Ninh explains the Rules of 9 Ball Pool The object of the game is for you to win more
games than your opponent.
9 Ball Pool (not to be confused with 8 ball pool) is a game that’s usually played between
two people, and to win a game, you must legally hit the 9 ball into any pocket.
To get to the 9 ball, you must use a wooden cue to hit a white ball (known as a cue ball),
into a numbered ball and for that ball to go into any of the pockets on the table.
This is known as ‘potting’ or ‘sinking’ the ball.
The table is roughly 9ft by 5ft, and the object balls are numbered 1 to 9.
The game starts with a break. This is where the first player hits the 1
ball to start the game. For a break to be legal, at least 4 balls
have to hit the rails of the table and the cue ball must not go into any pocket.
If you haven’t already guessed, you have to try and sink the balls in numerical order
to get the nine ball, and then you must sink the 9 ball legally to win the game.
If at any point you fail to pot the relevant ball, it is the end of your turn and your
opponent will be given the chance to aim for the lowest numbered ball so that they can
sink the 9 ball themselves. So rather cruelly, if your opponent sinks
the balls 1 through 8 and you come to the table and sink the 9 ball – you win.
In Snooker, if you pot in a different coloured ball to the one required, it’s classed as
a foul. In 9 Ball Pool – it’s perfectly legal
to hit the correct number ball and then for different ball to go in.
Take for example this shot. Darren Appleton is required to hit the 4 ball.
He hits the 4 ball first and the 9 ball goes into a pocket.
Because he hit the correct number ball first, any other ball that goes into a pocket is
a legal shot. This example also shows you can win the game
early by sinking the 9 ball after hitting a correctly numbered ball first.
Pretty cool, huh? Wait a minute, so what can’t you do in 9
Ball Pool? Well …
You cannot touch any of the balls with anything except your cue.
You cannot sink the cue-ball, accidentally or otherwise.
You cannot hit an incorrectly numbered ball out of turn.
You cannot fail to hit the object ball. You cannot hit any of the balls off the table.
You cannot hit the cueball twice in one stroke. And in ranking events: you must complete your
shot within 30 seconds. These infractions result in a scratch (or
a foul), and your opponent will be awarded the cue ball in his hand.
He can then place the cue ball anywhere on the table and continue with his shot.
Competitive matches are usually played to the best of 9, 11 or 17 games, and the player
who wins 5, 6 or 9 games faster than their opponent - wins.
That’s basically the rules of 9 ball pool in a nutshell, but there’s a few things
you’ll need to understand before playing or watching a game.
For example: Lag – To start any match, a lag is used
to determine who breaks first. Both players will hit a cue ball down the
table to bounce off the end rail. The person who can get the cueball closest
to the front rail wins the first break. Push Out – After the break, regardless of
whether a ball goes into the pocket or not, the player can opt to take a ‘push out’.
This is where the player can play almost any shot and no foul will be called against him.
This is to eliminate an unlucky lie after a break.
Extension – As earlier stated, you have only 30 seconds to play your shot. If you
start running out of time, you are allowed to take another 30 seconds so long as you
inform the referee. This is known as an extension, and you’re only allowed one per game.
Golden Break – During a break, if you hit the one ball, and the nine-ball goes into
one of the pockets without fouling, you win the game automatically in one shot.
9 Ball Pool is quickly becoming the more popular variety of pool worldwide, and once you’ve
played or watched a few games, the rules will become clear.
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Ninh Ly, @NinhLyUK, www.ninh.co.uk