POOL RULES | UK Pool Club

SUMMARY OF WORLD RULES

At UK Pool Club the default rules are World Rules. Below is a summary of the most frequently asked questions. Please see the full rules for more detailed information.

For a legal break, at least one ball must be potted and/or four object balls must touch a cushion. If this does not happen, the balls are re-racked, the break switches to the other Player, who then has 2 shots, providing he performs a legal break.

The white ball can be placed anywhere BEHIND the baulk line.
If the Player who breaks pots the white, the incoming Player has ONE visit with an open table.
If the Player who breaks pots a red, or yellow, or both, he must advise his Opponent of the colour he’s selecting before he takes his next shot. If he nominates a ball he’s potted, he’s on that colour. If he nominates a colour he hasn’t potted, he must pot that colour. If he doesn’t pot that colour, his Opponent has an open table.

If a Player pots a ball on the break, and he doesn’t nominate, it’s TWO visits and an open table for his Opponent.
If the BLACK ball is potted, the frame is restarted with no penalty, with the same Player breaking.
If the white jumps off the table on the break, the incoming Player has TWO visits, with an open table.
To play a legal shot, a Player must FIRST touch a ball of his colour, AND, either pot a ball of that colour, OR, drive a ball of any colour to a cushion, (including the white).

Failure to do so is two visits to Opponent.
If a Player is TOTALLY snookered i.e. he can’t directly hit ANY part of any of his colours, he may advise his Opponent that he is totally snookered, and in this case, he ONLY has to hit one of his colours first to perform a legal shot.
If a Player is FOUL snookered i.e. He can’t play the FINEST cut possible on any of his colours, after being fouled, he has 3 options:
1. Play the shot as the balls lie.
2. Verbally NOMINATE (point to) one of his Opponents colours or the black as one of
  
  his colours for the first shot of the visit. He may then pot that nominated colour,
  
  and/or any of his own colours, (except the black).
3. Pick up the white, and place it anywhere behind the baulk line. If a free ball still
  
  exists, then the Player may nominate, as above.
If the white ball is TOUCHING one of the Player’s colours, he must play away from the touching ball without it moving. The Player is deemed to have played that ball, so all that’s needed to perform a legal shot is that any ball must then touch a cushion OR he can pot a ball of his own colour.

10. All frames should be played in a sporting manner. It is both Players responsibility to call any foul they witness, whether on themselves or their Opponent, regardless of whether a Referee sees the foul.