8-Ball is a call shot game played with a cue ball and fifteen object balls numbered 1 through 15. Each player or team has a group of seven balls: the solid colored balls numbered 1 through 7, or the striped balls numbered 9 through 15. The 8-ball is the game winning ball. The object of the game is for you to pocket your entire group of balls, and then pocket the 8-ball.
The balls are racked as follows (see Figure 2-1):
a. in a triangle with the apex ball on the foot spot;
b. the rows behind the apex are parallel to the foot rail;
c. the 8-ball is in the middle of the row of three balls;
d. the remaining balls are placed at random, except that the ball at each rear corner of the rack must be of a different group than the other rear corner. The left/right orientation of the groups for those two balls does not matter.
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Apex |
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One solid and one stripe,
left/right orientation does not matter. |
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Foot Rail |
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Figure 2-1 |
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Apex ball on foot spot. |
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8 |
1. You begin the break with ball in hand behind the head string. There is no requirement for the cue ball to contact any particular ball first. You must use an open break and either pocket a ball or drive at least four object balls to the cushions or it is an illegal break. If you pocket a ball you continue to shoot; if you do not pocket a ball or you commit a foul, your inning ends.
2. If your break is illegal, your inning ends. Your opponent may:
a. accept the table in position if you did not scratch;
b. accept the table in position with ball in hand behind the head string if you did scratch;
c. re-rack the balls and break;
d. require you to re-rack the balls and break again.
3. If you scratch and do not pocket the 8-ball on a legal break, your inning ends and any other pocketed balls remain pocketed. Your opponent has ball in hand behind the head string.
4. If you foul but do not scratch, and do not pocket the 8-ball on a legal break, your inning ends and any other pocketed balls remain pocketed. Your opponent may:
a. accept the table in position or;
b. take ball in hand behind the head string.
5. If you pocket the 8-ball on a legal break and do not scratch or foul it is a win and will be scored 10-0 no matter what balls were made on the break
6. If you pocket the 8-ball on a legal break and scratch, or if you jump the 8-ball off the table on a legal or illegal break, it is a loss and will be scored 10-0 in favor of your opponent
7. In all cases on the break, jumped balls are not returned to the table.
The table is always open after the break and remains open until groups are established. When the table is open, all object balls except the 8-ball are legal object balls and combination shots involving balls of different groups are legal. The 8-ball may be part of such a combination if it is not the first ball contacted by the cue ball.
1. Groups are established when the first object ball is legally pocketed on a shot after the break. The player legally pocketing the first ball is assigned that group, and the opponent is assigned the other group.
2. If all of either group of balls are pocketed on the break or illegally pocketed before the groups are established, either player may legally shoot the 8-ball during their inning. If the 8-ball is legally pocketed on such a shot, the game is won.
3. Once they are established, groups can never change for the remainder of that game. If a player shoots the wrong group and no foul is called before the next shot and the player continues to shoot at that group, or if at any time during the game it is discovered by any player or official that the players are shooting the wrong groups and a foul was not called in a timely manner, the game will be replayed with the player who broke the game breaking again.
1. Once groups are established, play continues with each player having their group as legal object balls. Balls in your opponents' group and the 8-ball are illegal object balls. When it is your inning, you continue to shoot as long as you legally pocket a ball on each shot. If you do not legally pocket a ball, your inning ends.
2. Jumped balls and illegally pocketed balls are not returned to the table, but do count in favor of the player with that group.
Prior to any shot except the break you may declare a safety. On a safety, your inning ends after the shot regardless of whether or not you pocket any ball, including an obvious ball or a called ball. You must declare the safety to your opponent before the shot, and they must acknowledge your intentions. If you do not declare a safety or it is not acknowledged, and you pocket an obvious ball or a called ball of your group, your inning continues and you must shoot again. Balls pocketed on a safety are illegally pocketed balls. Safety shots must meet all the requirements of a legal shot.
1. The 8-ball becomes your legal object ball on your first shot after the last ball of your group is pocketed. The first player to legally pocket the 8-ball wins the game.
2. If you foul but do not pocket the 8-ball, it is not loss of game. Your opponent is awarded ball in hand.
You lose the game if:
a. you illegally pocket the 8-ball;
b. you jump the 8-ball off the table on any shot other than the break;
c. you pocket the 8-ball on the same shot as the last ball of your group;
If the table is in a position such that a referee has determined that any attempt to pocket or move a ball will result in loss of game, and each player has had three innings without significantly changing the position, the referee will declare a stalemate and the game will be replayed with the player who broke the game breaking again.
11
START TIMES
League play is scheduled for
7:00 p.m. with a 20 minute
grace period.
12
LINE UP
When making your line-up; the home team will make theirs first, listing players
in order from the lowest rated player to the highest rated player for the five
players playing in the first round. The visiting will then make their line-up
listing players in order from the lowest rated player to the highest rated
player for the five players playing in the first round.
