When making a shot, the cue ball must first contact an opponents ball to remain a legal shot. If a player pockets an opponents ball on an illegal shot, the pool balls pocketed are spotted (replaced pool balls to the table). If a player pockets his own group of pool balls on an illegal shot, the pocketed balls remain pocketed and the players turn ends.
A player becomes eliminated from the game if all of his or her pool balls are pocketed. The eliminated player may return to the game if one of the remaining players scratches, in which the out player can recover a ball to the pool table.
Pool balls that fall off the table. A cue ball that falls off the table or that becomes pocketed is called a scratch. In this case, the next player obtains the cue ball in hand and shoots behind the head string. Object balls that fall off of the table are all spotted and counts as a foul. The incoming player then accepts the cue ball in position.