rules to play 9 ball pool

After the break (regardless of its result), before the second shot of the game, the player at the table may call a push out. A push out can be called by the breaking player if he legally pocketed a ball on the break, or the non breaking player if no ball was pocketed on the break. Calling a push out for the shot after the break allows the player taking the shot to legally hit the cue ball in almost any fashion with no foul, with the exception that the cue ball must stay on the table and illegal shots such as double hitting the cue ball or a scoop jump shot should still be called a foul. Playing a push out shot ends the players inning and play passes to the opponent. The main purpose of the push out shot is to alleviate an unlucky lie after the break, where it is difficult to make a legal shot. Unlike any other shot of the game, for a push out shot, the cue ball is not required to contact any object ball and if an object ball is contacted, it is not required to be the lowest numbered ball. If the nine ball is pocketed on a push out shot it is spotted, however any other pocketed object ball remains pocketed and is not spotted. A push out should be called so that the opponent or referee hears the call, and it is customary for the opponent or referee to confirm that he heard the push out call, so that there is no controversy surrounding the shot. After a push out shot was called and played, the incoming player has the choice of accepting the table as it lies, or forcing the pushing out player to take the next shot of the game (always the third shot of the game). Only one push out is allowed per game, and it must be immediately after the break. (See also The rise of Texas express rules, below, for the historical multi push out rule variation.) If the pushing out player has a particular type of shot he feels comfortable with, such as a jump shot, or two rail bank shot, it may be strategical to leave that type of shot after the push out. The ideal push out shot leaves a lie that the opponent believes likely to be makeable, and will accept, but will fail to actually make, giving control of the table back to the pusher out, and which the pusher out is confident to make if the shot is passed back to him. Thus nine ball players aim for a push out that has about a 50 50 chance of being accepted or returned.

Winning a game occurs any time a player hits the lowest numbered ball first and pockets the 9 ball without committing a foul. When only the 9 ball is on the table, this is straightforward and obvious; however, when other balls remain on the table, any number of events can result in victory so long as the above requirements are met. Loss of game can occur if three successive fouls are committed and the fouling player is warned audibly or visually after the 2nd foul during the third inning.In most rule systems, including those of the World Pool Billiard Association and its national affiliates like the Billiard Congress of America, if a player fouls and pockets the 9 ball, or knocks the 9 ball off the table, the 9 ball is placed on the foot spot, and the incoming player receives ball in hand.

For much of its history nine ball rules allowed participants to push out multiple times during a game (see The push out, above, for the modern push out rules), meaning any player could call a push out, and then hit the cue ball to any area on the table without being penalized by normal foul rules, such as failure to contact the lowest numbered ball on the table. However, once a push out was called and executed, the incoming player had the right to shoot or give the inning back to the opponent. If the player shooting the resulting shot fouled, the other player would have ball in hand; hence this manner of play was called the two foul version. One foul became popular in the 1970s, as play turned more aggressive for the early televised matches. This newer version of nine ball awarded ball in hand on any cue ball foul. A now standard rule variant, which started to sweep the sport of nine ball in the mid 1980s, restricted the push out option to once per game and only to the inning immediately following the break. This change profoundly affected the way the game was played. By about 1990 this new push out rule had become ubiquitous and it and any additional rules appended to it were collectively referred to as Texas express rules, so called because of the supposed US state of origin and the speeding up of the game. Today, Texas express push out rules dominate the way nine ball is played and is the variant incorporated into the official rules maintained by the WPA and its affiliates like the BCA.

9 Ball Kiss (also carom nine) is played with the usual nine ball rack, but breaking with the 1 ball, with the cue ball placed at the head of the rack (in the usual place of the 1 ball). As in regular 9 ball, play progresses from the lowest numbered ball on the table; however a legal shot is made by shooting the object ball rather than the cue ball. The object ball must make first contact with the cue ball to count as a legal shot, the goal being to carom the object ball into a pocket (a kiss shot) or into another ball. Once a legal shot has been performed, any ball then sunk counts for that player; the winner is the player to first pocket the 9 ball after a legal shot.

Nine Ball is played with nine object balls numbered one through nine and a cue ball. On each shot the first ball the cue ball contacts must be the lowest numbered ball on the table, but the balls need not be pocketed in order. If a player pockets any ball on a legal shot, he remains at the table for another shot, and continues until he misses, fouls, or wins the game by pocketing the 9 ball. After a miss, the incoming player must shoot from the position left by the previous player, but after any foul the incoming player may start with the cue ball anywhere on the table. Players are not required to call any shot. a match ends when one of the players has won the required number of games.

The object balls are racked in a diamond shape, with the one ball at the top of the diamond and on the foot spot, the nine ball in the center of the diamond, and the other balls in random order, racked as tightly as possible. the game begins with cue ball in hand behind the head string.

The rules governing the break shot are the same as for other shots except:
a. The breaker must strike the 1 ball first and either pocket a ball or drive at least four numbered balls to the rail.
b. If the cue ball is pocketed or driven off the table, or the requirements of the opening break are not met, it is a foul, and the incoming player has cue ball in hand anywhere on the table.
c. If on the break shot, the breaker causes an object ball to jump off the table, it is a foul and the incoming player has cue ball in hand anywhere on the table. The object ball is not respotted (exception: if the object ball is the 9 ball, it is respotted).

If the first object ball contacted by the cue ball is not the lowest numbered ball on the table, the shot is foul.

If no object ball is pocketed, failure to drive the cue ball or any numbered ball to a rail after the cue ball contacts the object ball on is a foul.

When the cue ball is in hand, the player may place the cue ball anywhere on the bed of the table, except in contact with an object ball. He may continue to adjust the position of the cue ball until he takes a shot.