Pool Rules 9-Ball
About 9-Ball
Nine-ball is a contemporary pocket billiards (pool) game, with historical beginnings rooted in the United States and traceable to the 1920s. The game may be played in social and recreational settings by any number of players (generally one-on-one) and subject to whatever rules are agreed upon beforehand, or in league and tournament settings in which the number of players and the rules are set by the sponsors. During much of its history, nine-ball has been known as a "money game" in both professional and recreational settings; but today, in major tournament settings, it is respected and remains the dominant game.
In recent years, nine-ball has become the game of choice in championship tournament matches in the United States, basically because a series of games (the "match") proceeds quickly, lends itself well to the time constraints of television coverage, and tends to keep the audience engaged. The sports network ESPN has been, for several years, a major catalyst for the popularity of nine-ball and a major sponsor of championship play.
About Pool Rules
While the rules from the 2 bodies are largely the same, they are some differences. In fact, there could be regional rules or even specific pool hall rules that you need to be aware of should you be in that location. However, these 2 sets of rules are the most universal pool playing rules that one cannot afford to ignore.
One must also know that there are general rules, in addition to the specific rules for the game-specific rules, that govern the game. The rules have to be read together and not on a standalone basis. Due to possible copyright violations, the links to the rules instead of the rules themselves are provided here instead.
For General Rules
For Game-Specific Rules
Click here for BCA 9-ball rules and here for WPA 9-ball rules.
