square without any argument. Although disagreements will happen it’s always a good idea to know the rules before playing or have the rules displayed where they can be read easily if there are any disagreements.

1. Rack the balls using a triangle rack. The 8-ball should be placed in the center of the triangle. The first ball should be at the top angle, one solid color ball should be in one corner and a striped ball should be in the other corner.
2. When breaking, the players should take turns during tournaments.
3. If the 8 ball makes the pocket on the break, it is considered a foul and the opponent has the option of taking over. The opponent has the choice to accept the way that the balls are positioned and continue or they can pick up the cue ball and place it behind the head string.
4. If no choice has been made on the break, it may be necessary to hit a stripe or solid first.
5. A legal shot is when the shooter hits one or a group of balls and pockets a numbered ball. The shooter may also cause the cue ball to contact a rail without being penalized. A foul can occur when the shooter fails to make contact with the object ball in the pocket or any ball did not make contact with a rail.
6. Combination shots are allowed but the 8-ball cannot be used as the first ball in a combination unless the table is open.
7. A object ball is illegally pocketed when the object ball is pocketed on the same shot a foul is being made, the called ball did not go in the pocket that was stated, or a safety is called before the shot. Once an illegal ball has been pocketed it must remain pocketed.
8. A safety shot may be something that the player considers when the player chooses to pocket an obvious object ball. The player must declare the shot a safety shot before he or she shoots.
9. Illegally pocketed balls occur when the object ball is pocketed on the same shot a foul is made or the ball that the shooter has called did not go in the called pocket. Another example of an illegal pocketed ball is when a safety is called before the shot. If any balls are illegally pocketed the balls must remain pocketed.
10. If an object ball has jumped the table, it is considered a foul and the shooter loses a turn, unless the shot was the 8-ball. If the 8-ball is the ball that jumped the table the game is lost.
11. When playing the 8-ball, a scratch or a foul does not end the game, as long as the 8-ball does not jump the table or has been pocketed.
12. The game is automatically lost if a player

• commits a foul when pocketing the 8-ball
• pockets the 8-ball during the same stroke as the last group of balls
• jumps the 8-ball off the table during the game
• pockets the 8-ball in a pocket that was not called
• pockets the 8-ball when another object ball was called