NINE BALL IGNITES

It’s a simple objective to win the game – pocket the nine ball at the break or any other legal shot.

But the execution varies greatly from the eight ball game which we focused on last week.

Nine-ball is arguably the most popular action-orientated game. It’s fast and exciting. It’s easy for spectators to follow and brings forth mercurial shot-making.

With the games origins dating back to the United States of America in the 1920’s, today it has become the most dominant tournament game in professional pool.

While usually it’s one-on-one competition to a set number of frames (best out of five games), multiple players can take part.

Firstly the balls are racked in a diamond rowed one, two, three, two and one. The one ball is positioned at the front, the nine ball is in the diamond’s centre with the other balls placed at random.

With the cue ball placed anywhere behind the baulk line, the opening break must be the lowest numbered ball on the table. The lowest numbered ball on the table at any stage of the game is commonly referred to as the object ball. With the one ball at the front, no guesses where you have to aim first up.

In nine-ball there is no D mark on the table, just a line that runs across the width of the table. This line which is a quarter of the way down the table is called the baulk line or the head string.

If you manage to sink the nine ball on the break – you win.

The beauty or the harshness of nine-ball is that whoever sinks the nine-ball wins even if you or your opponent(s) has pocketed all the previous balls.

However you can win at any stage of the game by pocketing the lowest ball on the table then the nine-ball.

In fitting with the game’s speed and excitement a number of rules apply to ensuring an attacking start.

On the break a minimum of four object balls must be sent to a rail or pocketed. If this fails to occur, the incoming player can place the cue ball anywhere on the table.  Placing the cue ball anywhere on the table is commonly referred to as “cue ball in hand.”

If a player misses the rack entirely, it is naturally a foul and the opponent has the options of placing the ball behind the baulk line or making the fouling player shoot again.

Apart from the break, all the following shots must be called to be legal.

So in otherwords if you’re aiming for the next lowest ball, the two ball, to pocket it in the right hand corner pocket you have to say, “Two ball, right corner pocket”.

It is not necessary to include cushions, banks, kisses etc when calling your shot.

However when a ball is pocketed in a designated pocket, additional balls sunk during the same shot count.

Other calls include a push or a safety where of course you are choosing a positional and tactical shot.

A push or push-out shot can only be called following the break. This shot does not require the cue ball to contact any object ball, but if it does, it doesn’t have to be the lowest number on the table.

If the nine-ball is pocketed from a push it is spotted.

After a push shot the incoming player has the option of forcing the push player to take the next shot.

In all the abovementioned scenarios, fouls are applied when no call is made, a ball is sunk when a safety is called or when the wrong ball is pocketed.

The penalty for fouls is a “cue ball in hand” for your opponent anywhere on the table or forcing the opponents to shoot again.

If you commit three successive fouls, you lose the game.

The nine-ball rules certainly bring forth the saying “a quick game is a good game” and is perfect for home tournaments between mates. Many households have taken this one step further and have bought perpetual trophies made for their quarterly or annual home tournaments.

It is exciting.

Each year Europe takes on America for the Mosconi Cup. It is the 9 ball answer to Golf's Ryder Cup. Europe retained the Cup, defeating the USA 11-9 in front of a packed York Hall to make it three wins in row in the annual transatlantic team tussle.

While you can naturally play nine-ball on any sized table the smaller sized tables do result in a faster game.

However strictly speaking, a nine-ball table is nine foot x four foot six inches and has wide straight cut pockets and uses a 2 ¼ inch ball.

In the USA this style of table is simply called a Billiard table but in Australia we refer to it as an American table.

We call it an American table so as not to confuse it with the traditional three ball game of Billiards.

For more information on nine-ball or getting a hold of an American nine-ball table or accessories Billiard Shop is more than happy to help out and of course to let the good times roll as we bring family and friends together.

 

York Hall during the 2012 Mosconi Cup

GAME ON WITH EIGHT BALL

Variety is the spice of life and it’s no different when referred to the various games on a Billiards or Pool table.

There’s Eight Ball, Nine Ball, 10 Ball, Billiards and of course Snooker to master and each game not only takes cunning, guile and skill but naturally skill.

Over the following weeks Billiard Shop will highlight the particular ins and outs of the various games, starting with Eight Ball.

