English 8-ball pool rules
English 8-ball is played with seven red balls, seven yellow balls, a black and a white cue ball. One player pots the reds, the other the yellows, and whoever clears their colour and then pots the black wins the frame.
Which rules are you playing?
There is no single rule book. Three versions are in common use.
| Rule set | Where you meet it |
|---|---|
| World Rules | Many organised leagues |
| Blackball rules | Many organised leagues and international play |
| Pub or house rules | Casual games, and some local leagues |
The main difference between them is what happens after a foul. Always ask which rules apply before the first break.
The break
The balls are racked in a triangle with the black in the centre. The player breaking plays the cue ball from behind the baulk line.
A break must spread the balls properly. If it does not, the rules allow the other player to have the balls racked again.
Choosing colours
Your colour is settled by the first ball legally potted. The rule sets differ on whether a ball potted on the break decides it, so check.
Once colours are settled, you must hit one of your own balls first on every shot.
A legal shot
On each shot you must hit one of your own colour first. Under World Rules and blackball rules you must then also pot a ball or make a ball touch a cushion. A shot that does neither is a foul.
Fouls
Common fouls are the same in every version.
- Potting the cue ball.
- Hitting the black or an opponent’s ball first.
- Missing every ball.
- Potting one of your opponent’s balls.
- Knocking a ball off the table.
After a foul
| Rule set | Penalty |
|---|---|
| World Rules | The other player has two visits to the table |
| Blackball rules | The other player has a free shot, then a normal visit |
| Many pub rules | The other player has two shots |
A free shot means the player may hit or pot any ball, including one of the opponent’s, without penalty. After many fouls the incoming player may also move the cue ball to baulk.
The old pub habit of “two shots carry”, and whether the second shot survives a pot, causes more arguments than any other rule. Agree it first.
Potting the black
You may play the black only when all seven of your own balls have gone.
You lose the frame if you:
- pot the black before clearing your colour;
- pot the black and the cue ball on the same shot;
- commit a foul on the shot that pots the black.
House rules vary on whether you must name the pocket for the black. Ask before you play.
Etiquette
- Put your coin on the table edge to claim the next game. Winner stays on is the usual pub rule.
- Do not stand in the line of a player’s shot.
- Call your own fouls.