8 ball pool rules, answered in plain words

The 8 ball pool rules come down to one idea: pocket all seven balls of your group, solids or stripes, then sink the 8 in the pocket you call. Pot the 8 too early, or foul while potting it, and you lose the game.

That is the short answer. The rest of this page fills in the details beginners ask about most, and points you to a free place to try the rules out, Corner Pocket Club on Mayavoo.

The table and the balls

A rack uses the white cue ball and fifteen numbered object balls. Balls 1 to 7 are solids, 9 to 15 are stripes, and the black 8 sits between them as the ball that decides the game. The World Pool-Billiard Association publishes standardized rules, and many amateur leagues, such as the APA and BCAPL, play their own variations, so house rules can differ a little.

The core rules at a glance

What counts as a foul

The common fouls are a scratch, where the cue ball drops into a pocket; a miss, where you hit nothing; and hitting the wrong ball first, such as one from your opponent's group. Any of them hands your opponent ball in hand, which means they can place the cue ball wherever they like before shooting. That is a big advantage, so most of the strategy in 8-ball is about avoiding fouls as much as making balls.

Calling the 8

Once your group is gone, you name the pocket for the 8 before you shoot. If it drops anywhere else, the game is over and you lose. The call shows the shot was planned, not a lucky bounce off two rails.

Trying the rules in a browser

Reading rules only goes so far. Corner Pocket Club is a free browser pool game on Mayavoo that plays standard 8-ball: an open table after the break, your first pot settling solids or stripes, a called pocket for the 8, and ball in hand for scratches, misses and wrong-ball fouls. The game shows your group, pocketed balls, ball in hand and the called pocket with shapes and words as well as colour, which makes it easy to see what the rules mean as you play.

You can play against an Easy, Medium or Hard computer, climb a ladder of club members, or pass the device to a friend. It works on desktop, mobile and tablet, with no download and no account. Mayavoo is free, and checks each game before it goes live.

When a rulebook beats a game

If you are preparing for a league or a tournament, read that league's own rulebook or the WPA's rules of play. Details such as what happens when the 8 drops on the break vary between rule sets, and a casual game will not cover every one. For learning the basics and building habits, a free game is the faster teacher.