The following rules concern the play, scoring officiating and responsibilities for
tournament competition in all pocket billiard games. However, the
precepts and principles of these rules are to be considered part of the games'
General Rules and should be applied as appropriate to all play, whether or not a
formal tournament.
For purposes of simplicity and clarity, masculine pronouns have been utilized
throughout these rules. Such references apply to any player or teams of players.
It is the player's responsibility be be aware
of all rules, regulations and schedules applying to his competition. While
tournament officials will make every reasonable effort to have such information
readily available to all players as appropriate, the ultimate responsibility rests
with the player himself. (For exemptions to this rule see: Rule 2.16..) The player
has no recourse if such information is not volumteered; the responsibility for
knowing his situation and/or the rules lies with the player himself.
ACCEPTANCE OF EQUIPMENT
Tournament players should assure themselves, prior to beginning play, that the balls and other equipment are
standard and legal. Once they begin play of a match, they may no longer question
the legality of the equipment in use (unless the opponent and tournament officials
both agree with the objection and any available remedy proposed by the
tournament officials).
USE OF EQUIPMENT
Players may not use equipment or accessory items for purposes or in a manner other than those for which the items were intended.
For example, powder containers, chalk cubes, etc., may not be used to prop up a
mechanical bridge (or natural hand bridge); no more than two mechanical bridges
may be used at one time, nor may they be used to support anything other than the
cue shaft. Extra or out-of-play balls may not be used by players to check
clearances or for any other reason (except to lag for break); the triangle may be
employed by players to ascertain whether a ball is in the rack when a match is
unofficiated and the table has not been pencil-marked around the triangle area.
(Also see Rule 2.15.)
EQUIPMENT RESTRICTIONS
Players may use chalk, powder, mechanical bridges(s) and cue of their choice or design. However, tournament officials may restrict
a player if he attempts action that is disruptive of either the house equipment or
normal competitive conditions. As examples, a player may be restrained from using
red chalk on green cloth; he may be advised not to use powder in such an excessive fashion
as to unduly affect the balls or table cloth; he may be barred from using a cue with a
noise-making device that is clearly disruptive to other competitors. (Also see Rule
2.15.)
MARKING OF TABLES
When racking the balls a triangle must be used. Prior to competition, each table
and the triangle to be used on it shall be marked so as to ensure that the same
triangle will be used throughout the tournament on the same table.
An accurate and clearly visible pencil line must also be marked on the cloth:
(1) around the outer edge of the triangle to ensure accurate and consistent
placement to enable accurate judgement as to ball positions;
(2) on the long string to enable accurate spotting of balls; and
(3) on the head string to facilitate determinations of whether balls are behind the
head string.
The head spot, center spot and foot spot must also be determined to be
accurately marked, whether with discreet penciled "plus" marks, or with standard
spots if being employed. In games which do not require them, the center and head
spots do not need to be marked.
ADMINISTRATIVE DISCRETION
The management of each tournament shall reserve the right to set forth rules and procedures
appropriate and reasonable for the particular tournament involved, such as may regard players'
dress requirements, method of receiving entry fees, refund policy of entry fees, scheduling
flexibility, pairing procedures, etc.
However, for tournaments to receive a BCA, WPA, WPBA or PBTA sanction,
certain requirements must be met, primarily with regard to safeguarding and
ensuring proper distribution of the prize fund.
LATE START
A player must be ready to begin a match within fifteen minutes of the start
of the match, or his opponent wins by forfeit. The starting time is considered
to be the scheduled time or the time the match is announced, whichever is later.
NO PRACTICE DURING MATCH
While a match is in progress, practice is not allowed. Taking a shot that is
not part of that match is a foul.
ASSISTANCE NOT ALLOWED
While a match is in progress, players are not allowed to ask spectators
for assistance in planning or executing shots. If a player asks for and receives such
assistance, he loses the game. Any spectator who spontaneously offers any
significant help to a player will be removed from the area.
FAILURE TO LEAVE THE TABLE
When a player's inning comes to an end, the player must discontinue shooting.
Failure to do so is loss of game (exception in 14.1 - ruled as "deliberate foul").
SLOW PLAY
If in the opinion of the referee a player is impeding the progress of the
tournament or game with consistently slow play, the referee can warn the player
and then at his discretion impose a maximum forty-five second time limit that
applies to both players between shots (that is, both players are put on a shot
-clock). If the referee does impose a forty-five second time limit and that
limit is exceeded by a player, a foul will be called and the incoming player is
rewarded according to the rules applicable to the game being played.
