GENERAL: The general rules of Billiards and Pocket Billiards apply to the game of eight ball, interpretation of rules outlined below.
TABLES: A minimum of ten (10) tables will be used for the State tournament. The minimum amount of tables for district events may be set by each district. Tables must be in "good to excellent" condition and all of the same size.
ELIGIBILITY: Must be a current, paid up member of AMVETS, Auxiliary, or Son’s of AMVETS, in the State of Ohio with a current year membership card to be shown at registration.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Determined by your Post Membership on the AMVETS Department of Ohio, Mid Winter Conference Membership Report, held in January the same year of the tournament. Do not use Auxiliary or Sons membership to determine the number of players your Post may enter.
AMVETS MEMBERSHIP PLAYERS ALTERNATES
1 to 100 1 to 5 1/2
101 to 150 6 2/3
151 to 200 7 2/3
201 to 250 8 3/4
251 to 300 9 3/4
301 to 400 10 4/5
401 or more 11 4/5
Alternates will be allowed to play in the tournament on a first paid, first play basis after all of the participating Post’s players, when needed to reach a full compliment of 176 players. Alternates that have paid their entry fee and do not get to play in the tournament will be refunded their entry fee. Maximum players in the State Tournament will be 176. Maximum players from a post will be 16.
THE GAME OF EIGHTBALL: Consists of fifteen (15) balls divided into two groups, small ones or solids numbered 1 through 7, and big ones or stripes numbered 9 through 15.
OBJECT OF EIGHTBALL: Pocket a group of balls, and then legally pocket the eight ball to win.
A MATCH: Shall be the best of three games
DOUBLE ELIMINATION: 1st
match lost – to the loser’s bracket
2nd match lost – out of tournament
THE RACK: Referee does all racking of balls – players approve rack before breaking
THE BREAK: 1st game is by toss of coin. 2nd and 3rd game is by loser of previous game. Winner of a flip or previous game has the option to either break or give the opponent the break. If the shooter makes a ball in on the break, without scratching, shooter shoots again on an open table. Putting the eight ball in on break wins the game. Putting in the eight ball on the break and scratching, loses the game.
LEGAL BREAK: Must drive four balls to the rails or pocket a ball without scratching. Failure to do so gives the opponent the option to accept the table as is or re-rack and get the break themselves or have original breaker re-break.
OPEN TABLE: The Table is always open after the break shot. The only time a shooter may strike a ball of one "group" to make a ball of the other "group" (a combination), striking the other "group" first is on an open table. The eight ball may never be the first ball struck in shooting a combination.
CALL THE POCKET: Calls by number of an object ball to a pocket, must make called shot to shoot again. Obvious shots do not need to be called.
A LEGAL SHOT: Shooter strikes/hits designated group first – must make obvious shot or called ‘shot’ and/or causes a ball to strike/hit a rail. Failure to do so is a foul. It is permissible for the shooter to bank the cue ball off a rail before contacting his object ball; however after contact with his object ball, any group ball must be pocketed, OR the cue ball or any other ball must contact a rail.
SAFETY SHOT: For tactical reasons a player may choose to pocket an obvious object ball and also discontinue his turn at the table by declaring "safety" in advance. A safety shot is defined as a legal shot. If the shooting player intends to play safe by pocketing an obvious object ball, then prior to the shot, he must declare a "safety" to his opponent. If this is NOT done, and one of the shooters object balls is pocketed, the shooter is required to shoot again. Any ball pocketed on a safety shot remains pocketed.
THE PATCH: Shooter places "the patch" by the pocket the eight ball is to be pocketed in. Eight ball made in an unpatched pocket is the loss of a game.
FOULS:
Failure to make a legal shot as noted above.
Shooting the cue ball into a pocket or off table.
Scratching on the break or deflect the cue ball prior to hitting the racked
balls. The incoming player receives (cue ball in hand behind the headstring).
When placing the cue ball in position, any forward stroke motion contacting
the cue ball will be a foul if not a legal shot.
Shooting without at least one foot touching the floor.
Coaching is a foul.
Object ball frozen to cushion or cue ball
1. This applies to any shot where the cue balls first contact with a ball is with one that is frozen to a cushion or to the cue ball itself. After the cue ball makes contact with the frozen ball, the shot must result in either:
a. a ball being pocketed or;
b. the cue ball contacting a cushion, or;
c. the frozen ball being caused to contact a cushion attached to a
separate rail, or;
d. another object ball being caused to c contact a cushion with
which it was not already in contact.
