9 BALL RULES

5.1 OBJECT OF THE GAME
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 missing, committing a foul, or winning 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.

5.2 RACKING THE BALLS
The object balls are racked in a diamond shape, with the 1-ball at the top of the diamond and on the foot spot, the 9-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.

5.3 ORDER OF BREAK

(a)        Home team breaks the first game in the first round, visiting team breaks second game in the first round. Visiting team breaks the first game in the second round, home team breaks the second game in the second round. Lag for the first break the third round. if it comes down to a third game in any given round, lag to see who breaks that game.

5.4 LEGAL BREAK SHOT
The rules governing the break shot are the same as for other shots except:

1. The breaker must strike the1-ball first and either pocket a ball or drive at least four numbered balls to the rail.

2. 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 in the kitchen.

3. 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 re-spotted (exception: if the object ball is the 9-ball, it is re-spotted).

5.5  CONTINUING PLAY
On the shot immediately following a legal break, the shooter may play a "push out." (See Rule 5.6). If the breaker pockets one or more balls on a legal break, he continues to shoot until he misses, fouls, or wins the game. If the player misses or fouls, the other player begins an inning and shoots until missing, committing a foul, or winning. The game ends when the 9-ball is pocketed on a legal shot, or the game is forfeited for a serious infraction of the rules.

5.6 PUSH OUT
The player who shoots the shot immediately after a legal break may play a push out in an attempt to move the cue ball into a better position for the option that follows. On a push out, the cue ball is not required to con-tact any object ball nor any rail, but all other foul rules still apply. The player must announce the intention of playing a push out before the shot, or the shot is considered to be a normal shot. Any ball pocketed on a push out does not count and remains pocketed except the 9-ball. Following a legal push out, the incoming player is permitted to shoot from that position or to pass the shot back to the player who pushed out. A push out is not considered to be a foul as long as no rule (except rules 5.8 and 5.9) is violated. An illegal push out is penalized according to the type of foul committed. After a player scratches on the break shot, the incoming player cannot play a push out.

5.7 FOULS
When a player commits a foul, he must relinquish his run at the table and no balls pocketed on the foul shot are re-spotted (exception: if a pocketed ball is the 9-ball, it is re-spotted). The incoming player is awarded ball in hand; prior to his first shot he may place the cue ball anywhere on the table. If a player commits several fouls on one shot, they are counted as only one foul.

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

5.9 NO RAIL
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.

5.10 IN HAND
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. The player may continue to adjust the position of the cue ball until shooting.

5.11 OBJECT BALLS JUMPED OFF THE TABLE
An un-pocketed ball is considered to be driven off the table if it comes to rest other than on the bed of the table. It is a foul to drive an object ball off the table. The jumped object ball(s) is not re-spotted (exception: if the object ball is the 9-ball, it is re-spotted) and play continues.

5.12 JUMP AND MASSÉ SHOT FOUL
If a match is not refereed, it will be considered a cue ball foul if during an attempt to jump, curve or massé the cue ball over or around an impeding numbered ball, the impeding ball moves (regardless of whether it was moved by a hand, cue stick follow-through or bridge).

5.13 THREE CONSECUTIVE FOULS
If a player fouls three consecutive times on three successive shots without making an intervening legal shot, the game is lost. The three fouls must occur in one game. The warning must be given between the second and third fouls. A player’s inning begins when it is legal to take a shot and ends at the end of a shot on which he misses, fouls or wins, or when he fouls between shots.

5.14 STALEMATE
If it becomes obvious that neither player is attempting to win from the current position, the players can agree that the game is a stalemate (that neither of them is gong to attempt to win; i.e. break up the tied up balls to advance the game). Once a stalemate is agreed upon, the original breaker of the rack will break again. If one player does not agree to a stalemate then continues for 3 more turns to not advance the game (i.e.; break up the balls) then it is an automatic stalemate and the game starts over.

5.15 END OF GAME
On the opening break, the game is considered to have commenced once the cue ball has been struck by the cue tip. The 1-ball must be legally contacted on the break shot. The game ends at the end of a legal shot which pockets the 9-ball, or when a player forfeits the game as the result of a foul.

5.16 SCORING/ HANDICAPS

The handicap system at first seems complicated but it really is quite simple. A player’s win/ loss ratio (winning percentage) is his handicap. If player 1 has a winning percentage of 600 and player 2 has a winning percentage of 400, the winner of the match wins the value of his opponents winning percentage for his team. The team with the highest score wins the round and or match. A players winning percentage is calculated as follows: 2 wins or losses for each round. A player will have an average after shooting two weeks. Every player will have a 600 average until they have played two weeks.

The value of the rounds and the match are as follows: two points for each round, four points for the match.

5.17 LEAGUE FEES AND TOURNAMENT

The league fee per night will be $7. $4 of this will go towards a 100% returned prize fund. $2 will go towards pool (the table is open-this is now donated by the bar owners to the prize fund as well!) and $1 will go towards the end of season tournament. The best 32 players in season winning percentage qualify for the end of season tournaments. A player must have played at least 70% of the time to be eligible for the tournament. The tournament will be handicapped by winning percentage and will be a race to predetermined numbers.