Eight Ball (8-ball)

Eight ball (8-ball) is a billiards game played with a cue ball and 15 billiard balls on a pool table with 6 pockets. There are eight solid-coloured balls numbered 1 through 8, seven striped balls numbered 9 through 15, and a solid white cue ball.

The balls are usually coloured as follows:

• 1 and 9 - yellow
• 2 and 10 - blue
• 3 and 11 - red
• 4 and 12 - purple
• 5 and 13 - orange
• 6 and 14 - green
• 7 and 15 - brown
• 8 - black
• cue - white

On occasion, however, 7 and 15 are coloured tan or magenta.

Two persons or two teams play against each other. One plays balls 1-7 (the solid balls), the other balls 9-15 (the striped ones). Ball 8, though coloured solid, is not considered one of the solid balls, as it is the final objective for both sides.

Each side on its turn hits the cue ball in order to hit one of their balls and to sink one of their balls in a pocket of the table. If they succeed, they may play again. If no balls are pocketed, then the shooting player's turn is forfeited to the opposition.

In addition, if no balls are legally pocketed during the shooting player's turn, in order to not incur a foul and give the opposing team more of an advantage on their next turn at the table, the shooting player must force at least one ball on the table to make contact with one of the table's rails. If no balls are pocketed, or sent to contact a rail, it is a foul.

If a player has sunk all of their balls, they must then sink the black 8 in order to win the game. If a player sinks the black 8 earlier in the game, that palyer loses. Eight Ball is the most popular billiards game in the United States.

Lines & Points on the Table

Start of the Game

Break

Turns

Faults

Possible Set of Rules

Differences Between UK & US

Standardised Rules (World 8 Ball rules)