This is the game mostly played by the standard amateur player with a cue (white) ball and fifteen Pool balls numbered one to 15.

The balls are racked into the triangle at the pyramid spot with the eight ball in the centre.

To commence the game the cue ball is played into the waiting balls in what we refer to as the break.

One player or side then goes about pocketing the large or small circle balls or in numerical terms one must pocket the balls numbered one to seven, in any order while the other must pocket the balls numbered nine to 15.  Whoever pockets their group first can then attempt to win the game by legally potting the black, which of course is the eight ball.

This is all pretty straight forward but when it comes to the rules opinions can differ greatly.

But it is all widely accepted that losing a game without managing to sink one of your balls generally does mean a lap around the table without certain attire.

However as you the reader are of particular intelligence you can no doubt come up with your own more sanitised punishment for such a performance.

Firstly if a player fails to break the Pool balls on the opening shot it is a foul and the opponent is awarded two shots from the white ball’s position.

However if two or more balls fall from the break the ball that fell first is their target. In the event of dispute, the player potting has the choice.

Other white ball fails that hands your opponent two shots are, going in-off the break or with the white ball on any other shot.

The following is a list of other fouls that hands your opponent two shots and many if not all of them are a delight when handed to you.

• If a player hits an opponent’s ball with the white before hitting his own.
• If a player misses.
• If a player hits the black ball with the white on the first impact before all his own balls have been potted.
• If a player goes “in-off” the black ball.
• If a player hits the ball off the table
• Player’s clothing or body touching the white ball while making a shot
• A player doesn’t have at least on foot on the floor when playing a shot
• By playing out of turn.
• By playing with other than the cue ball.
• Playing before the balls have come to rest or before they have been spotted.
• By causing the cue ball to jump over an object ball when snookered.

It is hard to keep a straight face when you’re struggling opponent hands you double after double. Pure gold and we’ve all been there!

In regards to the positioning of the white ball for certain fouls, when the ball is knocked off the table the black or coloured ball is spotted but the white ball is to be played from the “D”.

If the spot is occupied then the ball to be spotted is placed as near as possible to the spot in a direct line between spot and top cushion.

In the case of a deliberate foul shot when a player deliberately cues a ball other than a white ball the ball can be placed at the discretion of the opponent as near as possible to their original positions.

If a player repeats the act well besides a gentle clip over the back of the head or just a disappointing gaze, they can be disqualified.

Beside this disqualification to win the game in general play you must sink the black ball after potting all of your coloured ones.

The other ways to win is when your opponent fouls. These include:

• Putting the black ball before potting the coloured balls.
• When going for the black ball they follow the white ball in after the black
• Pits your ball in addition to the black
• Pots the black without having put away there coloured ballsFor the uninitiated these rule may seem a lot to take in but to put it simply, break well and then always hit the white ball on to your designated coloured balls. And if you manage this who knows you may even sink one. Stranger things have happened!

For the uninitiated these rule may seem a lot to take in but to put it simply, break well and then always hit the white ball on to your designated coloured balls. And if you manage this who knows you may even sink one. Stranger things have happened!

But on the subject of strange things, what happens when rare things happen such as Foul Snookers?

When you are snookered from a foul stroke by your opponent, you get to nominate any of your opponent’s balls, or the eight ball, as being one of yours, for the first shot. If you pot the nominated ball (except the black ball) it’s deemed legal and you continue with the break.

If the Black ball is foul snookered by your opponent you may also play the nominated ball onto the black ball and pot either or both balls without penalty.

And finally did you know you can actually record a drawn game? Well yes you can but it’s exceptionally rare.

A drawn game occurs when you and your opponent has one coloured ball left on the table and they are both touching the black ball which is positioned over the pocket. If both players give a miss without a legal shot being played, the game is declared drawn.

In such an event the three balls are spotted in a triangle with the black ball on the spot and the players toss for the break.

But of all the rules, one of the most protested is when your opponents sinks the white ball while making a shot – can you shoot the repositioned white ball on the “D” backwards. Well yes you can!

For any further information or rule clarifications call your Billiard Shop on 1300 300 654.

Let the good times roll in the game that brings family and friends together!

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