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Pot the nine ball, ensuring that the lowest-numbered ball is hit first on every turn at the table.

Determining who breaks first

Before the match begins, the players lag to decide who plays first. Each player takes a ball, places it behind the head string (the line across the width of the table) and shoots in a straight line towards the foot cushion near where the balls will be racked. The player whose ball rests closest to the head cushion without it touching the side cushions and without it being potted wins the lags and decides who will break first.

The order of the players is usually swapped in each subsequent game, or rack, such that the player who breaks in the first rack plays second in the next game.

Setting up the rack

At the start of each rack, the nine coloured balls are arranged in a diamond similar to the image on the right. The one ball must be placed at the top of the diamond and positioned on the foot spot. The nine ball must be placed in the centre of the diamond but the other balls should be racked in no particular order.

The break shot

Players strike the white cue ball to hit other balls. The first player has the cue ball in-hand and can place it anywhere behind the head string for the opening break shot. The one ball must be hit first and for the break to be legal:

• any ball must be potted, or
• four of the coloured object balls must hit a cushion.

An illegal break results in a foul being called and play passes to the next player.

The push out

For the second shot of the game, if no foul was committed on the break then the current player—either the person who played the break shot if he/she potted an object ball, or his/her opponent otherwise—has the opportunity to play a push out. This enables the player to play any shot without having to hit an object ball. The player must declare that he/she wishes to play a push out before the shot is taken.

Providing that a foul is not committed and even if the player pots a ball from the push-out, his/her opponent chooses who will take the next turn. If the nine ball is potted, it is respotted on the foot spot.

Continuing the game

Other than after a push-out, if the player pots one or more object balls without causing a foul, he/she continues at the table until he/she plays a shot that does not result in a ball being potted, at which time play passes to the next player. That player must play from where the cue ball rests unless the previous player committed a foul.

The player who legally pots the nine ball wins the rack.

If, at any time during the game, the player at the table commits any of the following standard fouls, his/her turn ends, and the other player receives the cue ball in-hand and can place it anywhere on the table to start his/her turn:

• Potting the cue ball or forcing it off the table
• Hitting a ball with the cue ball other than the lowest-numbered object ball first
• Failing to hit a cushion with any ball after the cue ball has struck the object ball, if no ball was potted
• Causing an object ball to be forced off the table
• Playing a push shot, where the cue tip remains in contact with the cue ball for longer than is usual
• Causing the cue to hit the cue ball more than once in the same shot
• Leaving the cue tip touching the cue ball as it makes contact with the object ball, unless the balls are extremely close together or touching
• Striking the cue ball from in front of the head string on the break shot
• Playing a shot while any balls are still moving
• Not having at least one foot touching the floor as a shot is played
• Touching or moving any ball with anything other than the cue tip, except for when the cue ball is in-hand
• Placing the cue on the table and letting it go in order to align a shot
• Playing a shot when it is not your turn.

If the nine ball is potted on a foul shot or a push out, or is forced off the table, it is respotted on the foot spot. Other object balls are not respotted.

If a player commits a foul in three successive shots, this is a serious foul and results in that player losing the rack.

The rules on this page describe the WPA nine-ball pool rules, which are used for our internal competitions as well as at the national UPC Nine-ball Pool Championships.

Universities Pool Council

WPA nine-ball pool rules