Scratch

Another peculiarity of this game is the consequence of a scratch (knocking the cue ball into a pocket or off the table). In most circumstances,[clarification needed] a players opponents are rewarded by taking one of their balls each out of the pockets, and spotting them back onto the table.

If a scratch occurs after first pocketing an opponents ball on the same turn, still only one ball per opponent may be returned to the table, as the penalty is intended not to nullify the effects of the scratch, but to punish the offender and reward the other players evenly. Therefore, any ball pocketed prior to the scratch (on the same turn) remains in the pockets (otherwise the potentially unaffected third player would be placed at a disadvantage without fault).

In the uncommon case that the final shot leaves only the cue ball on the table (i.e., the shooting player has pocketed both the last opponent ball and inadvertently the shooters own last ball in a single shot), one ball of each of those players will be spotted,[clarification needed] and the shooting player continues.