Common to All Games Billiards Guide
What is a foul?
And how each game treats it.
What counts as a foul is much the same in every game. What differs is what happens afterward. In some games your opponent may place the cue ball anywhere they like; in others the cue ball stays where it is and points are taken away. Here, the common rules and the differences between games are gathered in one place.
At a glance
Key points
- After a foul
- The turn passes to your opponent
- The cue ball
- 9-Ball, 10-Ball and 8-Ball: anywhere on the table (ball in hand). Rotation: as it lies, or behind the head string. 14.1 and Bowlliards: as a rule, it stays where it is
- Pocketed object balls
- 9-Ball, 10-Ball and 8-Ball: they stay down (except the 9, the 10 and the 8). Rotation and 14.1: they do not score and go back on the table
- Three in a row
- Three fouls. In 9-Ball, 10-Ball and 8-Ball you lose the rack; in 14.1 you lose 16 points; in Rotation your opponent gets ball in hand
- Common fouls
- Scratch, wrong ball first, no rail, touching a ball, ball off the table, double hit
This page follows the Nippon Billiard Association (NBA) “Pocket Billiards Competition Rules” (June 2026 revision, in Japanese). Where the World Standardized Rules (WPA Rules of Play, in effect since September 2025) differ, we have added a note each time, under “Under the World Rules (WPA).” At a tournament, that event’s own regulations take precedence.
01Fouls common to every game
The following are fouls in every game. After a foul, the turn passes to your opponent. [NBA Ch. 6]
| Foul | What happens |
|---|---|
| Scratch | The cue ball goes into a pocket [Art. 1] |
| Ball off the table | The cue ball or an object ball leaves the table. It is still a foul if it bounces back onto the table off a light or a person, or if it comes to rest on top of a cushion or rail [Arts. 3, 4, 7] |
| Touching a ball | Your body, clothing, cue, chalk or anything else touches a ball. This includes striking the cue ball with any part of the cue other than the tip, and striking an object ball directly with the cue [Art. 2] |
| Double hit | The tip touches the cue ball more than once on a single shot. Not a foul when the cue ball is frozen to the object ball it must hit first [Art. 5] |
| Push shot | Pushing through so that the cue ball stays in contact with the object ball longer than on a normal stroke [Art. 5] |
| Both feet off the floor | Both feet are off the floor at the moment of the stroke [Art. 8] |
| No rail | After the cue ball hits an object ball, no ball touches a cushion and none is pocketed [Art. 10] |
| Miscue jump | A miscue lifts the cue ball and it jumps over an object ball [Art. 11] |
| Measuring or marking | Using a ball or other object to measure distances, or making a mark on the table. Measuring with your cue or your own body is allowed [Art. 9] |
| Shooting too soon | Shooting before all the balls have stopped [Ch. 4, Art. 6] |
| Time foul | In a match with a shot clock, failing to shoot within the time allowed [Ch. 5, Art. 5] |
02Which ball you must hit first, game by game
In some games, it is a foul if the cue ball hits the wrong ball first.
| Game | Ball to hit first |
|---|---|
| 9-Ball / 10-Ball / Rotation | The lowest-numbered ball on the table. If the hits are so close together that no one can tell, the lowest-numbered ball is deemed to have been hit first |
| 8-Ball | A ball from your own group (while the table is open, either group) |
| 14-1 / Bowlliards | Any ball |
03What happens after a foul
The fouls themselves are largely the same, but where your opponent shoots from afterward, and what becomes of any balls that went in, differ a great deal from game to game.
| Game | Cue ball | Object balls pocketed on a foul | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9-Ball | Opponent places it anywhere on the table (ball in hand) | Stay down. Only the 9 is spotted on the foot spot | — |
| 10-Ball | Opponent places it anywhere on the table | Stay down. Only the 10 is spotted on the foot spot | — |
| 8-Ball | Opponent places it anywhere on the table (after a scratch on the break, behind the head string) | Stay down | A foul on a shot that pockets the 8 loses the rack |
| Rotation | Opponent chooses: “as it lies” or “behind the head string” | Do not score; returned to the table | The lowest-numbered object ball may also be placed as it lies, on the center spot or on the foot spot, at the opponent’s choice |
| 14-1 | Stays where it is (behind the head string only after a scratch) | Do not score; spotted on the foot spot | Minus 1 point per foul |
| Bowlliards | Stays where it is (behind the head string after a scratch or if the cue ball leaves the table) | Do not score | The inning ends |
In Japan, ball in hand is also called “free ball” (furī bōru) or “cue ball free.”
