Nine-ball rules.

This page follows Section 5 of the WPA Rules of Play, effective 15 September 2025, which builds on the general rules. Nine-ball is scored by the rack, so the break alternates between players under the general rules, and the three-foul count runs within each rack.

Equipment and the rack

Nine-ball uses the cue ball and object balls 1 through 9. Under rule 5.2 they are racked in a diamond with the 1 at the front point and the 9 in the middle, sitting on the foot spot.

Objective

The balls are played in ascending order: on every shot, the cue ball must first touch the lowest numbered ball still on the table, or it is a wrong-ball-first foul. You do not have to pocket the balls in order, though. Legally pocketing the 9 on any shot except a push out wins the rack, so a combination or carom that drops the 9 early counts.

The break

The break is played with the cue ball in hand behind the head string (rule 5.3). If no ball is pocketed, at least four object balls must reach one or more rails, or the break is a foul.

Rule 5.3(c) adds a second requirement: if no ball is pocketed, three balls must cross the head string, or the break is illegal under Playing Regulation 16, the "Three-Ball Break Rule." The full text of Regulation 16 was not in the copy of the rulebook we read, so we cannot describe its details.

Rule 5.5 says the 9 wins on any shot other than a push out, and Section 5 has no separate exception for the break, so read literally, a 9 pocketed legally on the break wins. That is our reading of the wording rather than an explicit break rule, but Dr. Dave Alciatore's summary of the WPA rules also states that the base rule is a win.

The push out

If the break was not a foul, the next shot (the second shot of the rack) may be played as a push out (rule 5.4). You must tell the referee before you shoot. On a push out, the wrong-ball-first foul (3.2) and the no-rail foul (3.3) do not apply, so you can roll the cue ball to a spot without hitting the lowest ball or a rail. If the push out is not a foul, your opponent then decides who takes the next shot. A 9 pocketed on a push out does not win; it is spotted (rule 5.6).

Play

• Continuing. If you legally pocket any ball, except on a push out, you keep shooting (rule 5.5).
• Missing. After a miss with no foul, your opponent must play the cue ball from where it lies.
• No calling. Nine-ball is not a call-shot game under WPA rules, so a 9 pocketed on a legal shot counts even if you did not call it. Dr. Dave's summary notes that some leagues require the 9 to be called and spot it when it was not.
• Spotting. A 9 pocketed on a foul or a push out, or driven off the table, is spotted. No other ball is ever spotted (rule 5.6).

Fouls and penalties

After a standard foul, your opponent gets cue ball in hand anywhere on the table (rule 5.7). The wrong-ball-first foul is measured against the lowest numbered ball on the table.

Three consecutive fouls within one rack lose that rack (rule 5.8). Under the general rule 3.13, a player on two fouls must be warned when coming to the table, or a third foul counts only as a second.

Winning

You win the rack by legally pocketing the 9, on any shot that is not a push out. You can also win the rack when your opponent commits three consecutive fouls in it. After a stalemate, the player who broke that rack breaks again.

How CSI and APA nine-ball differ

APA handicapped nine-ball is also scored differently: balls 1 through 8 are worth one point each and the 9 is worth two, so a rack holds at most 10 points, and each skill level needs a set number of points to win the match. See our leagues page for the points chart.