The Eight

3. EIGHTH

 

Eight is played with fifteen numbered game balls and a white game ball. One player's group of seven balls (balls numbered one through seven or nine through fifteen) must be off the table before that player attempts to pocket ball number eight to win. Shoves are reported.

 

3.1 Determination of the shootout

The player who wins the tempo can choose who will shoot first. (See 1.2 Determining the order of play).

 

3.2 Building the eight ball

The fifteen playing balls are arranged as close together as possible in the shape of a triangle, with the top ball on the back point and ball number eight being the first ball directly below the top ball. There will always be one ball from one group in the bottom corners of the triangle. The other balls are arranged in the triangle without any intention, randomly.

 

3.3 Gunshot

The following rules apply to the shootout:

a) The cue ball starts behind the shootout line.

b) No ball is announced and it is not required that the cue ball hit any particular edge ball first.

c) If a player sinks a ball in the pocket at the shootout and does not commit a foul, he remains at the table and the table remains open (See 3.4 Open Table/Ball Group Selection)

d) If no live balls fall into the pocket, at least four live balls must reach one or more of the pocket, otherwise the shootout is not valid and the player coming to the table has the following options:

1) Accept the table as is, or
2) Rebuild the balls into a triangle and shoot, or
3) Re-position the balls in the triangle and allow the offending player to shoot again.

e) Sinking ball number eight during a legal shootout is not a foul. If the eight falls into the pocket, the shooter has the following options:

1) Re-set ball number eight on the table and accept the other balls in the position they are in, or
2) Shoot again.

f) If the shooter sinks an eight and drops a white (See Section 8.6 Dropped White), the opponent has an option:

1) Set the number eight ball on the table again and play white from behind the line, or
2) Shoot again.

g) If any played ball is knocked off the table during a shootout, it is a foul; such balls remain out of play (except for the eight, which is set back on the table) and the player coming to the table has the option:

1) Accept the table in the position it is in, or
2) Take the white in your hand behind the shooting line.

h) If the shooter commits any foul not listed above, the player coming to the table has the option:

1) Accept the balls in the position they are in, or
2) Take the white in your hand behind the shooting line. 

3.4 Open table / ball group selection

Before the groups of balls are determined, the table is said to be "open" and before each shot the player at the table must announce the intended ball. If a player validly sinks his declared ball, the corresponding group of balls goes to him and his opponent has the other group. If he fails to legally sink his declared ball, the table remains open and play passes to the other player. When the table is "open", any ball may be hit first except the eight. 

3.5 Continuing the game

The player remains at the table until he or she has succeeded in legitimately sinking the announced balls, or until he or she wins the game by sinking an eight. 

3.6 Strings to be reported

For every shot except the shootout, shots shall be reported as explained in 1.6 Standard Reported Shot. Ball number eight may only be announced after a push in which the player's group of balls at the table has been cleared from the table. A player may report a "surety", in which case play passes to the opponent after the completion of the shove, and any ball that was sunk during the surety remains in the pocket. (See 8.17 Certainty Shove)

3.7 Setting the balls back on the table

If the number eight ball is sunk in the pocket or knocked off the table during the initial shootout, it will be set back on the table or the ball will be placed back in the triangle for the shootout. (See 3.3 Shootout and 1.4 Setting the balls back on the table.) No other played ball is set back on the table. 

3.8 Losing a single game

A player at the table loses when:

a) He sinks ball number eight in the pocket and commits a foul,
b) He sinks ball number eight into his pocket before he has finished playing all the balls in his group,
c) Sink ball number eight into an unannounced pocket, or
d) Knock ball number eight off the table.

These conditions do not apply to the initial shootout (See 3.3 Shootout) 

3.9 Standard fouls

When a player at the table commits a foul, the game passes to his opponent. The cue ball is in the hand, and the player coming to the table may place it anywhere on the board. (See 1.5 White in the Hand).

Below are the standard fouls in the figure eight:

6.1 White in the pocket or stamped from the table

6.2 Wrong ball first. The first ball hit by White on each shot must belong to the player's group at the table, except when the table is open. (See 3.4

Open Table / Ball Group Selection).

6.3 After contact without a boundary

6.4 Without feet on the ground

6.5 A ball knocked off the table. The only ball that is returned to the table is ball number ten.

6.6 Player touches the ball

6.7 Double Hit / Sleeping Ball

6.8 Pushed push (space)

6.9 Balls still in motion

6.10 Poor placement of white

6.12 Tágo on the table

6.13 Playing out of turn

6.15 Stalling

6.16 Foul with a sluice

 

3.10 Serious fouls

Fouls listed under 3.8 Losing a single game are penalized by the loss of the current game. For 6.17 Unsportsmanlike Conduct, the referee will select the appropriate penalty based on the nature of the infraction.

 

3.11 Pat

If there is a stalemate (See 1.12 Pat), the player who was shooting in the current game shoots again.