During a player's inning, the shot-clock starts when the previous shot ends,
and runs until tip-to-ball contact begins the next shot. The time while a shot is in
progress is not counted. If a player begins with cue ball in hand, the shot-
clock starts when he has possession of the cue ball, and any spotting or racking is
finished. A warning with the announcement of "time" should be made ten seconds
prior to the time limit being reached. If a player exceeds the time limit specified
for the tournament, a foul will be called and the incoming player is rewarded
according to the rules applicable to the game being played. If the shot-clock is
started late on a shot due to neglect or oversight of the timekeeper, the player
receives the benefit of the late start.
SUSPENDED PLAY
If a player shoots while play is suspended by the referee, he loses the game.
Announcement of the suspension is considered sufficient warning. (Also see Rule
2.27.)
TIME OUT
A player is only allowed to take a time out during his/her turn at the table
or between sets (if a format with sets is used). During a time out, a sign
should be placed on the table by the referee, and no practice will be allowed on
that table. In general, each player will be allowed one time out per match, and a
maximum of 5 minutes per time out. When a format with sets is used, each player
will be allowed one time out in the final set (in the third set if playing best-of-3,
or in the fifth set if playing the best-of-5 sets). This final-set rule applies regardless
of whether a player has taken a time out in an earlier set.
CONCESSION
If a player concedes, he loses the game. If a player attempts to unscrew his
jointed cue stick while the opponent is at the table, it will be considered a
concession of the game. No warning from the referee is required in the case
of a concession.
SCORING OF FORFEITS
Matches forfeited for any reason under these rules shall not result in any scores
being included in the statistics of a tournament, regardless of whether any score had been
reached prior to the declaration of forfeiture. For official records, no point scores
should be recorded, but rather the notations "W(F)" and "L(F)" as appropriate
should be employed. (Matches lost through disqualification are considered forfeits
for purposes of this rule.)
If, however, the player awarded a match through his opponent's forfeiture has
posted a high run (or similar accomplishment for which an award is granted)
during play of the match prior to declaration of forfeiture, that high run or other
mark shall be eligible for the tournament award or prize.
PLAYING WITHOUT A REFEREE
When a referee is not available, the player who is not shooting will assume the duties
of the referee to the extent of play on the table.
CUE BALL FOULS ONLY
When a referee is presiding over a match, it is a foul for a player to touch
any ball (cue ball or object ball) with the cue, clothing, body, mechanical
bridge or chalk, during or after a shot. However, when a referee is not presiding
over a game, it is not a foul to accidently touch stationary balls located
between the cue ball and the shooter while in the act of shooting. If such an
accident occurs, the player should allow the Tournament Director to restore the
object balls to their correct positions. If the player does not allow such a restoration,
and a ball set in motion as a normal part of the shot touches such an unrestored ball, or
passes partly into a region originally occupied by a disturbed ball, the shot
is a foul. In short, if the accident has any effect on the outcome of the shot,
it is a foul. In any case, the Tournament Director must be called upon to restore
the positionsof the disturbed balls as soon as possible, but not during the shot.
It is a foul to play another shot before the Tournament Director has restored any
accidently moved balls.
At the nonshooting player's option, the disturbed balls will be left in their new
positions. In this case, the balls are considered restored, and subsequent contact
on them is not a foul.
It is still a foul to make any contact with the cue ball whatsoever while it is
in play, except for the normal tip-to-ball contact during a shot.
JUMP AND MASSE SHOT FOUL
If a match is not refereed, it will be considered a cue ball foul if during an
attempt to jump, curve or masse the cue ball over or around an impeding numbered
ball that is not a legal object ball, the impeding ball moves (regardless of whether
it was moved by a hand, cue stick follow-through or bridge).
THIRD OPION
When a shot comes up that seems likely to lead to controversy, the player not
shooting should temporarily enlist a tournament official or a third party to
judge the legality of the execution.
RESOLVING DISPUTES
Any dispute between the two players will be resolved by the tournament director
or his appointed substitute.
SPLIT HITS
If the cue ball strikes a legal object ball and a non-legal object ball at approximately
the same instant, and it cannot be determined which ball was hit first, the
judgement will go in favor of the shooter.
RACKING
The balls must be racked as tightly as possible, which means each ball should
be touching its neighbor. Refrain from tapping object balls more than absolutely
necessary; it is preferable to thoroughly brush the area of the rack to even
out the cloth.
