THE RULES OF THE GAME OF SNOOKER’S POOL

A complete hand-book of standard rules of all the prominent games of billiards and pool – Brunswick Corp. 1908

THE RULES OF THE GAME OF SNOOKER’S POOL

Authorized by the Billiard Association of Great Britain and Ireland.

1. The game of Snooker’s Pool is played by two or more players, either all against all or in partnership, with fifteen red balls, six pool balls, and one white ball as hereafter described. Any rest may be used.

2. To decide the order of play, as many pool balls as there are players or sides shall be put into a basket, shaken, and given out to the players by the marker.

The players play in the order in which the colors appear on the pool marking board. A player pocketing a ball, scores its value as against each of the other players, and when penalized, pays the penalty to each of them. In a game where sides are formed a player either scores for his own side, or is penalized to the opposing side or sides.

3. When commencing a game the fifteen red balls shall be placed as in the game of Pyramids. For each of these balls pocketed, according to rule, the striker shall score one point. The pool balls to be used are the yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black, which shall be spotted as follows at the commencement of the game, and have the appended values when pocketed according to rule:

The Yellow ball shall be placed on the right hand spot of the baulk line and count two points;

The Green ball shall be placed on the left hand spot of the baulk line and count three points;

The Brown ball shall be placed on the middle spot of the baulk line and count four points;

The Blue ball shall be placed on the spot between the two middle pockets and count five points;

The Pink ball shall be placed at the apex of the pyramid and count six points;

The Black ball shall be placed on the billiard spot and count seven points.

The White ball shall be used in rotation by the various players taking part in the game solely as the striker’s ball, and shall be played from the “D” at the start of a game by the first player, and at any other period of the game, after it has been off the table from any cause whatever.

4. The ball shall be struck with the point of the cue and not “pushed.” If, after the striker’s ball has been forced against an object ball, the point of his cue remain or come in contact with his ball, the stroke is foul. There is no difference between the act of striking and the act of aiming.

5. The ‘”baulk” is no protection.

6. The striker must pocket a red ball before playing upon a pool ball; otherwise the stroke is foul, and after pocketing a red ball he must play upon a pool ball, an order of play that must be observed throughout each break so long as a red ball remains upon the table.

7. After pocketing a red ball the striker is at liberty to select the pool ball upon which he will play, but, when there is no longer a red ball on the table, the pool balls must be played at and taken in their order of value from lowest to highest, save that the player pocketing the last red ball shall be allowed to select the first pool ball upon which he plays, which, if pocketed, shall be re-spotted and the pool balls played at in their order of value.

8. When playing on a pool ball the striker, if asked the question by a player taking part in the game, shall “declare” the ball selected.

9. Any number of red balls may be taken in one stroke; but, if a pool ball is taken in conjunction with a red ball, the stroke is foul. After pocketing a red ball only the pool ball aimed at may be taken.

10. A red ball once off the table shall not be brought into play again under any circumstances; but all pool balls pocketed shall be respotted in their original positions (save that the pink ball shall be placed on the pyramid spot), until Rule 7, as to playing upon the pool balls in rotation, comes into force. When the pool balls are being played upon in rotation, they shall not be re-spotted after being pocketed in proper order and according to rule.

11. No ball shall, under any circumstances, be taken up.

12. Should the spot allotted to any pool ball be occupied when it becomes necessary to re-spot it, it shall be placed upon the nearest unoccupied spot, and, failing that, as near as possible to its proper spot in the direction of the centre spot. If the middle spot of the baulk line is occupied, the brown ball after being pocketed shall, if possible, be placed on the left hand spot of the baulk line, and, failing that, the rule as above applies.

13. If the striker’s ball is touching another, such ball not being playable, and he disturb the ball touching his own, the stroke is foul.

14. Should the striker’s ball be so placed that he cannot play direct on the object ball he is said to be “snookered.”

FOUL STROKES AND PENALTIES.

