Objective
Pocket all seven balls of your assigned group (reds or yellows) and then legally pocket the black ball. The first player to do this wins the game.
 
The Break
  • The cue ball starts in baulk (behind the line).
  • To be a legal break, at least one ball must be potted or at least two object balls must cross the imaginary centre line of the table.
  • The table is always "open" after the break, regardless of the outcome.
  • If the black ball is potted on the break, all balls are re-racked, and the same player breaks again.
 
Determining Groups (Open Table)
  • The table is "open" after the break until a player legally pockets a ball or balls of a single group (reds or yellows) on a normal shot.
  • The group of balls potted then becomes that player's assigned group for the rest of the frame.
  • If balls from both groups are potted on an open table, the table remains open.
 
Legal Shots
  • On every shot, the cue ball must first strike one of your own balls.
  • After the initial contact, either:
    • One of your balls is potted.
    • The cue ball or any object ball contacts a cushion.
 
Combination Shots
  • You may pocket an opponent's ball(s) in the same shot as one of your own, as long as you legally hit one of your own balls first.
 
Fouls and Penalties
  • A foul results in a "free shot" for your opponent, plus one visit to the table.
  • On a free shot, the opponent can hit or pocket any ball on the table without penalty.
  • The opponent can play the free shot from where the cue ball lies, or take "ball in hand" and place the cue ball anywhere in baulk.
Common fouls include:
  • Potting the cue ball ("in-off").
  • Striking an opponent's ball first (unless on a free shot).
  • A ball leaving the table.
 
Loss of Frame
You lose the frame automatically if you:
  • Pocket the black ball illegally.
  • Pocket the black ball when any of your own group balls are still on the table.
  • Pot both the black ball and the cue ball on the same shot.
  • Play an unsportsmanlike shot, such as a clear "deliberate foul."
 
Stalemate
  • If a situation occurs where no legal shot is playable by either player, it is a stalemate.
  • The frame is re-started with the same player breaking.