Failure to satisfy one of those four requirements is a foul.
A ball which is touching a cushion at the start of a shot and then is forced into a cushion attached to the same rail is not considered to have been driven to that cushion unless it leaves the cushion, contacts another ball, and then contacts the cushion again. An object ball is not considered frozen to a cushion unless it is examined and announced as such by either the referee or one of the players prior to that object ball being involved in a shot.
Accidentally moving or touching any ball is not a foul unless:
1. the moved ball is the cue ball or;
2. a moved ball makes contact with the cue ball or;
3. a moved ball that is jumped off the table or pocketed or causes any
ball to be jumped off the table or pocketed (exception: if the 8-ball is
jumped off the table or pocketed it is a loss of game if called by the
opponent before the next shot is taken). Only opponent may replace the
ball moved as closely as possible or leave it where it rests. If the
shooter replaces the moved ball, it will be considered a foul.
Picking up or shooting the cue ball while any balls
are still in motion is a foul.
Only visible to the naked eye double hits will be considered fouls.
Push shots are not considered fouls.
With cue ball in hand, touching any object ball with the cue ball is a foul
or touching any object ball with your hand while touching the cue ball is a
foul.
When the slow play rule is enforced, taking longer than one minute between
shots is a foul.
Jumping object balls off the table is a foul.
After a scratch on a legal break, if a player positions the cue ball
completely and obviously outside the kitchen and shoots is a foul.
If your opponent commits a foul and you do not receive his/her acknowledgement of such foul prior to touching the cue ball, you have committed a foul. (exception: scratching).
PENALTY FOR FOULING:
Only the player’s involved may call a foul. In the event of a foul call, the opposing player receives cue ball in hand anywhere on the table. This means that the player can place the cue ball anywhere on the table (the cue ball does not have to be behind the headstring except on opening break or immediately after a foul on the break).
A player must stop shooting when a foul is called. If the player refuses to yield to a foul call, the opposing player may protest.
PLAY:
If a shooter inadvertently pockets his opponents ball, it remains down, however if the shooter does not legally pocket one of his own group, he loses his turn.
Each player continues to shoot so long as he legally pockets any of his object balls (Exception: calling a safety). Should a player fail to pocket his designated group ball, he shall lose his turn.
If a player fails to hit the 8-ball while shooting at it, it is a foul and the game continues. However, if a player scratches the cue ball while shooting at the 8-ball, he loses the game, even if the 8-ball remains on the table.
In the event the cue ball or an object ball stops on the edge of the pocket, then falls into the pocket because of vibrations, fan or stamping of feet, it shall be placed on the edge of the pocket as near as possible to its position before interference.
5. If any object ball is jumped off the table, it is a foul and loss of turn, unless it is the 8-ball, which is a loss of game. Any jumped object balls are spotted in numerical order.
Slow Play Rule: Exaggerated slow play will be penalized. After a warning, any longer than ONE MINUTE between shots will be a foul. The third infraction will result in loss of game. During competition, referees judgment will prevail and both players will be timed.
If in 3 consecutive turns at the table by each player (6 turns total), they purposely foul or scratch and both players agree that attempting to pocket or move an object ball will result in immediate loss of game, then the game will be considered a stalemate. The balls will then be re-racked and the breaker of the stalemated game will break again. NOTE: Three consecutive fouls by one player is not a loss of game.
LOSS OF GAME:
Pocketing the 8-ball when it is not the legal object ball except on an opening break.
Pocketing the 8-ball on the same stroke as the last of his group of balls.
Scratching when the 8-ball is his legal object ball.
Jumping or knocking the 8-ball off the table at any time.
Pocketing the 8-ball in a pocket other than the one designated.
Fouling while (pocketing) the 8-ball in the designated pocket.
Third infraction of the slow play rule.
Pocketing the 8-ball and the cue on the break stroke.
Not correctly marking the pocket while pocketing the 8-ball.
NOTE: All infractions above must be called before the next shot is taken. Only the players involved may call an infraction.
Any questions on above rules, contact the State Pool Tournament Director.
Any questions on the tournament, hosting an event, bidding on an event or anything else related to this event, contact the State Pool Tournament Director or the AMVETS Department of Ohio, 3rd Vice Commander. Their name & phone numbers are in the AMVETS Guide Book