ENGLISH BILLIARDS
House Rules.
Update: March 2020 to better agree with WPBSA.



Contents:

  1. TYPE OF GAME
  2. PLAYERS
  3. EQUIPMENT
  4. OBJECT OF THE GAME
  5. SCORING
  6. OPENING BREAK
  7. RULES OF PLAY
  8. RED BALL SPOTTING
  9. LIMITS ON CANNONS
  10. LIMITS ON HAZARDS
  11. JUMPED OBJECT BALLS
  12. CUE BALL AFTER JUMPING OFF TABLE
  13. PENALTIES FOR FOULS

Except when clearly contradicted by these additional rules, the General Rules of Carom Billiards apply.

TYPE OF GAME

Is a game which tests a player's ability to carom (canon), and sink balls (play a winner).   The game stresses cue ball and object ball control, over all three balls, in order to achieve large runs (breaks.

PLAYERS

Two individuals, or two teams.

EQUIPMENT

Two cue balls, marked differently so as to be distinguishable from one another (usually one white and a yellow, or another white with dots), and a red ball.   The table is a snooker table (no smaller than 5' by 10').

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To reach a predetermined point count before your opponent.   Short games can be to 100 points.   A full game is usually 300 points.

SCORING

Note that the non-shooter's cue ball is an object ball for the shooter.

Points are be scored for all of the following:

  1. By scoring a winning hazard (winner).   A winner is scored when the red ball is potted (sunk).
  2. By scoring a losing hazard (loser, or an in-off).   A loser is scored when a player cleanly plays his cue ball off an object ball and into a pocket.
  3. By scoring a canon (billiard, or carom).   A canon is scored when the shooter's cue ball touches both object balls on the same stroke.

Two-point scores are: a cannon and potting opponent's cue ball, or a cannon and a losing hazard off the opponent's cue ball.

Three-point scores are: potting the red, or a losing hazard off the red.

When a cannon is combined with a losing hazard the losing hazard points will be determined by which object ball was struck first.   If both object balls were struck at the same time the in-off is awarded two-points.

OPENING BREAK

Player's lag to determine who starts the game.   The game is started out of the "D" by the breaker, with only his cue and the red ball on the table (the second player removes his cue from the table for the breaker's first inning).   The red-ball starts on the black (7-ball) spot.

RULES OF PLAY

A legal counting stroke entitles the shooter to continue at the table until he fails to legally count.

The second player starts the game by accepting the balls in the position they came to rest at when the first player's inning ended.   The second player must start from the "D".

Subsequent innings start with the player accepting the balls in the positions they came to rest at when the previous player ended his inning.

RED BALL SPOTTING

A ball is not considered to be spotted unless it was placed there by hand.   If a spotted ball is touched by another ball, even if not moved from the spot, it is no longer considered to be spotted.

The red normally spots to the black (7-ball) spot.   If it can't then it will spot to the pink (6-ball) spot.   If that isn't possible then it will spot to the blue (5-ball) spot.

If the red is potted twice in a row from either the black or pink spot it will be placed on the blue spot.   If the blue spot is not available it will be placed on the pink spot.

Potting limitations from the black spot prescribe a sequence of two successive pots from the black spot then one from the pink spot (while those spots are available).

LIMITS ON CANNONS

Cannon are limited to 75 consecutive counts.   After 75 consecutive counts a hazard or safety must be played (scoring with another cannon is a foul).

LIMITS ON HAZARDS

Consecutive hazards (any combination of winning or losing) are limited to a count of 15.   The shooter shall be notified when he counts 10 hazards.   Failure to so notify the shooter will allow the shooter to take five more hazards AFTER HE IS NOTIFIED that he is at 10 hazards.   Shooting more then 15 hazards is a foul.

If the cue ball of the incoming player's opponent is off the table it will be spotted on the brown (4-ball, or baulk-center) spot.   If that spot is not available it will go to the yellow (2-ball) spot, i.e. the right hand corner of the "D" when looking from baulk (the kitchen).

JUMPED OBJECT BALL

If it is the red ball it is spotted on the 7-spot (when available, see RED BALL SPOTTING for more info).   If it is the opponent's cue ball it is spotted on the brown (4-ball, or baulk-center) spot.   A foul is assessed for the ball having left the bed of the table.

CUE BALL AFTER JUMPING OFF TABLE

The ball is spotted on the blue (5-ball, or table-center) spot, and a penalty is assessed for the ball having left the bed of the table.

PENALTIES FOR FOULS

The following are fouls:

  1. playing out of turn,
  2. playing a jump shot,
  3. making a push stroke,
  4. making more than 15 consecutive hazards,
  5. making more than 75 consecutive cannons,
  6. shooting before a ball has been spotted,
  7. conferring whilst the shooter.

Two points are added to the opponent's score for each foul, and the offender's inning is over.

The incoming player has the option of taking the table as-is, or playing out of the "D" (shooting away from the kitchen) with the red on the black spot and the opponent's cue ball on the blue spot (5-ball, or table-center) spot.


Billy Aardd's Club, NMT, Socorro, NM.