log in
sign up or:

By using this site you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service

forgot password?

Can you Bank the Cue Ball off of a Rail and Into an Opponent's Ball?

4/23/2007 9:50:13 PM

Can you Bank the Cue Ball off of a Rail and Into an Opponent's Ball?

I'm hoping that you may be able to help me in an disputed question I'm having about 8 ball rules.

The scenario is where a player shoots the cue ball into a cushion, it hits an opponent's ball first, then it hits the player's object ball and pockets it into the called pocket.

Basically, the player banks the cue ball of the rail, into the opponent's ball, then into the called ball, and the called ball is sunk in the called pocket.

For example, my ball is positioned over the lower left-hand pocket with two of my opponents balls behind it. If I bank the cue ball off of the right-hand cushion, then it hits my opponent's ball, bounces off of it and into my called ball, and sinks my ball, is that considered a foul or a legal shot?

This question relates to the following billiard rules:

Can you Bank the Cue Ball off of a Rail and Into an Opponent's Ball?

Replies & Comments
  1. user1177365013kyle on 4/24/2007 4:02:44 PM

    In 8 ball, you always have to contact one of your own object balls first. Contacts with rails/cushions make no difference.

    Unless the table is open, it is a foul to contact an opponent's ball as the first ball in the shot. If you do this, your opponent gets ball-in-hand from anywhere on the table.

    From the WPA rules:

    3.9 Standard Fouls (8 Ball)

    If the shooter commits a foul, play passes to his opponent. The cue ball is in hand, and the incoming player may place it anywhere on the playing surface. (See 1.5 Cue Ball in Hand.)

    The following are standard fouls at eight ball:

    • [...]
    • (6.2) Wrong Ball First - The first ball contacted by the cue ball on each shot must belong to the shooter’s group, except when the table is open. (See 3.4 Open Table / Choosing Groups).
    • [...]

    The "wrong ball first" foul is further explained in section 6.2:

    6.2 Wrong Ball First

    In those games which require the first object ball struck to be a particular ball or one of a group of balls, it is a foul for the cue ball to first contact any other ball.

  2. user1177365013kellystick on 5/22/2007 9:23:49 PM

    Yes its a foul.

upload a photo or document

use plain text or markdown syntax only
log in or sign up

Sign in to ensure your message is posted.

If you don't have an account, enter your email and choose a password below and we'll create your account.

Preview:

Can you Bank the Cue Ball off of a Rail and Into an Opponent's Ball?

  • Title: Can you Bank the Cue Ball off of a Rail and Into an Opponent's Ball?
  • Author:
  • Published: 4/23/2007 9:50:13 PM
  • Last Updated: 3/30/2022 2:30:45 AM
  • Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)