04Fouls on the break
| Game | Break that fails the requirements | Scratch on the break |
|---|---|---|
| 9-Ball / 10-Ball / 8-Ball / Rotation | No object ball is pocketed and fewer than four object balls (not counting the cue ball) reach a cushion: a “breaking foul.” The opponent chooses either to re-rack and break themselves, or to re-rack and have the breaker break again. It does not count toward three fouls | 9-Ball and 10-Ball: ball in hand for the opponent. 8-Ball and Rotation: the opponent shoots from behind the head string |
| 14-1 | The called ball is not pocketed, and the cue ball and at least two object balls do not reach a cushion: minus 2 points. The opponent chooses either to re-rack and have the breaker break again, or to play from the position as it lies | Minus 1 point. The opponent shoots from behind the head string |
| Bowlliards | On the break, the cue ball must first hit the apex ball (on the foot spot) | A foul on the break returns any pocketed balls to the foot spot, and the first inning ends. After a scratch, the second inning begins with the cue ball behind the head string, and a ball beyond the head string must be called |
05Three fouls
When the same player fouls three times in a row, that is “three fouls.” A single shot without a foul resets the count to zero. Fouls for a break that fails the requirements are not counted.
| Game | Penalty for three fouls |
|---|---|
| 9-Ball / 10-Ball | Loss of the rack. It does not apply unless the player was warned of “two fouls” after the second one |
| 8-Ball | Loss of the rack (under the NBA rules) |
| Rotation | Opponent shoots with ball in hand and may also choose where the lowest-numbered object ball is placed (not loss of the rack) |
| 14-1 | The third foul’s 1 point plus 15 more, 16 points in all. The opponent chooses either to play from the position as it lies, or to re-rack and have the player who fouled break |
| Bowlliards | No rule (a foul ends the inning anyway) |
06What is not a foul
- No call: in a call-shot game, shooting without calling. It is not a foul; the turn passes to the opponent, who plays from the position as it lies. [NBA Ch. 5, Art. 11, Para. 3]
- Shooting toward a frozen ball: when the cue ball is frozen to the object ball it must hit first, shooting toward that ball is not a double hit. [NBA Ch. 6, Art. 5]
- Touching a ball while removing a rack template: if a ball is touched while the rack template is being removed after the break, it is not a foul, because it happens outside of play (the ball is put back where it was). [NBA Ch. 4, Art. 4, Para. 3]
07Frequently asked questions
What happens when I foul?
The turn passes to your opponent. Where the cue ball may then be placed, and what happens to any balls that went in, depend on the game (see the table “What happens after a foul” above).
Are “ball in hand” and “free ball” the same thing?
Yes. Both mean you may pick up the cue ball, place it anywhere on the table and shoot. In Japan it is also called “free ball” or “cue ball free.”
What happens if I scratch?
In 9-Ball, 10-Ball and 8-Ball, your opponent gets ball in hand. In 14.1 and Bowlliards, the cue ball is placed behind the head string.
Should I call my own fouls?
In matches without a referee, both the shooter and the seated player act as “player referees,” and take part in the calls in a spirit of fair play. [NBA Ch. 5, Art. 3] If you notice a foul of your own, the courteous thing is to say so (Billiards Etiquette).
What if I don’t know what a term means?
Billiards Glossary: scratch, the kitchen, the foot spot and other terms are explained there.
👉 Once you know the rules: lessons and match streams in Billiards in Depth