15. Foul strokes are made or penalties incurred by (1) “Pushing” instead of striking the ball, or striking the ball more than once; (2) Playing out of turn; (3) Playing with both feet off the floor; (4) Playing before all the balls have become stationary, when off the table, or wrongly spotted; (5) Playing with the wrong ball; (6) Touching or moving any ball, except in the legitimate manner set forth in these Rules; (7) Forcing any ball oft” the table; (8) Wilfully interfering with an opponent, or the run of the balls, and refusing to obey the referee’s decision; (9) Missing, running a coup, striking the wrong ball, or pocketing the white ball; (10) Playing at or pocketing any ball except in the proper rotation; (11) Striking two balls, other than two red balls, simultaneously; (12) Giving an intentional miss; (13) Pocketing more than one ball—other than red balls—by one stroke.

16. If the striker “push” his ball or strike it more than once he cannot score, but is subject to any other penalty that he may incur by the stroke.

17. If a player play out of turn he shall forfeit his next turn, otherwise the sequence of turns shall not be altered. If the error be discovered during his break he cannot score from the last stroke made, and the balls shall be replaced by the marker as nearly as possible in the positions they occupied before the stroke objected to. The striker shall be credited with any previous scores, but is subject to any other penalty he may incur.

18. The striker cannot score by a stroke made with both feet off the floor, but is subject to any penalty he may otherwise incur.

19. If the striker play before all the balls have ceased rolling, or before a pool ball has been re-spotted, or whilst any pool ball has been wrongly spotted, he cannot score, and the next player in rotation shall proceed from the position in which the balls have been left. The striker is subject to any penalty he may otherwise incur.

20. If the striker play with the wrong ball he shall be penalized in the value of the black ball.

21. If the striker touch a ball in play otherwise than in the proper manner laid down in these Rules, he cannot score and the balls shall be replaced. After the balls are replaced the stroke must be played, if the striker was still in play when the ball was moved or touched, and he is subject to any other penalty he may incur. Should he touch a ball after the completion of any stroke, i. e., when the balls have become stationary, his scores from previous strokes shall hold good.

22. If the striker force any of the red or pool balls off the table, he shall be penalized in the value of the ball or balls so forced off. Should the ball or balls forced off the table be struck out of order, or of inferior value to the ball that should have been struck, the latter ball shall govern the penalty. Should he force his own ball off the table, he shall be penalized in the value of the ball aimed at, unless another ball of higher value be first struck, in which case such higher ball shall govern the penalty.

23. If a player refuse to continue the game when called upon to do so, or intentionally obstruct an opponent, or wilfully interfere with the running of the balls, he shall be penalized in the total value of all the balls remaining in play.

24. If the striker miss the object ball, or run a coup, or pocket the white ball, he shall be penalized in the value of the ball aimed at; but, if he strike another ball or balls, he shall be penalized in the value of the first ball so struck, unless the ball so struck is of lower value than the ball aimed at and missed, in which case the penalty is governed by the value of the ball aimed at. Should the striker in pocketing any ball hole the white he cannot score, and is penalized in the value of the ball pocketed. Should the striker (excepting as provided in Rule 9) pocket a ball other than the one aimed at he cannot score, and is penalized in the value of such ball unless the ball pocketed is of lower value than the ball aimed at, in which case the penalty is governed by the value of the ball aimed at.

25. If the striker play at or pocket a ball except in the proper rotation, he shall be penalized in the value of the ball so played at or pocketed unless the ball so played at be of lower value than the ball which should have been selected, in which case the penalty is governed by the latter ball.

26. If the striker strike simultaneously a pool ball and a red ball, or two pool balls, he shall be penalized in the value of the higher ball.

27. If the striker pocket the white ball after contact with another, he shall be penalized in the value of the ball struck, unless the object ball so struck be out of order, in which case the penalty shall be governed by the ball of the higher value.

28. Should the striker give an intentional miss, he shall be penalized in the value of the black ball, and be compelled to play the stroke again. No score can accrue from such stroke, but the striker shall be subject to any further penalty he may incur.

29. If the striker pocket more than one ball, other than red halls, in one stroke, he cannot score, and is penalized in the value of the highest ball pocketed.

30. In the absence of a referee the marker of the room shall decide all disputes that may arise; and, if he does not know of the matter in dispute, the majority of the onlookers shall decide.