13
SUBSTITUTIONS
You may substitute players from round to round provided you notify the opposing
team captain prior to the start of that round. The placement of subs does not
have to be in any particular order provided that they don’t play the same player
more than once. If you are subbing for a player he/she must sit out one round
and may come back in. They may not be placed in different positions on the score
sheet without sitting out at least one round. This will result in an automatic
loss of 10-0. Starting in fall 2007 we will have a house sub list. You may call
any player from this list to sub for your team provided you have no more than 4
of your players present at that match. You may not use the same sub more than
twice in a session.
14
LEAGUE FEES
Legue fees are $30.00 per team per week and are due on the night of play.
Sanction fees are $10.00 annually and are due on the first night of league play,
renewable each year in June.
15
ELIGIBILITY
You may change your team’s roster until the completion of your teams 4th
week of play. All players must have completed 8 games by your teams 6th
week of play or they will be dropped from your roster Byes and forfeits will
not count against your team’s weeks for player eligibility. Any player who
has played a game and is not sanctioned by the 4th week will be
dropped from the team’s roster and all the games he/she played will be a loss of
10-0
16
MAKE UPS
Form time to time it is necessary for teams to reschedule league matches. Both
team captains must agree to reschedule, the reschedule date must be submitted to
the league office prior to rescheduling, and the match must be made up within 2
weeks of scheduled play or both teams will receive a score of a 0 for that night
of play. All rescheduled matches will be held at the location originally
scheduled.
17
BYES
The first time you are scheduled a bye it will be worth 0 points and no fees are
due. The second time you are scheduled a bye you will receive 5 points and
$30.00 league fees are due
18
FORFEITS
On occasion teams may not have 5 players for league play. You may start a match
with 3 players. If 3 players are not available by 7:20 the team must take a
forfeit for that night of
play. Individual
forfeits the forfeiting team will fill out their line up as if they had
5 players, using their highest handicap player not present and will take a score
of 10-0 loss each time they were to
play.
Team forfeits If a team forfeits both teams are responsible for
that weeks league fees. The opposing will receive a winning score of 5-0. Any
team forfeiting in more than once in a session or in the last 2 weeks of league
play will be dropped from the league and forfeit any prize money due and will
not be eligible for post season play.
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TIES
In the event of a tie at the end of a round, the team with the most 10’s will
win the round. In the event of a tie in total balls and 10’s at the end of a
match, each team will be awarded ½ point
20
HANDICAPS
We will use a 10 point average with a power average of 30%. Handicaps will be
figured by number balls divided by number of games played. This will give your
ball count average. You will then take total balls minus your opponents total
balls, divided by the games played and add 30% of that number to your average
This will be your total handicap. For example, a player scores 70 points in
eight games the players average will be 8.75. The player’s opponents have scored
40 points against them. You take (70-40) =30 (30/8) =3.75 (3.75x.3)
= 1.125 (8.75+1.125) = 9.875 or 10. All handicaps will be rounded to the
nearest number. The handicap listed will go in the average spot on the score
sheet. Any new players who have not played in the league will begin at league
average. League average for Fall 2007 is 7. Any player who has played in the
league will play as their ending handicap as of the last time they played in
league play. (Exception) 1) Summer league will not count toward average. 2) If a
team goes into a different division. There averages will be modified by two. For
instance a team was playing in an open division and gets bumped to “A” division
You will deduct 2 points from there listed average. If a team goes from an open
division to an “A” division you will add 2 points to there starting average.
After the completion of 8 games the new session’s handicap will be used. If a
player completes their 8th game in the middle of a match it is up to
the team captain to figure the handicap and use it for the remainder of that
night of league play. The league review board reserves the right to lock players
in at a predetermined handicap if it is felt that player is either playing well
below their skill level or is sandbagging. No player can play below a handicap
of 5 no matter the stats. The maximum spot per team round is 15
21
STATS
Weekly stats will be available online at
www.centralohiobca.com and will not be mailed. You will be provides
envelopes for your weekly fees and score sheets.
22
DROP BARS
The visiting is responsible to drop the envelopes to the drop no later than
noon the day following
league play. The drop bars are Cornfed Reds, Players, Sportsmens, Omalleys, and
Q-stix
23
EQUIPMENT
The home team will designate the table to be played on. A 3-1/2 x 7 will be used
when available.
24
PROTESTS
Any team wishing to protest a match must do so in writing and must be submitted
within one week of the scheduled accompanied by a $25.00 fee. All protests will
be heard within 2 weeks of submission. The team captain who protested must be
present at the hearing or the protest will not be heard. If you win the protest
you will be refunded the $25.00 fee. If you signed the score sheet for that
night of league play, you may not protest that match. The home team score sheet
(the white copy) will be the master score sheet
25 Age Limit
All players in the Central Ohio BCA must be at least 18 years of age. However, it is the locations right to refuse entry or service to any one under the age of 21. If the player is under the age of 21 they must declare to the bartender upon entry to the location. Any player under the age of 21 who attempts to order an alcoholic beverage from a location during league play will be barred for life from the Central Ohio BCA