BCA 8 Ball Rules Clarification
1/21/2014 5:20:25 PM
BCA 8 Ball Rules Clarification
It seems as though everywhere I play there is a different set of rules for BCA 8 ball. I need some clarification on the following BCA 8 Ball situations:
- If a player scratches on the break The next shooter gets ball in hand: But where? In the kitchen? Anyplace on the table?
- I always thought if you scratched shooting the 8 ball you lost. I see some people playing table scratches where if the 8 ball goes into a wrong pocket or you commit a table scratch on the 8 ball meaning you do not hit a ball and rail you do not lose immediately Or the cue ball goes into a pocket Would someone who knows the BCA rules please clarify this?
- On a break, when 4 balls do not hit a rail, can the next shooter take the table as it is or is a re-rack compulsory?
Replies would be appreciated.
bffatcatThis question relates to the following billiard rules:
BCA 8 Ball Rules Clarification
Replies & Comments
Zeke on 1/21/2014 7:24:24 PM
There are three sets rules at play here. "The General Rules," the "BCA 8-Ball rules" and the "house rules."
The first two are available above, third tab in colored light green, "Billiard Rules."
Regarding "house rules," you're on your own ;)
guest on 4/27/2014 10:58:04 PM
Lets just put the answer here so it is easy to find for future googlers.
- BCA rules are the same as the WPA rules. And in those rules a scratch on the break is ball in Kitchen (behind the headstring shooting outward). These are the same rules used by the APA, VNEA, UPA, NAPA, TAP, ACS, really everybody.
There is one single organization that has bucked that rule and tired to simplify the 8-ball rules by having ALL fouls including the break shot be Ball In Hand Anywhere. That is the BCAPL.
The Billiards Congress of America Pool League is not run by the BCA. I know right? The BCA sold the league to the company Cue Sports International. They play by all of the BCA rules, except this one. They are the only organization I know of playing by the scratch on the break is bih anywhere, but they run the US Bar Table Championship, so they have a pretty good influence on the game.
But generally, scratches on the break go to the kitchen, but by every major ruleset, this is the only time a scratch goes to the kitchen. All fouls and scratches after the break are Ball in Hand Anywhere (again, thats everybody).
- If you are playing by BCA, BCAPL, WPA, VNEA, UPA, ACS and NAPA all use the rule that if the 8-ball is on the table, the game is not over. Meaning, a simple foul or scratch while shooting at the 8-ball does not lose you the game in any of those rulesets. Easy rule to live by, if the 8-ball is still on the table, the game is not over! Now if you pocket the 8 AND foul in the same stroke, then you lose.
Only APA and TAP play by the rule that a scratch while shooting at the 8-ball is a loss, and no one in the world plays that a simple table foul (such as failure to hit the 8, hitting opponent's ball first, failure to reach a rail after contact) loses the shooter the game.
- The 4 balls to the rail rule in BCA says that the incoming player has the option to rerack, or continue shooting. Rerack is NOT compulsory.
You might want to check out the rules here on this site: 8 Ball Rules
The 8 ball foul - BCA Rules the easiest way to remember the rule is: if the 8 ball is still on the table "alive" the game is still alive, if the 8 ball is sunk in a non nominated pocket, non called pocket, the shooter lose the game. If the foul is: no rail contact after 8 ball contact, the opponent has cue ball in hand anywhere on the table no contact with the 8 ball the opponent has cue ball in hand anywhere on the table pocketing the cue ball the opponent has cue ball in hand anywhere on the table pocketing the 8 ball and cue ball lose of game
Please understand that 90% of amateur pool players never bother to LEARN the rules, the may read them but never LEARN them.
You can go to the Billiard Congress of America home page to find printable rules covering the complete game of 8 ball plus many others. Hope this helps a bit. Good Shooting Remember pool is a game and games are for pleasure Banffbarry
gibson on 7/22/2014 11:24:54 AMThe rules of 8 ball for any game are those which the players decide on prior to the game. If you are going to have a structured event, such as a tournament, you will have to decide on using the rules of an organization, so that all of the players know what to expect. Eight ball was originally played on regular tables and not coin operated tables. Many of the guys here have pointed out that the rules were changed to accomodate the fact that on a coin op table, no balls could be replayed after being pocketed, so eight ball being down had to be either a win or a loss. One question: can a player make the 8 on the break and be given a win? Would this not violate the rules that you must make all of your object balls and then make the eight in a designated pocket.? I think most of the rules are designed to penalize bad players instead of the good ones. ( no slop between two good players is pointless, since good players don't hit slop shots). BCA rules are good for the most part, but the full table ball in hand is too harsh a penalty. If you can beat a drunken grandmother, you will be able to win under that rule. I still prefer the spot shot from the kitchen, allowing the most forward object ball in the kitchen to be spotted. That too is a pretty standard shot that most players can make seven out of ten times, but they still have a slight chance of missing and makes them earn the win.
BCA 8 Ball Rules Clarification
- Title: BCA 8 Ball Rules Clarification
- Author: bffatcat
- Published: 1/21/2014 5:20:25 PM
